April 2025 – The Destination of Your Career Journey

Where are you headed with your career? Where are you going on vacation? The two journeys can be similar in many ways. Early on with both, you plan, prepare, and get educated on what you need to know for the journey; then you step into action, whether into the world of work or travel. The plan is laid out. It’s time for you to fly, to start your career. There are challenges, opportunities, and excitement waiting to greet you – and often second thoughts as well. You wonder, “Is this really the right career path for me to be traveling down?”

During your career, there will be bumps in the flight. Your career path will have its ups and downs, those days you need to “keep your seatbelt buckled,” and you second guess if perhaps you should have driven instead of flying. Do you switch planes, take a different airline, or totally switch plans altogether?

Early in our careers we may dream of someday “reaching the top” or “flying in first class.” We wonder what it might possibly look like to get to stay in the “finest hotels” and “live like a king.” But reality sets in, the bills need to be paid, and we know we must work hard, build up value in our skillset over time, and stay disciplined as we earn respect in our company and our industry. Respect is like rewards points; it takes time to accumulate and will be most valuable someday when we have earned enough that we can cash in our efforts for an upgrade in trust, position and / or responsibility.

Throughout the journey of our careers, we have days of great adventure, accomplishment and enjoyment, but also those days where “a hurricane hits us while we are at the beach.” We continue on, always hoping tomorrow is a good, or at least a better day.

One day, you begin to realize that all good trips must end. You have reached the latter days of your career, and the trip has flown by. You look around the plane and most of the passengers are younger, and you ponder just how this trip will end. What value can you still add? Can mentoring other travelers on life’s journey bring value for your company? for the other individuals involved? We begin asking the inevitable question…how much longer should I stay? A month? A year? A few years? We see there are goals still unmet, work still needing to be done, and ongoing plans in place. When is it time to end our career “trip,” let others get on the plane, and return home?

We have all heard of professional athletes who “played one season too long.” So, we ponder, “When do I step away?” Those who have done so share that sometimes you just know when it is time to step aside and be done. Other times you might linger, working part-time or as needed to help the company and slow the “descent” into landing at home. And sometimes you just can’t stay away from the world of work. As one grain industry colleague shared this winter at a trade show, “I flunked retirement. I’m back to work full-time!”

Your career journey and attitude towards retirement will shape your view of living in your retirement years. Many years ago, Rich Connell shared a statement with me that made me laugh. He said, “I have more history than future.” At the time, I thought, “God only promises us today, but I do hope I still have more future than history.” However, there comes a time when we wake up and there really is no doubt; we realize that we have crossed that threshold where “I, too, have more history than future.”

Regardless of how much future we have, our careers truly are a journey. We must learn to take the great days with the not so good days and make the best of them all. A few years ago, a trusted financial advisor shared some great wisdom with my wife and me. He said, “As we reach the retirement years, we have the “go-go” years, the “slow go” years, and the “no-go” years.” The same could be said about our careers. We work hard, we go-go and grow our career, but we reach a point where our engine slows down and doesn’t have the strength and the stamina that it once had. Then, we reach that point where we have pulled the train as far up the hill as we can, and it is time to get off and let someone else drive the train.

Wherever you are in your journey of life, enjoy today and count it as a blessing. Grow and thrive where you are in your work, family, faith and community. Take on new challenges. Serve others well. Honor the Lord with what you do. And remember, for better or worse, things won’t always be like they are today, so strive to flourish where you are planted, and keep moving forward in your journey!

At AGRI-SEARCH, our staff is committed to bringing top-tier talent to our clients. Open positions change daily, but the need for quality people is constant in every successful business.

Highlighted below are some of our current open positions. If interested in having us assist you in landing talent for one of your positions, or if one of these opportunities looks attractive to you or someone you know, please contact us.

1142, Senior Grain Buyer, Pennsylvania

A highly respected animal feed company is hiring a Senior Grain Buyer to manage corn, soybean, and wheat procurement for their Eastern Region, with strong career advancement potential on a collaborative and stable team. Candidates should bring at least eight years of grain buying experience and a degree in Ag Business or a related field.

1169, Controller, South Georgia

A strategically growing dairy farming operation in South Georgia is seeking an experienced Controller to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of financial reporting while supporting decision-making across multiple business units. The company offers a collaborative, values-driven work environment where integrity, respect, and purpose guide the mission, and the successful candidate will bring at least five years of cost accounting experience, strong organizational skills, and a calm, team-oriented approach.

5855, Location Manager, North Dakota

A successful locally operated grain company in North Dakota is seeking their next leader at one of their key assets. The ideal candidate will have at least three years of experience in grain operations management and take pride in their facility. The company is seeking someone that is a champion of employee development and comfortable upholding company policy.

1147, Grain Originator, Northwest Illinois

A growing grain company in northwestern Illinois is seeking an experienced grain professional to lead origination and logistics across multiple locations with strong growth potential. This customer-focused role offers the opportunity to build relationships, manage grain buying and shipping, and collaborate closely with both merchandising and operations teams. This role is for someone with 3 to 20+ years of experience looking to put down roots in a welcoming rural area.

1166, Facility Manager, Wisconsin

A well-respected seed company in southwestern Wisconsin is seeking a Plant Manager to lead operations at a fast-paced processing facility focused on maximizing throughput and ensuring high-quality seed delivery. This leadership role is ideal for someone with experience managing people and processes, while an ag background preferred it is not required.

1146, Technical Support and Quality Manager, Texas

A dynamic international liquid feed company is seeking a Technical Support and Quality Manager to provide expert training, technical support, and leadership in the sales process for feed mill products, while contributing to R&D and product development initiatives. Based near Houston or a major airport, this role requires a PhD or master’s in animal nutrition or Feed Mill Science, strong communication and analytical skills, and up to 60% travel across North America and Canada to support the sales team and customers.

4125, Tax Partner, Arizona

Join a rapidly growing accounting firm as a Tax Partner, focusing on serving agricultural clients, including family farming businesses. This unique leadership role offers the chance to take over an established client base while building new relationships in the agricultural sector. Ideal for a CPA with strong business development skills, this position offers a fast track to equity partnership and an opportunity to shape the firm’s future.

1153, Cash Grain Broker / Merchandiser, Illinois

A rapidly growing grain marketing consulting company based in Chicago is seeking a driven, experienced merchandiser to help lead expansion and bring fresh ideas to their dynamic, customer-focused team. This role, which can be remote or office-based, offers strong earning potential through a base salary and aggressive, uncapped commission. They are looking for a self-starter with 5+ years of experience, strong sales instincts, and a passion for working with farmers to manage risk.

5861, Grain Merchandiser, Central Illinois

A thriving Illinois grain company is seeking an experienced and skilled Grain Merchandiser to lead the charge in driving profitability and keeping grain flowing smoothly at their multiple truck and rail facilities handling about 25 million bushels per year. Responsibilities will include taking over 100% of the grain merchandising, coaching and mentoring team members, and talking to farmers about grain marketing.

6253, Farm Operations Manager, Western Kansas

A family farming operation in western Kansas is seeking an Operations Manager to join their team. This farm consists of 16,000 acres and is operated by the third generation. Crops grown consist of wheat, milo, corn, and pinto beans with approximately one fourth of the acreage being irrigated. This is a rural region with excellent schools and churches and is a great place to raise a family.

5850, Operations Manager, Oklahoma

A highly successful grain company is hiring an Operations Manager for a key Oklahoma facility. This opportunity is well-suited for a proactive leader with 3+ years of experience in grain facility management or a related field. This role offers career advancement and includes overseeing blending, inventory, safety, and minor projects in a dynamic, hands-on environment.

Our job as professional recruiters is to identify, attract, evaluate, and help our clients land top talent for their team. We are constantly working with quality individuals who are positioned for growth in their career and are open to or actively seeking to make a change.

If your team is seeking talent to make a positive difference in your ability to serve your customers, reach out to us and see if it is something we can assist you with.

Do you have a wealth of industry knowledge, several years’ experience in the ag industry, and a network of peers you enjoy engaging with? Do you have the grit to not give up and stay true to the course, no matter how difficult it may be? Are you competitive and possess a strong sales mentality where every “no” is just one step closer to a “yes”?
If so, and you have a passion for connecting with and helping people to go along with your strong agricultural industry background in agronomy, grain, accounting, safety, or other areas, please contact Dave Allen. We would enjoy having a discussion with you about how a recruiting career may be a great fit for you.

Founded in 1995, AGRI-SEARCH is a professional recruiting firm providing clients with customized recruiting solutions in various niches within the agricultural industry. Our success results from our industry focus, our specialized approach to recruiting, and our staff’s lifelong roots in, dedication to, and vast understanding and knowledge of the agricultural industry.

At AGRI-SEARCH, our mission states that we “are committed to serving the agricultural industry with integrity, passion and excellence by assisting our candidates to reach their career goals and helping our client companies build successful teams.”