AgProfessional Staff  |   January 13, 2012

Daren Coppock, president and CEO of ARA, welcomed attendees to the first day of conference speakers at the 2011 ARA Conference and Expo in Boca Raton, Fla. The Agricultural Retailers Association picked the topic of sustainability for its 2011 ARA Conference and Expo. This year’s theme was Growing a Sustainable Business: What your customers, consumers and the government want from ag retailers. The conference and expo took place Nov. 29-Dec. 1 at the Boca Raton Resort & Club in Boca Raton, Fla. Attendance was nearly 600 registered participants.

Featured speakers this year provided macrocosmic and microcosmic views on the issue of sustainability and how it applies to ag retailers. Speakers included Ian Hope-Johnstone, director, agriculture sustainability, PepsiCo; Jonathan Kaplan, senior policy specialist, Natural Resources Defense Council; Adam Putnam, Florida ag commissioner; Mac Carraway, president of SMR Farms; and Thom Winninger, marketing strategist.

The conference also featured two panels. The first panel provided new technologies to retailers to help them with issues related to sustainability. This panel included Andrew Kennedy, president, FoodLogiQ; Andres Ferreyra, manager of special projects for Ag Connections; and Kevin Pattison, president, Agri-Data Solutions. Doyle Pearl (right), J B Pearl Sales and Service, presented the newly installed 2012 ARA chairman Billy Pirkle, Crop Production Services, with the chairman's gavel on the last day of the conference. Each shared their perspectives on mining and managing customer data and shared how retailers are poised to help make sharing information easier and more profitable for the farmer.

The retailer panel on the last day included Dave Coppess with Heartland Co-op, Bob Willard with Willard Agri-Service and Orvin Bontrager, Servi-Tech. Each shared their individual challenges of tackling sustainability from their region’s and business’s perspective.

The accompanying expo and trade show featured a record number of trade show exhibitors: 70! Attendees had a chance to discuss face to face the newest products and technologies being offered in 2012.  

ARAPAC’s special events helped ARA raise $76,000 for political activities associated with helping to re-elect and elect members of Congress who support ag retailers and distributors’ issues. These events included the ARAPAC Golf Tournament, ARAPAC Auction and dinner at the Addison of Boca Raton.

ARA celebrated the retirement of Jim Thrift, Vice President of Regulatory Policy & Corporate Relations, with a roast Tuesday night, Nov. 29. Roast comments were made by (l to r) Brian Gentsch, Scott Rawlins, Karen Soule and Bill Rowland. The spouse’s program featured a brunch and resort tour as well as a Caribbean cooking demonstration and lunch, which were sponsored by FMC.

In addition to the annual golf tournament, other activities this year included an Everglades airboat tour and a Florida agricultural tour, which was hosted by the Palm Beach County Extension Service and Sugar Cane Growers Co-op. This tour took attendees to a sugar cane field and processing mill.

Once again, Continuing Education CCA Credits were offered to attendees.

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