ARA Convenes Annual Conference, Board Takes Action for Long-Term Success
Dec 03 2019
NEW ORLEANS, La. (Dec. 3, 2019) – Today the Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) kicked off its 2019 Conference & Expo in New Orleans, La. The annual gathering will draw nearly 600 agricultural retail industry professionals for speakers, educational sessions, a world-class expo and networking opportunities.
“The ARA conference is always one of the highlights of the entire year for me,” says ARA Chairman Troy Johnson of Wilbur-Ellis. “It’s a great chance to connect with a broad range of industry peers, and I always bring new information home that is valuable to my ‘day job.’ Ag retail faces many challenges and opportunities that will be explored during this year’s conference.”
Tuesday’s events included the ARA Invitational Golf Tournament and the opening of the sold-out expo hall.
“The ARA Conference & Expo is a way for us to bring together our members and supporters to highlight our accomplishments and look forward to the issues we will face in the months and years ahead,” says ARA President and CEO Daren Coppock. “I am proud of the speaker lineup we have for this year’s event and am certain attendees will walk away with an enriching experience.”
The industry speaker lineup includes a keynote presentation and a Q&A session with CEO and Chairman of the FMC Corporation Pierre Brondeau, and a panel on competing retail models moderated by Margy Eckelkamp, editor of AgPro, and comprised of Alexander Reichert, co-founder and CEO of AgVend; Dave Thomas, executive vice president of Helena Agri-Enterprises LLC; and John Demerly, CEO of CommoditAg.
Earlier in the week, the ARA Board of Directors gathered for its quarterly meeting. The agenda included the review of regular business operations of the organization and opportunities to strengthen and create efficiencies. The Board took action to expand the Executive Committee to include two additional retailer seats, and to shift the seats on the Board of Directors from 24 to 27 retailers.
“As an organization, we are always seeking ways to strengthen the voice of the ag retailer,” says Coppock. “The action by the board will continue to ensure that the best interests of ag retailers remain the priority in the work that the ARA Board of Directors and the ARA staff do on a daily basis.”
Learn more about the ARA Conference & Expo on the website or on ARA’s social media.