25 YEARS ENVIRONMENT AL RESPECT A


W ARDS Sp o n sor e d b y


ENVIRONMENTAL RESPECT 2O15


2 5 Y E A R S OF COMMITMENT To Excellence in Stewardship and Safety


By Paul Schrimpf Group Editor, CropLife®


clear sense as to the commitment to environmental stewardship that each man- ager and employee displays as they carry out their work each day. I was fortunate enough to head to the Pacific Northwest for a visit to The McGregor Co.’s Genesee, ID,


M location hosted by the husband and wife team


of Ken and Sylvia Fox, along with DuPont rep Don Kambitsch. It was quite a memorable experi-


ence. I first got to meet the team and was blown away by how deeply the commitment to environ- mentalism runs at McGregor. I came to understand that as im- pressive as the self-audit package was that they sent in for consider- ation by the judges, it was more than photos and type on pages. They indeed walked the talk. Then, Ken took me out in his pick-up to show me exactly what they were work-


RETAILERS ARE INDEED SHOWING MEASURABLE IMPROVEMENT IN HOW THEY MANAGE THEIR FACILITIES, INSTITUTE TRAINING AND INTERACT WITH THE COMMUNITY EACH AND EVERY YEAR.


ing so hard to protect. Friendly people in nearby communities that put their trust in the local retailer to live their commitment to environmental responsibility. Acre- after-acre of breathtaking scenery, from blinding yellow expanses of canola to a ridge overlooking the Snake River valley and the towns of Lewiston and Clarkston. There’s so very much at stake. While McGregor was a story of how to sustain excellence, my second visit —


Premier Ag Co-op of Hope, IN — was about resuscitating a safety and steward- ship program that had gone south. Cecil Henderson, who had started as branch manager three years earlier, had walked into a plant in need of an overhaul. Cecil instituted new policies, procedures and incorporated a number of new


programs that turned things around rapidly. The story was so impressive that the facility ended up being the 2001 National Environmental Respect Award winner. Since that initial experience, I’ve gotten to sit in on the judging and/or visit an


outlet every year, and it has always been an inspiring experience. Retailers are indeed showing measurable improvement in how they manage their facilities, in- stitute training and interact with the community each and every year. I’m proud that CropLife magazine is a part of this initiative now in its 25th year,


in partnership with DuPont Crop Protection. It shares the good news stories of how agribusinesses are doing the right thing, and we can all learn from the successes of those who are leading the industry on environmental respect.


magazine


Y FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH THE Environmental Respect Awards program came in the summer of 2001. Following the judging event in spring when the regional winners were selected, each editor gets assigned to go out and meet the winners, take photos, and get a


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ENVIRONMENTAL RESPECT


July 2015


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