MANHATTAN, Kan. — One of the 35 largest private companies in the United States has agreed to lead the current Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership class through a fall 2010 Blue Chip Seminar.
CHS is a diversified energy, grains and foods company that also offers risk management services. It plans to host the 30 members of KARL’s Class X at its corporate headquarters in Inver Grove Heights, Minn.
"CHS is one of KARL’s most highly valued supporters, contributing $5,000 a year toward our training efforts since 2001. But, our having their corporate management team also host this seminar is a real honor," said Jack Lindquist, president and director of KARL, Inc., based with Kansas State University Research and Extension.
CHS has been in the Fortune 200 (the top of the Fortune 500) for years. Its owners are farmers, ranchers, agricultural cooperatives, and thousands of preferred stockholders across the United States.
The initials in the company’s name come from a corporate forerunner: Cenex Harvest States, which itself was formed in a 1998 merger between two regional agricultural cooperatives — Cenex, Inc., and Harvest States Cooperatives. As a result of the merger, the company’s roots extend back to the late 1920s.
The Blue Chip part of the two-year KARL training curriculum is an in-depth seminar about corporate strategic management, Lindquist said. Class X will learn about CHS’s management philosophy on such practices as customer focus, innovation, and building and supporting strong leaders.
"The Blue Chip Seminar’s underlying question is always the same: How can we sustain profitable industries, businesses and communities in a competitive environment," he said. "Naturally, that includes decisions about corporate and social responsibility, employee engagement, and operational excellence.
"CHS says it’s committed to providing the essential resources that enrich lives around the world. Learning how its management team is guiding the company toward that goal should be fascinating."
Pratt, Kan. —
