SELECTING A BUSINESS PARTNER
1/17/2012 10:35AM By Matt Conlon
In today’s market how does a corn grower decide where to buy seed? Wow, what a question after the growing season we just went through. I am from Northwest Iowa, and we had one of the most complex growing seasons that farmers have seen for a long time.
After harvest, growers decide what hybrids they want to plant for the following year. This decision becomes more complex every year. Seed companies have fancy slogans, yield data, advertisements everywhere, and, of course, the price per bag is an issue as well. So what is my point to all of this? Well, let me tell you a little story.
This is my story of working at Wyffels Hybrids. I came to work for Wyffels Hybrids in the Fall of 2008. I began working District 42 around Spencer, Iowa. Things were going well and I was truly enjoying my role at Wyffels and so the next two years came and went. Things in the seed business weren’t perfect, but sales, customer, and seed rep numbers were growing. In the Fall of 2010 my phone rang, opportunity was knocking, and I decided to listen. My wife and I decided that sometimes you need to take risks in life. Therefore, in December 2010 I left Wyffels Hybrids for another job in the Ag industry outside of the seed business. About four months went by in my new position and things just weren’t right. I am not one for clichés but the old saying sometimes you don’t know what you had until it’s gone was very appropriate.
One day I was driving down I-80 and happened to be thinking about my days at Wyffels. About that time I met a Wyffels pick-up, a couple miles later a Wyffels Semi, and then a few more miles down the road another Wyffels pick-up. I thought to myself, “I think someone is trying to tell me something.” So, I decided to call Bill Wyffels and visit with him. It took some courage and I really had to swallow my pride. One thing led to another and here we are today, with Matt Conlon being a Wyffels DSM again.
So what is my point to all of this? I am not going to tell you that Wyffels is the best seed company out there, that we have the best corn, or the cheapest seed corn. My point is that Wyffels Hybrids has many good people that truly enjoy being a part of this independent family owned company. I want to say Thank You to all of our current customers, and to anyone looking for new hybrids or another seed brand on their farm. Why not take a look at Wyffels? You might be surprised and pleased with what you find.
