As cooperatives continue to adapt to a changing business landscape, they face many strategic dilemmas. Understanding the true value of the cooperative business is crucial to meeting these challenges effectively. The conference explored such topics as the cooperative value proposition, measuring the value of cooperative assets, and metrics for cooperative valuation when considering business structure changes.

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2007 Program
Monday, November 5, 2007

Note: :Overview : PPT : Video
7:00 - 8:00 Registration and continental breakfast
8:00 - Noon Morning Program
Welcome and Conference Objectives
Brent Hueth, Associate Professor and Director, University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives
Mary Thompson, Director of Communications and Program Manager, Farm Foundation
Do Cooperatives Create or Destroy Value?
Chris Peterson, Professor, Michigan State University
Doug Sims, Retired CEO, CoBank
Valuing Assets During Changing Times
Mark Flegenheimer, President and CEO, Michigan Sugar Company
Dennis Bolling, President and CEO, United Producers, Inc.
Bioenergy: Trends in Financing and Business Structures
Tom Houser, Lead Relationship Manager, CoBank
Michael Weaver, Attorney, Linquist & Vennum P.L.L.P.
Lunch
1:00 - 5:00 Afternoon Program
Business Structure Choices
Moderators:
David Barton, Professor, Kansas State University
Mike Boland, Professor, Kansas State University
Cooperative Conversion to Public Corporation: FCStone
Paul (Pete) Anderson, CEO, FCStone Group, Inc.
Cooperative Conversion to LLC: South Dakota Soybean Processors
Rodney Christianson, South Dakota Soybean Processors, LLC
Cooperative to Public Firm to Takeover: Gold Kist
Dan Smalley, Gold Kist, Inc
Future Structural Strategies for Traditional Cooperatives: CHS
John Schmitz, Executive Vice President, CHS, Inc.
5:30 - 6:30 Social hour
6:30 Banquet and presentation
Outlook for Agriculture
Ross Anderson, Senior Vice President and Chief Credit Officer, Agribank

Tuesday, November 6

7:00 - 8:00 Registration and continental breakfast
8:00 - Noon Morning Program
Valuing Assets and Measuring Performance
David Holm, Executive Director, Iowa Institute of Cooperatives
Harry Fehrenbacher, Board Chair, Effingham Equity
Amy Gales, Regional Manager, CoBank
What is the Value Proposition for Members?
J. Gordon Toyne, Co-CEO, Swiss Valley Farms
Don Peterson, Director, Swiss Valley Farms
Michael Cook, Professor, University of Missouri-Columbia
Branding and Corporate Responsibility in the Cooperative World
Jean-Mari Peltier, President and CEO, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
Kevin Sexton, Manager, River Country Cooperative
Conference Wrap-up
12:00 Adjourn


Note: Scroll and view the video of a conference speaker over your internet connection (streaming) by clicking a name from the playlist below. Adobe Flash Player 9 or above is required to play the videos. To download the free Adobe Flash Player, click here.

Mary Thompson Director of Communications and Program Manager, Farm Foundation Chris Peterson Professor, Michigan State University Doug Sims Retired CEO, CoBank Dennis Bolling President and CEO, United Producers, Inc. Tom Houser Lead Relationship Manager, CoBank Michael Weaver Attorney, Linquist & Vennum P.L.L.P. Paul Anderson CEO, FCStone Group, Inc. Rodney Christianson South Dakota Soybean Processors, LLC Dan Smalley Gold Kist, Inc. John Schmitz Executive Vice President, CHS, Inc. David Holm Executive Director, Iowa Institute of Cooperatives Harry Fehrenbacher Board Chair, Effingham Equity Amy Gales Regional Manager, CoBank J. Gordon Toyne Co-CEO, Swiss Valley Farms Don Peterson Director, Swiss Valley Farms Michael Cook Professor, University of Missouri-Columbia Jean-Mari Peltier President and CEO, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives Kevin Sexton Manager, River Country Cooperative

Email questions to info@uwcc.wisc.edu.

The annual meeting of cooperative researchers, NCERA-194, followed the Farmer Cooperatives Conference on November 6 and 7, at the same location.

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