Fast-growing Farmers Business Network bringing in workers from at least 20 states

Aug. 20, 2018

This paid piece is sponsored by the Sioux Falls Development Foundation.

Farmers Business Network is accomplishing what companies and communities crave – attracting an influx of new college graduates and convincing them to move for attractive career opportunities.

The fast-growing startup is bringing new technology to thousands of farmers – 6,500 at last count – using a crowdsourcing approach to ag data that allows farmers to make more effective decisions about their operations.

Last year, Forbes dubbed it one of the nation’s next billion-dollar companies. Investors have backed it with at least $200 million. And its national operations headquarters is in Sioux Falls.

“We’re in the middle of the ag world, so for us it’s kind of a great location to be, and we’ve discovered bringing people into this area is not that difficult,” said Dennis Kautz, head of sales development.

The FBN team has more than doubled in the past year, now approaching 268 people largely split between Sioux Falls and California. Many are entry-level workers who have moved here from throughout the Midwest and beyond. And more growth is certainly on the way.

“We see ourselves as one of the fastest-growing companies in ag right now,” Kautz said. “I don’t’ want to project where we’ll be in a year, but I know it will significantly larger than where we are today.”

That means more professional opportunities for people like Ellen Childress, who learned about Farmers Business Network because she was fortunate enough to check the junk folder in her inbox.

She moved to Sioux Falls for a sales development role.

“Back home in Illinois, there wasn’t a lot going on,” she said. “I saw this opportunity, and if anything didn’t work out, I could always go back home. So far, it’s worked out great.”

Since joining the company in October 2016, Childress has been promoted multiple times and now is a recruiting coordinator.

“Definitely in a startup culture you move fast,” she said. “But that’s also what makes it fun and keeps you on your toes.”

She relates to the company’s motto of putting farmers first, she said, and praises the culture and work environment at FBN.

Childress sees herself with plenty of opportunity to grow professionally there and enjoys her new home, she said.

“Sioux Falls is a really great area to start out when you’re a recent college graduate,” she said. “I really like the community aspect of it – not being overwhelmed but offering a lot.”

Here’s how Farmers Business Network has succeeded in scaling up its staff:

  • Connect with colleges. FBN has a strong presence telling its story at colleges and universities. That has allowed it to recruit entry-level workers from 20 states to Sioux Falls.
  • Promote the mission. FBN believes in “Farmers First” and young workers connect with the idea of bringing high-tech tools to an industry that has been lacking them.
  • Keep an open door. Employees can meet with managers at any level.
  • Encourage friendly competition. There are games around productivity and results.
  • Recognize success. When an employee closes a sale, that person’s signature music and video play and a photo is splashed on a leader board for the office to see.
  • Outside activities. Recent FBN team outings have been planned to Thunder Road and a Sioux Falls Canaries game.
  • Canine co-workers. Dogs are welcome in the FBN office, helping workers decompress in a fast-paced environment.
  • Free food. FBN caters in lunch once a week to rave reviews from employees.

To see more workforce development strategies, read the latest edition of WIN: Workforce Information Now from the Sioux Falls Development Foundation.

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Fast-growing Farmers Business Network bringing in workers from at least 20 states

Farmers Business Network is accomplishing what companies and communities crave – attracting an influx of new college graduates and convincing them to move for attractive career opportunities.

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