Strategies for Survival

It’s a jungle out there. Navigating through the treacherous terrain that is our recessed economy requires keen survival instincts and the ability to roll with the punches and throw in a counter punch or two of your own. FEED & GRAIN looks at educational opportunities, facility fixes and keeping your legal house in order to help keep you on the clear path of success.

One proven strategy to surviving a challenging business climate — and to gird yourself for future challenges — is to surround yourself with the latest business intelligence which helps your business succeed.

During this trade show and meeting season industry groups such as AFIA and NGFA do their part every year to bring their membership and the top minds of the industry together. By sharing insights and information in an educational setting, these organizations deliver immense value to feed and grain professionals.

When it comes to bringing education, expertise and insight into a hands-on environment all under one roof, the GEAPS Exchange has few peers.

NEED EXPERTISE? GO TO THE SOURCE

This year’s Exchange features more than 50 speakers and 36 hours of focused educational presentations — which is even more hours than last year’s record-setting show in Omaha. Between the educational sessions, the opening workshop, the Expo Hall pods, the forums and the Idea Exchange, Exchange 2009 will offer a comprehensive educational program designed to benefit all attendees.

What’s the GEAPS’ secret in bringing constructive and relevant information to the fore? The answer lies in the GEAPS membership and the Educational Programming Committee (EPC) themselves.

Charged with the task of coming up with new ideas and issues to address, the EPC gathers input from members which ultimately turn into the sessions, presentations, forums, Expo Hall pods, opening workshop and Idea Exchange that comprise the Exchange educational opportunities.

Simply put, everything in the program has been created for grain operations professionals by grain operations professionals and Associate members.

TIMELESS TOPICS

With the membership creating the educational curricula timeless topics and issues highlight the Exchange agenda, including sessions on meaty topics such as facility safety, cost management, international marketing and keeping ahead of regulatory requirements.

In addition to the Expo’s Hall pods, the morning-long opening workshop on grain bin engulfment and the Idea Exchange, there are 18 hour-long presentations on a variety of topics important for people who manage grain operations.

Some of the key presentations and a brief highlight are included below:

Seven Essentials to Reducing Workplace Injuries:
This session will show how companies can most efficiently cut down on the numbers of workplace injuries and save money in Workers’ Compensation costs. It will cover written programs, employee training, accident investigation, return-to-work programs, facility inspections, management and supervisor commitment and program accountability.

Working With OSHA and Complying with the Grain Standard (1910.272):
This session will discuss how grain facilities can work with OSHA to help them comply with federal safety and health regulations, and the hazards that OSHA inspectors are trained to look for during an inspection.

Short Hedges in a Volatile Market:
With erratic grain prices, powerful demand for corn and shrinking margins, many grain companies are finding themselves undercapitalized. What do the current market conditions mean for future expansion of grain businesses? How can country elevators change to meet the increased need for more capital? When can we expect to see a return to more “normal” debt needs? When will we get convergence on cash and futures prices?