Three grain processing professionals have been named winners of the 2026 IOMSA Golden Ticket award, earning full registration and a $500 travel stipend to attend GEAPS Exchange 2026. The winners are Kevin Heiden, Shipping and Receiving Supervisor at Zeeland Farm Services in Ithaca, Michigan; Ben Schlatter, Facility Engineering Intern at Scoular and Feed-Mill Operator at Midland Marketing Co-operative in Hays, Kansas; and Adam Kopachek, Inventory Manager at CHS Inc. in Mankato, Minnesota.
Selected through a competitive application process, the recipients demonstrated professional experience, commitment to learning, and interest in advancing within grain processing operations. The IOMSA Golden Ticket program, now in its second year, aligns with the Processing track of education at GEAPS Exchange, featuring sessions focused on the evolving grain processing sector.
John Caupert, GEAPS CEO, highlighted the transformational changes in grain flow driven by new demand, policies, and technologies. “GEAPS Exchange is where the conversations shaping the future of grain processing are taking place,” he said.
The winners will be recognized at the Exchange event on February 22, following the Grain Processing Leadership Panel Innovation Station. GEAPS Exchange runs February 21-24, 2026, at the Kansas City Convention Center in Missouri.
