GROWMARK CEO Mark Orr Honored as NAMA 2025 Agribusiness Person of the Year
The National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) honored GROWMARK CEO Mark Orr with the 2025 National Agribusiness Leader of the Year award during its conference yesterday, April 10, in Kansas City, Kansas.
NAMA describes the award as one that “recognizes leadership achievement in agriculture and the food and fiber industry, in private, public or academic service.” Orr was recognized for his exceptional commitment to leadership and innovation within the agricultural industry that has focused on growth by fostering strategic partnerships, advancing supply chain solutions, and championing sustainable agronomic practices to help strengthen the cooperative model and ensure its long-term success. GROWMARK is currently the fourth-largest agriculture cooperative in the United States.
During an interview with RFD Radio Network, Orr said he was honored to receive the award on behalf of the people of GROWMARK. "Being honored with this award really speaks to the quality of people who we have at GROWMARK who are doing things on behalf of the farmer, and I really accept it on behalf of them."
Orr went on to talk about his 36 years with the cooperative and what has surprised him most in his role of CEO, which he assumed in March of 2022. "The continual need for succession planning and building your team for the future. Earlier this year, we had three leaders retire with 100 years of service, and it's hard to replace that, but we have to continue to build our team and our leaders so we can prepare people and train them to lead the organization in the future."
Orr also talked about GROWMARK approaching its 100th year in business and how the cooperative has navigated the challenges of a century of service to its customers and farmers. "You don’t make it one hundred years without adapting to the challenges in the industry along the way, and that’s what the cooperative model has allowed us to do. It allows us to look out for the farmer every day, and that’s what lets us adjust to things that have gone on around the world and that are still happening around us today."