Anticipating Your Business Environment Phil Kenkel Bill Fitzwater Cooperative Chair

Important Functions of the Board Setting Strategic Goals Making long term financial commitments Positioning the Cooperative for the Future

Questions Board Members Should be Asking Do we have an up-to-date strategic plan? What forces will drive our industry over the next 5 years? Are we looking at external trends and analyzing opportunities and threats? Are we anticipating the needs of our future customers and positioning the cooperative to meet future needs? Does the cooperative have the size and scope to compete?- if not what are we doing about it?

Key Questions Continued How much risk exposure does the cooperative have from fertilizer and fuel prices Are we using the most efficient warehousing and delivery system? What is being done to minimize the cost of inventories while assuring we can still service our customers needs on a timely basis?  

Managers and Directors List of Key Challenges Fuel and Fertilizer Prices Large Producers By-passing the Cooperative Human Resource Issues/Costs Controlling Costs Changing Crop Patterns

Anticipating Your Future Business Environment Identify major factors impacting your business Understand how these factors will impact your members Analyze the impact on the cooperative Analyze risks and develop risk control strategies Position the Cooperative for the Future

Today We Will Consider Producer response to fuel and fertilizer prices Forecast alternative crop adoption Fuel and Fertilizer Outlook Electricity cost control strategies Minimum tillage Fuel and fertilizer price impacts on a typical cooperative