1. Anticipating Your Business Environment
Phil Kenkel
Bill Fitzwater Cooperative Chair

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

3. 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?

4. 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?

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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