Rural Issue

Agspring invests in rural communities

The mission of Kansas City based Agspring is to feed a changing world.  Brad Clark, President and Chief Operating Officer tells Brownfield the intention is to put a dent in global hunger by becoming a trusted global developer of sustainable agriculture supply chains.  Agspring brings capital to local owner-operators and helps to include them in a network that will help them stay competitive on the global stage.  In doing this, it helps local operators better serve farmers as well as their customers downstream.

Clark tells Brownfield American farmers are doing a fantastic job of producing more with less.  The increased volume the farmers are growing is putting a stress and strain on infrastructure, including elevators, dumps, trucks, barge loaders, etc.  He says the people that own the infrastructure do not have access to the capital necessary to keep up.  Agspring helps keep local, rural communities alive by creating jobs and keeping money in the local community.

Agspring’s current footprint is the Upper Midwest, Pacific Northwest and lower Mississippi Delta Region.  Clark said his company is ready to work with local mid-sized agricultural logistics or processing operations anywhere in the U.S. that are in need of infrastructure improvements, upgrades or additions.

In December, Agspring announceed completion of a recapitalization.  Instead of selling the company, Clark explained to Brownfield, they replaced the capital and secured long-term, permanent investors.  He said they have no intention of selling Agspring, but plan continue to grow it into a global entity anchored in the United States.

Clark’s long lens view for Agspring is to continue to do what they have done in past 3.  Doubling and tripling in size and growing something very special to do something important in the marketplace.

Agspring, explained Clark, is unique.  In the logistics business “bigger is better” as long as you don’t destroy those positive things that have made the local operations special.

Agspring, explains Clark, has hit on a unique balance between giving access to world-class information technology systems, human resources, compensation and benefit programs, management, access to bank credit lines, equity, safety programs, operations – all the things that are really hard to do as a local, mid-sized operator.  But what is critical is when Agspring partners with local operations is that they know the farmers, customers and how to run their business.

“That stays intact,” said Clark.  “It is the same as before only better.”

“We feel passionately, adamantly that the best stewards of the land are America’s farmers.  We’re not telling farmers anything they don’t know about when it comes to taking care of their land.  That’s part of their DNA.”

AgSpring was founded in 2012.

Conversation with Brad Clark, Agspring President and Chief Operating Officer: