Virtual Coff ee Shop A lot of great idea exchange takes place in small-town coff ee shops, over the counter at cooperative offi ces or leaning over a pickup hood. Today, however, increasingly complex farm and co-op business challenges call for expanded conversations that connect producers and cooperative leaders beyond their hometowns to a broad range of insights and expertise. Just over a year ago, this system took a major step in expanding those connections through creation of the CHS Center for Cooperative Growth. As outlined in the lead story of this issue of C magazine, we used this website during 2013 to examine a broad range of business and industry issues, creating conversations that wouldn’t have existed otherwise. Since the site’s inception, we’ve brought together thought leaders from among your system’s cooperative directors, managers and CEOs. We’ve also asked experts from leading university cooperative studies programs to share their perspectives through videos, white papers and more. We’ve talked about strategies for farm transition, board alignment and equity management — all foundations for a successful future. As the directors and other leaders featured in this issue attest, the CHS Center for Cooperative Growth is a place to learn and to challenge your thinking. Essentially, we’ve created a virtual café where conversation topics reach far beyond local weather and crop scouting reports. Through this online community, you have the chance to hear from peers and experts. You can weigh in through online polls and, most important, you can become part of the dialogue. In 2014, the CHS Center for Cooperative Growth will take on more critical issues like strategic decision making, board diversity and safety. You’re in for a level of conversation that will add value for your farm operation and your cooperative. Beyond this forum, we all recognize the value and opportunity emerging technologies hold for helping our businesses grow and succeed. We recently introduced a vibrant, robust new CHS public website. And over the Carl Casale, president and CEO, CHS next two years, CHS will make a very sizable investment in its information technology platform. We know that to continue to grow our system and add value for you, we must build an infrastructure that supports the size and scale we see ahead for this company. I believe this project will be transformative for CHS, helping to complete our evolution from a holding company of 14 businesses and more than 500 locations to a true enterprise that can maximize its value to you, wherever the future takes us. The pace of change is faster, the decisions you make are weightier and your range of options is more complex than ever. We’re committed to supporting you through technology tools like the CHS Center for Cooperative Growth and much more in the years ahead. So grab a cup of coff ee, fi re up your computer or mobile device, and join the conversation. We’re committed to supporting you through technology tools like the CHS Center for Cooperative Growth. Your CHS Connection 5
Issue Articles
Virtual Coffee Shop
Carl Casale
Visit Article: http://c.chsinc.com/article/Virtual+Coffee+Shop/1609806/192181/article.html.