Careers

Company:         Dehy Alfalfa Mills Inc.
Location:          Arlington/Lyons, Nebraska, USA
Website:          https://dehyalfalfamills.com/

ABOUT US

Dehy Alfalfa Mills Inc. (“Dehy”) is a forage processer that provides nutritionally balanced, shelf stable feed products. Founded in 1872 by the Rhea family, the company has flourished into a premier provider of processed forages servicing the Midwestern USA. In 2022, Market Maker Agriculture (“MM”), an investor in agribusinesses, acquired the company.

With a commitment to quality and the ability to tailor solutions to meet the distinct dietary requirements of various animals, Dehy has earned the trust of feed manufacturers, livestock owners, and a vast network of distributors. Leveraging several transportation networks, Dehy ensures timely and reliable distribution across the region.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Market Maker is working with the Dehy Board of Directors to recruit one (1) new independent Board Director to be appointed at an upcoming meeting expected to be held in July 2024.  The individual must be an American citizen with relevant industry knowledge. The current Board of Directors consists of three members, one of whom is MM management.

This board recruitment initiative reflects MM’s commitment to seek an independent Board Director to provide subject matter expertise, industry relationships and competencies to contribute to Dehy’s success. Together, the Board of Directors and MM leadership are responsible for overseeing the strategic direction of the company, and its governance, fostering its long-term success to maximize shareholder value. Since its acquisition in January 2022 MM has been transitioning this business from an owner-managed business into a corporate-managed business. As this onboarding process winds down, MM is now looking to strengthen this business for the future. The new Board Director will help influence Dehy’s future strategic direction through their expression of thoughts, business skills and expertise. They will also steward and support Dehy through strategic business challenges and opportunities.

Each Board Director is responsible for becoming knowledgeable about the company and the primary and ancillary industries within which the company operates and will maintain an understanding of the relevant regulatory, legislative, business, social and political environment.

Prospective Board candidates are expected to have the following:

• Some familiarity with the animal feed or ingredients industry;
• Experience in managing operations in organizations with seasonal fluctuations in demand and production cycles;
• Senior executive level experience, possessing vision, sensibility, and financial acumen;
• Intellectual and emotional intelligence and demonstrates fairness, openness, and impartiality to achieve rational decision making for the business;
• The ability to contribute experience and to exercise agility to positively influence the company’s growth in strategic matters by leveraging connections and resources as needed by the company.

Specifically, Dehy aims to add certain skills and competencies to the Board and ideal candidate will possess the following:

Expertise

The ideal board candidate will have senior level experience and board experience with knowledge in one or more of the following areas:

• Animal nutrition;
• Feed processing;
• Supply chain management;
• Quality assurance and safety;
• Risk management;
• In depth industry knowledge in one of Dehy’s key customer segments: livestock owners, feed distributors, feed manufacturers, feed retailers.

Experience

• A demonstrated ability to develop and oversee strategic initiatives with a keen understanding of market dynamics, competitive landscapes and the alignment of strategic objectives with organizational goals.
• Experience in making significant decisions or providing recommendations on decisions which have a substantial financial impact.
• Business experience in which a proven track record of business acumen, insight and judgement are demonstrated.
• Involvement in setting the organizational culture and fostering an environment that encourages ethical conduct and a commitment to integrity values.
• Well-versed in corporate governance and best practices through related experience and ongoing professional development.

Personal Attributes

• Willing and able to devote the time and energy necessary to fully participate on the Board of a dynamic company.
• Collaborative team player with a confident attitude, willingness to consider others’ opinions, orientation towards constructively resolving conflicts, and a focus on adding value.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to listen to understand, raise questions constructively and encourage and build upon an open discussion of critical issues.
• Innovative and creative towards developing new ways to address business issues.
• Free of any substantial commercial conflicts, independence of mind and ability to exercise impartial judgment.
• High integrity, accountability, courage, and business acumen. 

GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE:

Board Structure and Meetings

The Board will meet quarterly via video conference. Directors must have sufficient time to attend regularly scheduled meetings as well as periodic meetings which will be scheduled on an as needed basis to support crucial strategic initiatives and decisions as they arise. Board members are expected to prepare for meetings in advance including staying current on the industry. Meeting materials for quarterly meetings are typically circulated 3-5 business days before each meeting. There are currently no active committees.

Board Terms: No terms, annual election. A new board member is expected to make a minimum 2-year commitment, subject to annual shareholder election.

Compensation: The annual board compensation is $8,000 USD.

Corporate calendar: the fiscal year ends on December 31^st.

To apply applicants should send their resume to: board@marketmakerag.com

Selected candidates will be contact by July 1 for an interview.