(L-R) Heartland Community College President Keith Cornille; Kirk McCullick, GROWMARK Executive Director of Marketing & Business Development; Heartland Board of Trustees Chair Jeff Flessner; Ann Kafer, GROWMARK Executive Vice President, Human Resources and Corporate Services.
 

GROWMARK Partners with Heartland Community College on New Agriculture Complex
Ag industry leader to fund GROWMARK/FS Atrium in HCC Ag Building

 

[November 22, 2022]   GROWMARK, Inc. has announced a partnership with Heartland Community College to advance its agriculture program and create more work-ready students for the region.

The partnership features an investment by The GROWMARK Foundation in the construction of Heartland’s new agriculture complex. The facility is under construction on the west side of the Raab Road campus in Normal, Ill., and is set for completion in late 2023.

“Heartland Community College is a notable innovator in student programs that allow students to customize their learning for a desired career,” said Ann Kafer, GROWMARK executive vice president of human resources and corporate services. “Educational partnerships are an important part of our talent strategy, and we believe this investment will create a sustainable pipeline for top talent for the GROWMARK System and other agribusinesses.”

“GROWMARK’s investment in the Heartland ag facility helps secure the future of ag education in our region and beyond,” said HCC Foundation Executive Director Chris Downing. “As the ag industry continues to evolve, the need for specialized learning space is hugely important. We are grateful for the commitment we have seen from GROWMARK and other industry leaders to secure the pipeline of ag professionals for current and future generations.”

Heartland Community College offers multiple pathways for agriculture students including degree programs Associate in Science, Associate in Arts, Associate in Applied Science, as well as certifications in Agriculture Business, Agronomy, Precision Agriculture and Regenerative Agriculture.

About GROWMARK:

GROWMARK is an agricultural cooperative serving almost 400,000 customers across North America, providing agronomy, energy, facility engineering and construction, and logistics products and services, as well as grain marketing and risk management services.

Headquartered in Bloomington, Illinois, GROWMARK owns the FS trademark, which is used by member cooperatives. More information is available at growmark.com.

About the GROWMARK Foundation:

The GROWMARK Foundation was formally incorporated in 2005 and supports 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charitable organizations. The Foundation is focused on programs and activities which support: the vitality of the industry of agriculture; agriculture education and consumer understanding of agriculture's contributions to society and the economy; agricultural leadership development; and education about the benefits of the cooperative way of doing business. The GROWMARK System has been involved in a variety of philanthropic efforts, including youth and young leader education and development and scholarships, for decades. ​

[Steve Fast
Assistant to the President, Public Information and Communication
Heartland Community College]