2Q INTERNATIONAL 15 ILLER MA MAGAZINE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL GRAIN MILLING COMMUNITY Our work is a high “calling, and it is important to society. I do not want us to forget that.” BUILDING A PROUD GLOBAL FELLOWSHIP Milling, Roy Loepp says, is a noble colleague, says Loepp will lend an would be a good ft. profession. incredible amount of knowledge “Working with machines, creating “If we are doing our job well, it means and wide-ranging experience to the processes and learning how things work people are able to live a better quality of association. all intrigued me,” he says. “To me, it life. Te safety, quality and availability “Roy brings fresh leadership to seemed that milling ofered a lot of of food depend on milling. We tend to the IAOM with an impressive resume career possibilities. I stuck with it, and take these things for granted,” Loepp that has not been seen in the past. His it turned out to ofer a diverse range of says. “Our work is a high calling, and it multi-continent and cultural experiences experiences.” is important to society. I do not want us make him an outstanding representative After spending two summers with to forget that.” for the IAOM, which has grown into ADM Milling in Buhler and Inman, As incoming President of the a global organization,” Montgomery Kansas, Loepp graduated from Kansas International Association of Operative says. “He views industry and operations State in 1989 with a bachelor’s degree Millers, Loepp says he plans to stress the from a broad lens, and his experience in milling science and management. He “If we are doing our job well, it means people are able to live a better quality of life. Te safety, quality and availability of food depend on milling. We tend to take these things for granted.” importance of milling in today’s society in emerging markets and multiple then joined Cargill, Inc. as a production and reassert a measure of pride in the geographies gives him insight that many supervisor in Topeka, Kansas. In addition profession. do not have.” to his milling duties, Loepp was selected to Loepp, who is director of quality for participate in Cargill’s yearlong training Seaboard Overseas and Trading Group, LEARNING THE TRADE program to study diferent departments took the reins of the association at the Raised in rural Kansas, Loepp grew within the factory, including milling, 119th annual conference and expo up on his family’s wheat farm in Inman, a maintenance, laboratory, packaging and in Palm Springs, Calif. in May. His small town nestled between Hutchinson grain handling. Loepp was promoted to presidential theme is “Building a Proud and McPherson. Agriculture fascinated head miller in 1990. Global Fellowship.” him, although he knew little about the Montgomery, who hired Loepp at A veteran miller, Loepp has spent the milling process or what happened to his Cargill, recalls, “Roy had an excellent past 25 years working in mills and other family’s wheat after harvest. academic record as a starter and came food operations across the United States In 1985, he enrolled at Kansas State across as a quiet leader, who would have and abroad, developing a deep sense of University and decided to study milling respect for the plant employees and be a the challenges and opportunities that lie science, in part because of the available great supervisor. He was very organized ahead for the industry. scholarships. Drawn to engineering and presented himself well.” Scott J. Montgomery, a former and machinery, Loepp thought milling In 1993, Loepp moved to Cargill’s 22 international miller plant in Springfeld, Illinois, and physically seeing the results of your work head per day. assumed the role of project engineer. in the company’s bottom line. It is a very “As it is much diferent than four Under Loepp’s direction, the company satisfying feeling.” milling, I got to learn about a completely implemented a multi-million dollar mill diferent side of the food business,” expansion and redesign to accommodate A WORLDWIDE VIEW Loepp says. “Tat knowledge has only the production of 40% more premium At Seaboard, Loepp has gained helped me be better at what I do today.” soft-wheat cake four for customers such experience in numerous areas of food Also in 1996, Seaboard acquired a as Pillsbury. Loepp also designed dust production. sugar mill and plantation in Argentina, so control systems which consumed less In 1996, he accepted a position with Loepp spent two weeks attending a sugar than half the energy as previously, all Seaboard’s corporate engineering group technology short course at Louisiana while improving the facility’s cleanlines. State University. He also informally Gary Chappell, who was mill studied wine making and barley malting supervisor at Cargill in Springfeld, and presented a proposal for a bulk grain recalls Loepp’s passion for milling and terminal in Bulgaria to the Bulgarian dedication to his work. Transportation Minister. “Roy put in everything in everything Loepp earned an MBA from the he did,” says Chappell, who is now University of Kansas in 1999, which mill supervisor for Knappen Milling he said was crucial to his career and in Michigan. “When he frst got to improved his ability to contribute at the Springfeld, you just knew he would company. For example, one of Loepp’s stay in the business, work very hard proudest accomplishments is writing and become very successful, and that is Seaboard’s privatization proposal for exactly what he has done.” the four mill the company acquired in In August 1995, Loepp returned to Pointe Noire, Republic of Congo. Kansas, this time as milling technologist In late 2001, Graver, Loepp’s former for Seaboard Corporation in Shawnee boss, retired, and Loepp assumed Mission. Ron Graver, who was director many of his duties as quality director, of overseas operations in milling for evaluating and selecting wheat for four Seaboard at the time, hired Loepp. mills around the world. His role extends “Roy is a hard-working Kansas farm “He views industry and far beyond wheat selection, though. boy as many of us were at Seaboard in “It is a large company, but a small the milling division. His work ethic and operations from a broad organization,” Loepp says. “What that personality stood out in the community lens and his experience means is your ofcial job title does not as well as at work,” Graver said. “He dictate exactly what you do. You take on was an excellent ft for Seaboard and has in emerging markets and as many diferent roles as are needed.” proven his worth in many felds.” multiple geographies gives In 2008, the company devised a plan Loepp’s duties included operations to build a large industrial bakery in management, evaluating milling him insight that many do Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of capabilities and defciencies, investigating not have.” Congo, to complement its four mill and potential acquisitions, assisting operators maintain market share in the region. with on-site projects and overseeing For the next four years, Loepp capital expenditures. and worked largely on engineering worked on the design and construction “So much of milling has to be learned projects in the company’s pork of the bakery, which has the capacity to through experience. Te work is hands- slaughtering operation in Guymon, produce 1.5 million pieces of bread daily. on and technical,” Loepp says. “Tere Oklahoma, through mid-2000. One of Baguettes are sold exclusively by women is joy in taking a process, analyzing it, the largest plants in North America, the known as mamas, who carry them in changing it, improving it, and then facility then slaughtered about 16,000 basins on their heads. international miller 23 Today, Loepp continues to spend a versatile. He wears a lot of hats around recruit and retain young talent, which considerable amount of time with the here and is a level-headed straight is a challenge worldwide. As president mill and bakery. shooter,” Gutsch says. “He has good of IAOM, that will be one of his major As quality director, one of Loepp’s fnancial sense, good common sense, and goals, along with stressing the importance primary roles is to study the wheat is very articulate. Obviously, he is very of the industry in people’s lives. market and pinpoint opportunities for well-respected.” “IAOM has to play a key role in terms purchases, uncover trends and create of developing the industry and educating benchmarks. Te company operates A STEADY CAREER people,” he says. “In general, the average wheat four mills in Haiti, Guyana, While the global wheat market can be age of people working in our industry is Brazil, Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, volatile, Loepp relishes the stability of the growing. We need to fnd ways to bring Lesotho, Madagascar, Democratic milling profession. He recalled the boom in new, young talent and help prepare Republic of Congo, Republic of them for the next century. If Congo, Zambia, Kenya, Uganda, the global population continues Botswana, and Uruguay. It also to grow and standards of living owns shares in wheat mills in increase as expected, we will face Colombia, Ecuador and South massive challenges in meeting the Africa, but relies on partners to demands of the market.” manage. In coming years, Loepp says, “A lot of people in North challenges and opportunities America do not realize how global abound. the wheat market is. Prices are very In North America, he says, volatile,” Loepp says. “One week, consolidation is a signifcant wheat from the Black Sea or South challenge. Fewer companies are America may be a good bargain, and providing larger quantities of the very next week it may not be.” four.