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At Premier Companies, our employees are extremely important to us and we value their dedication to the work that we do. It’s both exciting and sad to see one of our own come to the end of their career and transition to retirement, so this employee spotlight is special to us as we celebrate Gary Callaway’s retirement after 30 years with Premier! We recently sat down with Gary to talk about his time with us and take a look at his accomplishments during his career. Here’s what he had to say:
Q: Thanks for talking with us Gary! Can you describe your role at Premier and how long you have been with the company?
GC: I am in charge of swine production and have been at Premier (JJ prior to merger) for 30 years
Q: Can you tell us about your career journey and the highlights or milestones you achieved along the way?
GC: I worked for a competitive feed company in sales and production management for 14 years prior to joining the Co-op. The primary purpose I was recruited to come to the Co-op was to develop a swine production system to provide a revenue stream from livestock to help support young farmers in our trade area. It took 10 years to get it started and has been growing for the last 20 years
Q: What has been your biggest accomplishment during your time with Premier?
GC: Beginning the swine production system.
Q: What has been your biggest challenge?
GC: Being patient in other roles for 10 years to get the opportunity to start the swine production system.
Q: How have you seen the industry change over the course of your career, and what are your thoughts on those changes?
GC: The amount of technology innovation that has taken place is amazing and I think it will move even faster in the future. The other area that has changed so much is availability of labor, and labor shortages are driving technology to fill that void.
Q: What advice would you give to someone just starting out in this industry, based on your experiences?
GC: Give 100% of your ability at whatever you are doing every day. Opportunity will present itself if you do.
Q: Can you discuss any recent developments or milestones that your division has achieved?
GC: When we were in the planning stages, we discussed needing to market 200,000 animals/year to control enough critical mass to be relevant. We will accomplish that this year.
Q: Are there any upcoming projects or initiatives that your division is working on?
GC: We would like to continue to grow the production system as opportunity allows. I am very fortunate to have an excellent staff to leave that challenge with.
Q: What are your plans and aspirations for your retirement? Any specific projects or activities you are looking forward to?
GC: I do plan to be our granddaughters personal taxi driver. I also have other hobbies and interest I look forward to having time to enjoy.
