U.S. Grain-Quality Research Yields Big Benefits

A review of the NC-213 multistate research project during its 25th anniversary year. The project has involved a grain-quality research consortium of universities, government agencies and the grain industry, and this session will cover research accomplishments and solicit future research needs useful for elevator operators.
Speakers: -- Bob Smigelski, agricultural group operations manager, The Andersons; Prof. Charlie Hurburgh, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
Coordinator -- Ed Zdrojewski, editor, Grain Journal, Decatur, Ill.
Moderator - Prof. Dirk Maier, Purdue University, Lafayette, Ind.

Workers' Compensation: Surviving Today's Climate of Rising Costs

This session will take a look at rising costs and what to do about them. Explanation of workers' comp and the law; investigating and reporting injuries; obtaining appropriate care; communication with injured worker, claims manager and doctor; insuring the insurance carrier or claims management company; managing claims through closure.
Speaker -- Geri Hayes, director, employee benefits, Bunge North America, St. Louis, Mo.
Coordinator - Theron Kuhn, facility manager, The Scoular Co., Fremont, Neb.
Moderator - Gary Kearn, loss control/prevention manager, The Scoular Co., Salina, Kan.

Getting Good People: Employee Recruitment and Retention

A discussion of recruiting, hiring and long-term retention of employees. What makes an employee stay?
Speaker - Robert Powell, vice president of Human Resources and Workforce Planning, ADM., Decatur, Ill.
Coordinator - Jeff Becker, vice president, U.S. grain operations, ADM, Decatur, Ill.
Moderator -- Dave Frazelle, division health & safety manager, ADM, Decatur, Ill.

Grain Handling in Brazil

A primer on how grain is received, cleaned, dried, conveyed and shipped in Brazil, one of the world's largest producers and exporters of grain and oilseeds.
Speaker - Mathias Elter, executive director, Tecno Moageria Ltda., Porto Alegre, Brazil
Coordinator - Pat Greer, manager, quality control, Agricore United, Winnipeg, Manitoba

The Rising Cost of Insurance: What Happened and What We Can Do?

A discussion about what caused rates to jump, why policies get cancelled, and what grain facilities can do to retain coverage at affordable prices.
Speaker - Dave Stiltz, marketing manger, Agri Business Insurance Services, an LMC Company, Des Moines, Iowa
Coordinator - Dee Dee DeBoer, agribusiness underwriting manager, Continental Western Group, Luverne, Minn.
Moderator - Kevin Danner, corporate safety director, West Central Co-op, Ralston, Iowa

Enhancing Leadership Skills: Making the Oral Report More Effective

The session will focus on enhancing your skills in both leadership and oral communication. The goal is that participants will emerge with fundamental skills in communication as well as a stronger sense of social responsibility.
Speaker - Jan Younger, professor of communications, Heidelberg College, Tiffin, Ohio
Coordinator - Deb Good, district manager, Brock Manufacturing, O'Fallon, Mo.
Moderator - Bob Smigelski, agricultural group operations manager, The Andersons

Recent Advances in Closed-Loop Fumigation

Session will investigate how recent CLF advances have made this phosphine-gas recirculation system for insect control easier, safer and more efficient. Basic engineering principles involved in designing large-scale CLF systems, the use of cylinderized phosphine or external CLF pellet/tablet dispenser cabinets, and the use of monitoring devices will be reviewed.
Speaker -- Ron Noyes, professor, agricultural engineering, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Okla.
Coordinator - Ted Stephens, material handling/sales manager, GSI Group, Assumption, Ill.
Moderator - Mike Spillum, sales and marketing manager, Hi Roller Conveyors Sioux Falls, S.D.

Overcoming the Language Barrier in Employee Training

A discussion of legal requirements of training workers who don't speak English, as well as OSHA's latest safety initiative with respect to the growing number of U.S. workers who speak Spanish.
Speakers - Buzz Minor, attorney, labor law specialist, Columbus, Ohio; Deborah J. Zubaty, Columbus area director, Occupational Safety & Health Administration
Coordinator - Scotty Dunlap, assistant director, regulatory compliance, ADM, Decatur, Ill.
Moderator - Tim Whitten, health and safety coordinator, ADM, Columbus, Ohio

Protecting Employees From Electrical Hazards

Session will cover scope of electrical hazards at grain facilities, and investigate causes of accidents and fatalities, the nature of electrical shock, main causes of electrical accidents, safety training, apparel, hazardous locations, and safe use of power equipment.
Speaker - Dave Nicewicz, safety specialist, ADM, Reese, Mich.
Coordinators - Dave Frazelle, Milling Divisional health and safety manager, ADM, Decatur, Ill./ Ren Lapp, territory sales manager, Strongco Engineered Systems, Winnipeg, Man.

Grain Pile Construction & Management

Session will deal with numerous aspects of grain-pile management, including strategies to structure types and costs, aeration, condition-monitoring, storage and recordkeeping, and licensing classifications.
Speaker - Tim Sullivan, corporate operations manager, Farmers Cooperative, Farnhamville, Iowa
Coordinator - Gary Vaughn, Zimmerman Grain Dryers/ffi Corp., Boone, Iowa Moderator - Prof. Charlie Hurburgh, Iowa State University

Safety Training for New Employees

This session will provide a guide on topics that new employees need training in, a checklist to ensure that all key topics are covered; and a brief history of new employee performance in relation to recordable accidents.
Speaker - Joe Mylnek, loss-prevention administrator, The Andersons, Maumee, Ohio
Coordinator - Mike Kiel, operations manager, The Andersons, Maumee, Ohio
Moderator - Grover Van Hoose, merchandising manager, The Mennel Milling Co., Fostoria, Ohio

Engineering the Future: What Do We Do When the Petroleum Runs Out?

This presentation will outline perpsectives on present and future opportunities in agriculture with respect to the industrial uses of grains and oilseeds. Examples from ongoing research will be discussed, including projects such as creating biorefineries in transgenic plants, pharmaceutical production and making jet fuels from vegetable lipids.
Speaker - Bernard Tao, associate professor, agricultural and biological engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind.
Coordinator - Dirk Maier, professor, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind. Moderator - Shawn Sachs, operations manager, ADM, Goodland, Indiana

Purpose, Leadership, Attitude & You: P.L.A.Y. to Win

An interactive session that explores some key factors for high performance at the workplace.
Speaker - Mike McCartney, senior consultant, The Andersons, Maumee, Ohio
Coordinator - Allan Tedrow, project coordinator, Todd & Sargent Inc., Ames, Iowa
Moderator -- Darrell Deck, general manager, Comco Mfg., Saskatoon, Sask.

Retrofitting for Automation

A discussion of the opportunities and challenges of how best to move existing systems in grain facilities to current state-of-the-art technologies. Session will address strategies on how to upgrade from older systems to state-of-the-art process control and operator interface systems with interfaces to information technology.
Speaker - Greg DiFrank, vice president, engineering, River Consulting, Columbus, Ohio
Coordinator - Ed Howey, maintenance manager, Kraft Foods North America

Preventing Grain-Dust Explosions Through Good Housekeeping and Preventative Maintenance

This session will focus on how good housekeeping and preventative-maintenance programs can eliminate the essential elements that cause grain-dust explosions. The session will discuss managerial controls, accountability of supervisors and managers, preventing dust emissions, methods of dust control, employee training and written procedures, equipment-monitoring devices, safety programs and preventative-maintenance procedures.
Speaker - Gary Imhoff, safety & compliance coordinator, Farmers Cooperative Co., Farnhamville, Iowa
Coordinator - Gene Haldorson, vice president, project manager, Van Sickle, Allen & Assoc., Plymouth, Minn.
Moderator -- Lance Bachman, Export Superintendent, CLD Pacific Grain, LLC Portland, Oregon

Managing Electrical Power: Costs and Strategies

This session will deal with the best ways for grain facilities to manage and control electrical power costs, and possible alternative strategies to deal with power.
Speaker - Keith Schmidgall, president, KDJ Sales & Service, Mackinaw, Ill.
Coordinator - Ed Howey, maintenance manager, Kraft Foods North America

Facility Security in Agriculture

Session is designed to help country elevators and feed mills develop surveys to assess their security risks and determine what to do about them, with some attention given to repercussions of Sept. 11. It will also discuss potential motivation of would-be criminals.
Speaker - Mark Cheviron, corporate vice president, director of corporate security and services, ADM
Coordinator - Buzz Tourangeau, operations supt., DeBruce Grain Co., Abiline, Kan.
Moderator - Stacy Schmidt, director of safety, health & environment, The Andersons, Maumee, Ohio

Rocket Science, Wild Guess or Somewhere In-Between: Predictive Maintenance -- Beyond the Basics

This program will cover how to maximize equipment life, raise performance standards and give examples of how to save money! The program will also discuss infrared and vibration analysis and how these techniques are used to keep equipment running efficiently, safely and smoothly.
Speaker - Randy Springer, vice president, Pepper Maintenance Systems, Mackinaw, Ill.
Coordinator - Joe Kapraun, general manager, Stanford Grain Co., Stanford, Ill.; John Lee, director, safety, health, and environmental services, Illinois Grain & Feed Assn., Springfield, Ill.
Moderator - Steve Jordan, operations manager, Mowequa Farmers Co-op, Mowequa, Ill.

The Ohio River: Modernizing the Navigation System

This session will deal with the region's biggest river, and how its infrastructure may be upgraded to improve navigation for shipping products such as grain.
Speaker - Barry Palmer, director, Dinamo, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Coordinator - Gary Kinder, corporate accounts manager, GSI Group, Sikeston, Mo.
Moderator - Doug Allred, corporate safety director, Louis Dreyfus Corp., Kansas City, Mo.