Aurora Cooperative to Host 2-Day ACE Summit

Keynote speaker Willie Robertson to give address on Feb. 13 in Grand Island

Aurora, Neb. – Aurora Cooperative will be hosting its ACE Summit and 2019 Annual Meeting on February 12th and 13th at the Pinnacle Bank Expo Center at Fonner Park in Grand Island. The two-day event will include owner profitability workshops on Tuesday and the government panel along with featured speaker Willie Robertson, CEO of Duck Commander and Buck Commander, on Wednesday.

On February 12^th, registration will begin at 9:30 a.m. and the day will be kicked off by Darci Vetter, Former Chief Agricultural Negotiator for the U.S. Trade Representative. Then after lunch Kevin Saunders, grain bin explosion survivor and Paralympic athlete, will give his safety message, “There’s Always a Way”. The owner profitability workshops in the afternoon will feature Minnesota Millennial Farmer Zach Johnson speaking on ag advocacy and literacy through social media.

Other workshop speakers that afternoon will include: Rachel McNutt from Samson, LLC presenting on traceability technology in livestock; UNL extension educator Allan Vyhnalek speaking on succession planning; a grain market outlook session with Tyler Kester, vice president of grain from Aurora Cooperative, and Peter Blodgett, executive vice president of Leese Trading Group; Danielle Scheele and Brandon Hamer, both from Aurora Cooperative, will be presenting on the power of sunlight, research from Owners Acres; and a panel on keeping rural communities alive and vibrant with Peggy Meyer, Superior 3000 committee member, Jim Smith, executive director of Blueprint Nebraska, and Kevin Sagehorn, vice president of marketing from Aurora Cooperative.

Registration for February 12^th will begin at 9:30 a.m. with lunch served. The owner profitability workshops will kick off at 2 p.m. There will be an evening reception with cocktails and appetizers held after the workshops. Matt Davison will be giving a few remarks at the evening reception. Both days will include a silent auction with funds going on the Aurora Cooperative Coworker Crisis Fund. This fund was created to assist employees and their families with serious medical issues.

Registration for February 13^th will begin at 7:30 a.m. Aurora Cooperative staff will be on hand from all divisions to visit about products and services through the day in the interactive tradeshow. The government panel will begin at 9 a.m. and will be featuring Sarah Thornton Caswell, Nebraska Ethanol Board, Richard Gupton, Agricultural Retailers Association, Jay Rempe, Nebraska Farm Bureau, with moderator Dawn Caldwell, head of government affairs for Aurora Cooperative. The annual business meeting will be held at 10:30 a.m.

Willie Robertson, CEO of Duck Commander and Buck Commander and star of A&E’s Duck Dynasty, will be the keynote speaker on February 13^th before lunch at 11:30 a.m. Robertson has expanded his family companies, from a living room operation to a multi-million-dollar enterprise and destination for all things outdoors. Duck Commander is the best-selling duck call brand in the U.S. It, along with Buck Commander, are popular trademarks on apparel, hunting gear, food items, and more.

For those interested in attending the 2-day event, registration can be found online at auroracoop.com, or you can register by calling the Aurora Main Office at 402-694-2106.