AGCO Corporation announced a unique celebration of its annual Operator of the Year award. With 2020 marking the 15th year of the award, AGCO will be recognizing the retailers who nominated each year’s winning operator with donations to local charities of their choosing. Butler Ag Equipment had the distinct honor of partnering with five (5) previous winners of the Operator of the Year (OotY) program across our region to donate to five (5) local charities, keeping the impact local to the Midwest:
Tod Borge of Agtegra in Aberdeen, SD selected the South Dakota Make-A-Wish Foundation to help fulfill the wishes of children with a critical illness between the ages of 2½ and 18 years old.
Jerry Born of Farmers Union Oil in Fairmount, ND chose to support to Midwest chapter of St Jude Children’s Research Hospital with a gift that will stay close to home. St Jude has a chapter out of the Minneapolis, Minnesota area serving the Midwest in leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
Gary Hammond of CHS in Alma, NE gave back to the local Beta Sigma Phi chapter with a gift that will stay close to home. Beta Sigma Phi recently paid for a lifeline for an elderly woman who couldn’t afford it and support the elderly in both the nursing home and assisted living in-town. Beta Sigma Phi has made a big difference in many areas up and down the valley.
Brian Manolovits of Wilbur Ellis in Mott, ND selected the Mott/Regent Public School Library, which provides library services to the Mott/Regent school district and surrounding community.
Andrew Myburgh of Agtegra in Aberdeen, SD awarded his donation to the Groton Legion Auxiliary, a part of the nationwide non-profit organization of U.S. war veterans.
Application professionals provide critical services to growers throughout North America, with skills that improve crop yields and farm revenues. AGCO’s Operator of the Year award recognizes these contributions and is traditionally presented to operators nominated by retailers for high levels of performance, leadership, community support and involvement. However, with the recent healthcare and economic challenges that communities have faced from the coronavirus, providing assistance directly to charitable organizations in 2020 best exemplifies the overall values that the program seeks to reward. The program will return to its original structure of awarding nominated operators in 2021.
See below for photos from the award presentations or learn more regarding AGCO’s Operator of the Year program.
TOD BORGE, AGTEGRA
pictured (left to right):
Rick Rozell (Butler Ag)
Bob Compton (Make-A-Wish Foundation)
Tod Borge (Agtegra Operator of the Year)
JERRY BORN, FARMERS UNION OIL
pictured (left to right):
Aaron Olson (Butler Ag)
Jerry Born (Farmer’s Union Oil Operator of the Year)
GARY HAMMOND, CHS
pictured (left to right):
Butch Hammond (CHS Operator of the Year)
Bonnie Hammond (Beta Sigma Phi)
Steve Mendell (Butler Ag)
BRIAN MANOLOVITS, WILBUR ELLIS
pictured (left to right):
Shonda Kovar-Manolovits (Mott/Regent School Library)
Colette Friedt (Mott/Regent School Library)
Bridget Greff (Mott/Regent School Library)
Brian Manolovits (Wilbur Ellis Operator of the Year)
Koltan Ohnell (Butler Ag)
ANDREW MYBURGH, AGTEGRA
pictured (left to right):
Rick Rozell (Butler Ag)
Andrew Myburgh (Agtegra Operator of the Year)
Samantha Oswald (Groton American Legion)