News Releases

Application operator from Odebolt, Iowa, recognized for the skills, dedication, and customer service he’s provided to his local community for 45 years.

December 14, 2022

DULUTH, GA | AGCO Corporation (NYSE: AGCO), a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of agricultural machinery and precision ag technology, named Patrick Hoefling of Nutrien Ag Solutions and Odebolt, IA, the 2022 Operator of the Year at the Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) Annual Conference & Expo in San Diego, CA, on November 30, 2022. The award recognizes the skills, dedication, and customer service demonstrated by application professionals to their local communities.

“AGCO is proud to be associated with operators like Patrick Hoefling and all of this year’s nominees,” said David Fickel, Fendt® application senior marketing manager. “Application is an increasingly vital component of sustainable farming, and the services these professionals deliver increase farmers’ yields, strengthen the economies of farming communities, and help feed a growing world. Those values are what Operator of the Year honors and recognizes.”

Hoefling has served his community and its farmers since 1972, when his cousin, a local retailer manager, encouraged him to get into the business. Since then, he’s become well-known to area farmers who frequently request his services because they know he’ll treat their crops as if they were his own.

Patrick is respected by colleagues at Nutrien for his mentoring that focuses on the practical aspect of application services and the value of taking pride in well-done jobs. He’s also respected for his care of the equipment he uses and the importance he places on timely maintenance and careful operation. Hoefling shares credit with the team back home in Odebolt, saying “No matter what the application is, we work together to get every job accomplished professionally and completely!” 

Hoefling thoroughly enjoys his time both in and outside the fields. “It’s not work when you love your job every day,” he said. In his off-hours, Hoefling can often be found participating in community fundraisers, providing landscaping services in Odebolt’s city parks and green spaces, and spending time with his nine children and 28 grandchildren.

Kourtney Kaemming of The Jewell Grain Company and Defiance, OH, and Shane Twenter of MFA Inc. and Boonville, MO, were also finalists in the program and appeared at the ARA conference. “Kourtney and Shane are just as deserving of this award as I am and it’s an honor to be included with them,” said Hoefling. “They’re both such talented and knowledgeable professionals – and they’re young! The industry and our farmers will be in great hands with them.” 

For more information about Operator of the Year or application equipment from AGCO, visit AGCOaward.com, ApplyLikeAPro.com and Fendt.com.

###

Media Contacts
Bob Blakely, AGCO | Bob.Blakely@AGCOCorp.com | 770-232-8018

Fendt is a registered trademark of AGCO.

About AGCO
AGCO (NYSE:AGCO) is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of agricultural machinery and precision ag technology. AGCO delivers customer value through its differentiated brand portfolio including core brands like Challenger®, Fendt®, GSI®, Massey Ferguson®, Precision Planting® and Valtra®. Powered by Fuse® smart farming solutions, AGCO’s full line of equipment and services help farmers sustainably feed our world. Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Duluth, Georgia, USA, AGCO had net sales of approximately $11.1 billion in 2021. For more information, visit www.AGCOcorp.com. For company news, information and events, please follow us on Twitter: @AGCOCorp. For financial news on Twitter, please follow the hashtag #AGCOIR.