PennAg Industries
(Continued from Page A 1)
tries Council, said that PennAg
began as the Pennsylvania State
Millers Association on Jan. 8,
1878, at the Central Hotel in
Sunbury.
What did the association do
125 years ago? According to
Sherk, during the first decade of
the association, fire insurance for
mills was the primary focus. At
the 1886 convention, 11 members
pledged to buy $5,000 worth of
fire insurance and helped start
the Pennsylvania Millers’ Mutual
Insurance Company.
Membership on Jan. 7, 1895
stood at 250 at the time the Penn
sylvania Millers State association
was incorporated.
Sherk detailed the changes
over the years:
• From 1888-19205, local
Darvin Boyd, retired di
rector of agrifinance for
First Union/Wachovia Bank,
right, is congratulated for
his Distinguished Service
Award honor from Robert
Gueldner, PennAg Indus
tries president.
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gristmills began to close down.
• In 1931, the association be
came the Pennsylvania Milers
and Feed Dealers Association
(PAMAFDA), as feed dealers be
came a focus.
• The association hired the
first paid executive in 1937
George A. Stuart.
• In 1950, the association’s
first full-time employee, Richard
Ammon, executive secretary,
began work. The same year,
PAMAFDA located in Ephrata.
• In 1953, the PAMAFDA In
surance Trust was created.
• From 1959-1969, the title of
executive secretary changed to
executive vice president. In 1963,
members turned down the idea of
having to pay, by assessment, for
research and promotion of wheat
and wheat products.
• In 1968, to include other ag
ribusiness in the association, the
name PAMAFDA was changed
to PennAg Industries Associa
tion.
• From 1982 to 1997, PennAg
purchased a headquarters build
ing in Ephrata, bylaws were up
graded, and Walt Peechatka was
hired as executive vice president
to attract other agribusiness
groups to the association.
• From 1998 onward, the as
sociation continued to evolve, im
proving itself by adding the
PennAg Poultry Council (when
the Pennsylvania Poultry Federa
tion dissolved) and the hiring of
an assistant vice president of the
council. In 1999, the Pennsylva
nia Seedmans Association dis
solved and became the PennAg
Seed Council.
• In 2000, PennAg purchased
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a new headquarters office in
Harrisburg and sold the Ephrata
property.
• In 2001, the PennAg Swine
Council was created.
• This year, celebrating its
I2sth anniversary, Sherk noted
that PennAg continues to evolve
into a “recognized leader in
Pennsylvania agriculture.” This
year, new staff member Chris
Herr, former deputy secretary of
agriculture, became assistant vice
president of the PennAg Poultry
Council.
PennAg President is Robert
Gueldner, Best Feed and Farm
Supplies, Inc., Oakdale.
From 250 members in 1895,
the association numbers 650
today.
Wait Peechatka, association
executive vice president, pres
ented two Distinguished Service
awards to outstanding leaders in
Pennsylvania agribusiness at the
banquet Monday evening.
The first award went to a man
known, according to Peechatka,
as “lieutenant, rep, whip, majori
ty leader, and secretary.” Pee
chatka was referring to the for
mer state ag secretary, Sam
Hayes Jr.
“Pennsylvania never had a
stronger advocate than Sam
Hayes,” said Peechatka.
In accepting the award, Hayes
noted, “Our republic depends
upon agriculture every day and
into the future. Anytime you
sound the bugle, I will be proud
to stand with you, your enter
prise, and your community.”
The second Distinguished
Service Award was presented to,
Peechatka said (quoting a head
line from a newspaper): “A man
farmers could bank on.”
Peechatka presented the award
to Darvin Boyd, retired senior
vice president and director of
the Agriculture Finance
Team at First Union Bank
(now Wachovia).
Peechatka noted Boyd
built the department from a
one-person unit with $l3
million in loans outstanding
to a 20-person staff with
more than half a billion dol
lars in loans outstanding.
Boyd noted that those in
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Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 27, 2003-A39
A special framed presentation of a print, “A Few Feed
ing Many,” was provided to Dennis Wolff, state secretary
of agriculture, center, by PennAg Industries President
Robert Gueldner, left. At right is artist Bruce Johnson.
Robert Gueldner, presi
dent of PennAg Industries,
left, congratulates Sam
Hayes Jr., former state sec
retary of agriculture, on his
Distinguished Service
Award.
agriculture should be mindful of
the “forces confronting the pro
gress of agriculture.” He spoke
about his passions for agrifinance
and for customers.
Boyd said, “Anybody can take
care of you when you are doing
well, but who is there when the
times are tough?”
Boyd thanked those he worked
with, the “relationship managers
and credit officers,” the board
members, and customers. He also
thanked his wife Linda, daughter
Two presidents: current
president Robert Gueldner,
left, congratulates former
PennAg Industries presi
dent Jim Adams.
All photos by
Andy Andrews, editor
Cindy, and son Brian, and spoke,
holding back the tears, about his
son Kevin, who passed away a
few years ago.
Boyd said, “Kevin is with his
heavenly father, but he’s with
me, too, so I want to thank him.”
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