Lauren Redmon is experiencing some firsts this year—she’s the new general manager of the Piatt County Service Company (PCSC) and the first female general manager in the GROWMARK System.
Lauren, a graduate of the University of Illinois with a degree in ag economics and a master's degree in accounting, was first an intern with Heritage FS, then employed at Archer Daniels Midland, before moving to the PCSC seven years ago. Lauren felt drawn to PCSC because it enabled her to work more closely with farmers.
“I knew I wanted to work closer to the farmer,” she said. “I learned a lot in the roles I had at the start of my career, but I realized something was missing, and I needed to get back to the farmgate, so I came to Piatt FS.”
Lauren plans to build upon the existing strong foundation at PCSC by empowering her team. “We’ve been promoting from within, which is new for us, and we’re getting the right people in the right places and growing together as a team,” she said. “We’re going to work on driving sales growth through a strategic focus on our people and operations (from sales to equipment to locations, etc). I want our employees to be proud to work at Piatt and to be a part of what we are doing here.”
Lauren is also focused on her own development. She participated in GROWMARK’s Certified Experienced Leaders Program and the Senior Leadership Development Program, which has equipped her to help lead her team to success and through the challenges that lie ahead.
“Some of the challenges I see coming are the changing workforce dynamics and the rapidly changing needs of farmers; we’re ready, though,” she said. “Agriculture is always changing, and we’re ready to face those challenges, stay ahead of them, and remain competitive while taking care of our customers and employees.”
When asked if she had advice for other women who would like to hold a general manager role during their careers, Lauren said preparing yourself to be the best candidate for the job and finding someone who believes in you is critical. “Find what fills your cup. Work hard and go get it. Don’t think about a level you can’t reach – because there isn’t one,” she said. “And, find someone who believes in you more than you sometimes believe in yourself (Thanks Jim!).”