01/20/2021

OABA Announces 2021 Industry Excellence Awards Recipients

Two members were recognized

The Ohio AgriBusiness Association (OABA) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2021 Industry Excellence Awards:

• 2021 Achievement as an Emerging Leader – Dustin Ramsier, Tyler Grain & Fertilizer Co.
• 2021 Excellence in Safety & Stewardship – Becky Williams-Wagner, 3Bar Biologics, Inc.  

Award recipients will be recognized at the 2021 OABA Industry Conference. Winners will receive a plaque and $1,000 cash award, sponsored by ABIS/J.H. Ward – Assured Partners.

OABA has a distinguished history of serving the agricultural industry and its members through advocacy, policy leadership and educational programs. The Industry Excellence Awards honor excellence, professionalism and achievement among OABA member companies and their employees, and thereby encourage that same excellence in others.

“It is a great honor to recognize outstanding individuals in our industry,” said Chris Henney, CAE, OABA president and CEO. “These leaders set a high standard that agribusiness employees across all levels should aspire to achieve.”

The Achievement as an Emerging Leader Award is presented to an individual who represents the spirit of leadership as a growing agribusiness professional. Leadership is often difficult to define in everyday business activities, but it remains an important ability to cultivate. The 2021 award recipient is Dustin Ramsier of Sterling, Ohio.

Ramsier, agronomist for Tyler Grain & Fertilizer Co, shows that a willingness to listen for the smallest detail not only improves recommendations, but develops strong customer relations that keeps farmers coming back. With a passion for agriculture and a knack for innovation, he meets customers’ needs wherever they are, whatever their goals.

“He approaches all customers with a positive attitude,” said Nick Franks, general manager at Tyler Grain & Fertilizer. “Whether it's yield or financial goals, he goes through each one of those with his customers and always tries to improve them and their overall business.”

The Excellence in Safety & Stewardship Award is presented to an individual that demonstrates safety and stewardship in day-to-day activities and interactions with customers, encouraging others to put safety first and be good stewards of equipment and land. The 2021 award recipient is Becky Williams-Wagner of Lewis Center, Ohio.

Williams-Wagner, principal scientist at 3Bar Biologics, Inc., knows all too well that proper safety procedures require strategic planning and a dedication to ingraining processes into company culture. As the company continues to expand, Becky’s leadership and science-based approach is key in writing and developing protocols for new experiments or tasks in the lab.

“As a growing company, we have the opportunity to create the culture that we envision, that we hope for,” said Bruce Caldwell, CEO of 3Bar Biologics. “Becky has been instrumental as a leader and helping to establish that kind of culture.”

The four-day virtual OABA Industry Conference event will be held Jan. 27-29 and Feb. 3. The conference is packed with widely respected speakers and industry professionals, sharing their expertise on a variety of topics relating to agronomy, grain and feed, safety and more. Ramsier and Williams-Wagner will be recognized on Jan. 28 at the start of the 9:30 a.m. General Session. More details are available at www.oaba.net/events_conference.