Stepping Up to the Plate in Ag Requires Strong Relationships
A retailer in America’s Heartland puts the power of long-standing relationships to work for his customers.
Grower Brett Adams is an early riser. During the growing season, he wakes long before dawn to run his fifth-generation corn and soybean operation in southeast Nebraska and northwest Missouri. Although those dim hours before sunrise are quiet, Adams is never without help; he knows he can rely on the assistance of Marvin Wiles, his ag retailer and consultant.
Wiles and Adams have been working together for nearly 25 years, since Adams was in high school. Over those years, they have built a strong partnership. Adams considers Wiles to be a mentor and a friend. That kind of close relationship is essential to how Wiles conducts business.
A Business Built on Relationships
Like most successful retailers, Wiles understands the close working relationships he forms with customers and suppliers help him deliver the customized solutions his farming community needs. His career, which spans more than four decades, is a testament to the power of those partnerships. In 1976, he helped establish Wiles Brothers Fertilizer, a small custom spraying operation in southeast Nebraska. During 2019, Wilbur-Ellis Company LLC, a recognized leader in providing precision agriculture, crop protection, seed and nutritional solutions to farmers, acquired the assets of Wiles Brothers Fertilizer Inc., which was one of the top independent agriculture retailers in the state.
Wiles, who now serves as a consultant to Wilbur-Ellis Plattsmouth, has worked with Mary Johnson, Syngenta sales representative, for more than 30 years. Their relationship dates back to Johnson’s days with Syngenta legacy company CIBA-Geigy, which she joined in 1982, her first year out of college.
“Syngenta has always had quality products backed by quality people,” Wiles says. “Our long-term relationship with and the great service provided by Mary Johnson and Bob Kavinsky, agronomy service representative, make it easy for us to offer Syngenta products to our customers. It’s nice to have those kinds of long-term relationships. As things change in the market, you’ve got to have trusted allies to help you cope with those changes.”
Johnson notes the partnership has been successful because of a shared passion for collaboration and farmer success. “It’s been a win-win, and that’s why it’s worked,” she says.
Marvin is farmer-fluent, Johnson adds. “He can help farmers find solutions,” she says. “Wiles Brothers has always been very good at introducing new products and technologies to the area, often after trying them on their own farm first. For example, they tried Tavium® Plus VaporGrip® Technology herbicide on their farm last year. Because of the excellent results, Wilbur-Ellis Plattsmouth is a bulk account for that product this year.”
Getting Started
When Wiles got out of college, his father was farming about 900 acres, which wasn’t enough for all of his sons to come back to the farm. For the Wiles brothers, it was a love of agriculture that led them into the ag retail business.
“We started spraying for a few neighbors,” Wiles says. “Over several decades, the business grew to where we were custom-applying crop protection products on more than 250,000 acres per year.”
The Nebraska Agribusiness Association recently honored Wiles for his 25 years of service as a Certified Crop Adviser.
A Local Pioneer in Aerial Application
According to Wiles, one of the most successful collaborations between his company and Syngenta was when Wiles Brothers Fertilizer initiated an aerial campaign to treat diseases.
“Quilt Xcel® fungicide helped put us on the map, and now we’ve gone on to Trivapro® and Miravis® Neo fungicides,” says Wiles, whose company currently applies between 70,000 and 110,000 acres of corn and soybeans per year by air, depending on disease and insect pressure. “Syngenta worked closely with us during preseason meetings with the FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] and regulatory groups to help us get off to a strong start. That was an example of how Syngenta goes the extra mile. It’s important because we’re all in this together.”
Practicing What They Preach
Wiles is no stranger to the daily challenges a grower might face. He and his brother Glenn farm more than 15,000 acres themselves. “We use a lot of Syngenta products on our own farm,” Wiles says. “We don’t make recommendations to others to use certain products and not use them ourselves. The test plots we’ve run on our farm over the years have helped to inform and validate our recommendations. Farmers like to be shown.”
Wiles adds that financing available through the AgriEdge® grower program is another significant benefit of doing business with Syngenta. “It’s something we take advantage of ourselves, and it has worked very well. There are a number of financing alternatives out there, but Syngenta just steps up to the plate and does it all.”
Editor’s Note: This article is the first in a series celebrating the strong partnerships that help propel agriculture forward. Look for additional stories in Thrive.
Check out how this #ag retailer in America’s Heartland puts the power of long-standing relationships to work for his customers.
“Marvin knows that if I’m calling him at an odd hour, I probably need something,” Adams says. “He’s always there and available. He’s the sort of guy that if you have a problem with your crop, he’s going to help you find a solution and he’s not going to quit until he does. We have a great relationship.”
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Wiles and Adams have been working together for nearly 25 years, since Adams was in high school. Over those years, they have built a strong partnership. Adams considers Wiles to be a mentor and a friend. That kind of close relationship is essential to how Wiles conducts business.
“Our customers are our neighbors and our friends,” Wiles says. “To help growers succeed, you have to have your ear to the ground and know what’s going on out in the market. We help our customers manage change — and stay ahead of it.”To help growers succeed, you have to have your ear to the ground and know what’s going on out in the market. We help our customers manage change — and stay ahead of it.
A Business Built on Relationships
Like most successful retailers, Wiles understands the close working relationships he forms with customers and suppliers help him deliver the customized solutions his farming community needs. His career, which spans more than four decades, is a testament to the power of those partnerships. In 1976, he helped establish Wiles Brothers Fertilizer, a small custom spraying operation in southeast Nebraska. During 2019, Wilbur-Ellis Company LLC, a recognized leader in providing precision agriculture, crop protection, seed and nutritional solutions to farmers, acquired the assets of Wiles Brothers Fertilizer Inc., which was one of the top independent agriculture retailers in the state.
Wiles, who now serves as a consultant to Wilbur-Ellis Plattsmouth, has worked with Mary Johnson, Syngenta sales representative, for more than 30 years. Their relationship dates back to Johnson’s days with Syngenta legacy company CIBA-Geigy, which she joined in 1982, her first year out of college.
“Syngenta has always had quality products backed by quality people,” Wiles says. “Our long-term relationship with and the great service provided by Mary Johnson and Bob Kavinsky, agronomy service representative, make it easy for us to offer Syngenta products to our customers. It’s nice to have those kinds of long-term relationships. As things change in the market, you’ve got to have trusted allies to help you cope with those changes.”
Johnson notes the partnership has been successful because of a shared passion for collaboration and farmer success. “It’s been a win-win, and that’s why it’s worked,” she says.
Marvin is farmer-fluent, Johnson adds. “He can help farmers find solutions,” she says. “Wiles Brothers has always been very good at introducing new products and technologies to the area, often after trying them on their own farm first. For example, they tried Tavium® Plus VaporGrip® Technology herbicide on their farm last year. Because of the excellent results, Wilbur-Ellis Plattsmouth is a bulk account for that product this year.”
Getting Started
When Wiles got out of college, his father was farming about 900 acres, which wasn’t enough for all of his sons to come back to the farm. For the Wiles brothers, it was a love of agriculture that led them into the ag retail business.
“We started spraying for a few neighbors,” Wiles says. “Over several decades, the business grew to where we were custom-applying crop protection products on more than 250,000 acres per year.”
The Nebraska Agribusiness Association recently honored Wiles for his 25 years of service as a Certified Crop Adviser.
A Local Pioneer in Aerial Application
According to Wiles, one of the most successful collaborations between his company and Syngenta was when Wiles Brothers Fertilizer initiated an aerial campaign to treat diseases.
“Quilt Xcel® fungicide helped put us on the map, and now we’ve gone on to Trivapro® and Miravis® Neo fungicides,” says Wiles, whose company currently applies between 70,000 and 110,000 acres of corn and soybeans per year by air, depending on disease and insect pressure. “Syngenta worked closely with us during preseason meetings with the FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] and regulatory groups to help us get off to a strong start. That was an example of how Syngenta goes the extra mile. It’s important because we’re all in this together.”
Practicing What They Preach
Wiles is no stranger to the daily challenges a grower might face. He and his brother Glenn farm more than 15,000 acres themselves. “We use a lot of Syngenta products on our own farm,” Wiles says. “We don’t make recommendations to others to use certain products and not use them ourselves. The test plots we’ve run on our farm over the years have helped to inform and validate our recommendations. Farmers like to be shown.”
Wiles adds that financing available through the AgriEdge® grower program is another significant benefit of doing business with Syngenta. “It’s something we take advantage of ourselves, and it has worked very well. There are a number of financing alternatives out there, but Syngenta just steps up to the plate and does it all.”
Editor’s Note: This article is the first in a series celebrating the strong partnerships that help propel agriculture forward. Look for additional stories in Thrive.
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