FARGO, N.D.—When Dave Berg attends his last board meeting Wednesday, Aug. 24, for American Crystal Sugar Co., he will be just days from wrapping up nine years as the company's CEO and 29 years with the largest player in the nation's sugar industry.
For Berg, it's been both a sweet and sometimes a less-than-sweet ride. But overall, the company and the increasingly embattled U.S. sugar industry are in good shape because of Berg's dedication and hard work.
That's a record of which the CEO can be proud. Moreover, the success of American Crystal through good times and difficult times has contributed in large part to the strength of the economy of the Red River Valley, where most of the company's cooperative-member farmers and sugarbeet processing factories are located. The multibillion-dollar impact of sugar growing and processing has been, and remains, vital to the region's ag economy, and agriculture is a primary pillar of the overall economy here.
Berg's role as CEO has been pivotal for nearly a decade. He guided the company through assaults on the sugar program from Congress and from organized domestic sugar users. He worked to get the best possible trade agreements for his growers and shareholders. He and his management team were steadfast in resisting labor demands the company deemed unreasonable, and resulted in a lockout of union workers, a strategy that eventually was a win for the long-term viability of the company.
Source: www.inforum.com