David Horsager – the CEO of Trust Edge Leadership Institute, a trust expert and bestselling author of “The Trust Edge” – has written, spoken and advised extensively about how trust is essential for success and effectiveness among employees and companies. He highlights the advantages of building a high-trust culture because high-trust leaders and companies bring out the best in their people, drive success and get measurable results.

Horsager wrote, “Without trust, transactions cannot occur. Without trust, leaders lose teams. Without trust, people lose sales. Without trust, organizations lose productivity, relationships, reputation, talent, customer loyalty, creativity, morale, revenue and results.”

Trust is threaded through each of Grow West’s five core values: integrity, respect, teamwork, relationships and work ethic. It has been fundamental for everything the company has done and continues to do with customers, employees, partners and communities.

Grow West Vice Chairman Johnny Council – who has worked in agriculture for more than 55 years (52 with Grow West and its predecessor companies) – firmly believes that trust is a foundation for how the company has been able to adapt, navigate industry challenges, remain a well-respected business and foster long-standing relationships.

THE POWER OF GOOD PEOPLE

“Good companies are built on good people and good relationships.” (Horsager)

“The way we built this company is with good people, and it has helped us be successful for many years,” Council said. “We are incredibly proud of our people. When we first merged with Les Lyman (the Simplot joint venture days), we had nine employees. We now have more than 300. We attract and retain the cream of the crop, offer competitive salaries and keep them educated. Our employees are purposeful, goal-oriented and keep a positive attitude. Loyalty and longevity are valuable.”

As one of the company’s longest-serving employees, Council said he’s been very fortunate to be affiliated with Grow West. “It’s hard to articulate, but we’re a family. We’re here to serve our customers, so the driving force in what we do is ‘What do our growers need?’ We have a passion for our business and agriculture, and our people love what they do. You can’t compete with that. We’re confident in what we do and in our reputation.”

Council said that numerous teams within the company allow employees to demonstrate leadership. For example, each facility has a team with a go-to person. There are leader meetings to ensure good communication between teams and departments. “We (Ernie, the Lyman brothers and I) let the teams run themselves,” Council said. “The teams are led by very sharp people. They are a real benefit for the company and there’s a lot of trust. But we’ll be there if and when they need us for advice.”

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES

Grow West and its customers have seen their share of adversity and uncertainty over the decades, dealing with droughts, market downturns, shifting regulations or labor issues. Grow West prides itself on being a leader and trusted partner that provides help and stability during crises.

Council highlighted some difficult times in recent years that tested the company and growers, but through which Grow West demonstrated adaptability.

• COVID: “We got hit pretty hard with our employees and it definitely impacted the company. But everybody stepped up to the plate to help and do what they could do. Despite COVID-related setbacks, we wanted to do our best for our customers. We provided information to growers to assist them with their employees and we continued to get products to them.”
• Water: “There have been so many issues with water, whether it’s drought and dry years, atmospheric rivers and wet years, water allocations, restrictions or regulations. Over the years, Grow West has tried to handle water-related obstacles with innovative strategies: irrigation technologies, moisture management, future planning, cropping changes, etc. We want our PCAs to be knowledgeable about water and irrigation because it helps them be an even more valuable resource for growers. Our acquisition of WaterLabs is an example of Grow West adapting. We saw the value for this business that is on top of new technology and can share their expertise and insights with our customers. Good irrigators and water experts have always been worth their weight in gold.
• Economic Downturns: “They come and go. We are fully aware of the big ones, but we sometimes don’t pay as much attention to the small ones. Some bankers may not know much about farming, but they’ll tell you what you can’t afford with certain crops. Good relations between bankers and growers is key. What we’re going to see in the next year or so is some ground put aside and different ways growers can use capital and expense budgets. There may be cropping changes. We recommend planning for 2026 now; forecasting is important. Grow West is always here to help.”

PREPARING FOR 2025

Addressing current issues such as market volatility, regulatory pressures and employment challenges in the upcoming season, Council said, “We’re in a holding pattern right now. Wait and see. Money is tight; we see it and hear it.”

Council said that growers turn to the Grow West team more and more for critical information that will impact their production. “Our customers want to know about issues such as taxes on imports or regulations, since those can have a direct effect on our input costs. We vet the information as best we can and we share it with the growers to help them make informed decisions. We need to keep it straight and to the point. We have very sharp growers and they don’t want idle talk.”

INVESTMENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES EQUAL STRENGTH

“I credit the family for taking profits and investing them back into the company,” Council said. “It has helped build this company. We are very strategic with our planning and we are constantly looking for solid opportunities. The market drives change and we have to be ahead of it. Sometimes a team leader or employee approaches us with a great recommendation or insight that may work its way up and gets implemented.”

Another Grow West strength is its brick-and-mortar facilities. “We have warehousing capabilities (rail-in to our facilities in Dixon and Woodland) and distribution along the coast and valley,” Council said. “We move several hundred cars, which most retailers can’t do. We built the Woodland facility and made it available to some of our competitors. We provide excellent service and we have strong relationships with them. In addition, we have mixing and reacting – and all of the manufacturing assets – to take care of the north region.”

Council said that Grow West will continue to be a trustworthy partner through investment decisions, opportunities, innovative solutions and operational strategies “to ensure the company and customers are in great shape.”