One of the most foundational things we teach students in the CEO program is to start with a problem worth solving. Today, the Class of 2027 got to see what happens when someone takes that idea and builds an incredible business around it!
Today, we toured Quincy Farm Products with Jerrod Evans, who shared how their company takes one of the food industry’s biggest challenges, food waste, and turns it into valuable products that help feed livestock around the world.
The scale of what they have built is remarkable. Through their innovative approach to repurposing food products into animal feed, Quincy Farm Products now produces feed that reaches approximately 40% of baby pigs in the United States!
Jerrod walked the class through how the business operates and how he and his team have grown and scaled their operations over the past 12 years. Taking something that would otherwise be discarded and creating a valuable product is impressive on its own. Building the systems, relationships, and operations necessary to serve a market of that size takes an entirely different level of entrepreneurship.
Jerrod also challenged the class on their professionalism, specifically the importance of researching the businesses they visit before they arrive. Doing your homework allows you to ask better questions, have more meaningful conversations, and make the most of the opportunity to learn from successful business leaders. We love when our speakers and tour hosts challenge our students to raise their standards and take their professional development seriously!
For our students, this was a great example of how identifying a problem, developing a solution, and continually improving that solution can create opportunities far beyond what you might initially imagine. Sometimes the greatest business opportunities are found in problems other people have learned to accept.
Thank you, Jerrod, and the entire Quincy Farm Products team for welcoming the Class of 2027, challenging our students, and showing them what innovation and entrepreneurship look like right here in Adams County!
#AdamsCountyCEO #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #Leadership #ProfessionalDevelopment
