Primghar, Iowa — An O’Brien County man and an O’Brien County business have been honored by the O’Brien County Value-Added Agriculture Steering Committee.
The committee has recognized individuals since 2001, but this year two awards were given — one to an individual and one to a business. Mr. Craig Struve of Sutherland was honored as the 2016 recipient of the Value-Added Ag Hall of Fame Award and Triple R, Inc. of Primghar was honored as the 2016 business recipient of the Value-Added Ag Hall of Fame Award at the O’Brien County Farm Bureau Annual Meeting held at the Primghar Community Building.
Craig Struve was nominated by both O’Brien County Supervisor Dan Friedrichsen and Adam Timmerman, General Manager of ICON Ag & Turf. The Value-Added Ag Committee says they chose Mr. Struve for his leadership, commitment to education, involvement in community organizations and volunteer efforts in our O’Brien County communities. Mr. Struve has been a driving force for the economy of O’Brien County through his companies that have employed the county’s work force and served the agriculture industry. They say Struve created a family atmosphere for his employees and has volunteered his time and his companies’ services to the community of Calumet when in need or during special events.
Triple R, Inc. was nominated by Lyle Luedke of Primghar. The O’Brien County Value-Added Ag Committee reports that they selected Triple R for their outstanding service to the agriculture sector in O’Brien County. Triple R, Inc. is owned by Ron Grothaus and Robert Van Beek, both of Primghar. The committee says Grothaus and Van Beek and their long-standing employee, Randy Guetschow, have provided quality farm machinery repair work to area farmers for over 30 years. The committee says Triple R’s service to the community is shown through their innovative problem-solving abilities as well as the long hours worked in order to accommodate tight time constrictions. According to the committee, Triple R’s ability to repair the “unrepairable” despite difficult work environments, allows their customers to add value to and better manage their equipment and resources.
O’Brien County Agriculture Hall of Fame Nominations are accepted year-round and those received are saved and considered in subsequent years if that nominee does not win. For more information, you can contact Kiana Johnson, O’Brien County Economic Development at 712-957-1313 or e-mail ocedc@tcaexpress.net.
