Happy Retirement Paul LaRoche
Celebrating employee retirements are certainly bittersweet; especially when they’ve left an impact on co-workers and customers alike. After spending the last 15 years on the Stutsman team, agronomist Paul LaRoche will be retiring in February. As we reflect on Paul’s time with us, we are honored to have been a part of his career.
While many of our customers know Paul as a trusted agronomic advisor, his career experiences span beyond row crops. This Indianapolis native spent several summers on his uncle’s farm in Iowa, igniting his passion for agriculture. After graduating high school in the winter of 1974, he made the move to Iowa. Paul worked with his uncle for a year before starting at Riverside Grain and Feed. Throughout his years in the feed business, Paul cultivated relationships with local producers, many of which later became his agronomy customers at Stutsman’s.
Paul joined the Stutsman team in 2006 and hit the ground running as a sales agronomist managing the Riverside plant. His experience selling small seed at Riverside Grain and Feed and as a Pioneer seed dealer certainly made for a smooth transition for this position. Paul’s relationships were rock solid from the start and the Riverside area growers were eager to buy from him. Over the years, Paul continued to instill authenticity with his customers by always looking out for their best interests. A true advocate for his customers, their financial success has always been Paul’s top priority. When asked what advice Paul has for others, he stated, “if you do what’s right for the customer, it is usually right for the company as well.” While Paul is thankful for the years of service he’s provided for customers, he is also excited for what’s to come.
Family time is going to be the theme of Paul’s retirement. He and his wife Becky have four adult children and several young grandkids in Iowa, Kansas and North Carolina. They even have one more grandchild on the way! Paul enjoys hunting, fishing and camping with his family, and is especially excited to watch his grandkids play sports. Working around their farm, volunteering in the community and traveling are also on his retirement agenda.
We’re thankful for all Paul has done to exceed expectations over the years and wish him the best going forward. Paul’s last day is February 26. If you see him around this next week, be sure to tell Paul congrats!