Ag retailers from across the country gathered in Winnipeg, Man. for education, inspiration and unbeatable networking opportunities at the Ag Retail Event of the Year.

When selecting the 2018 Chairman’s Award recipient, CAAR board chair Don Kitson knew the award needed to go to Grant Larocque, a long-time board member and ardent association supporter.

South Country Co-op (South Country) prides itself on its commitment to creating safe and productive workplaces. The company is known for investing highly in its staff and empowers team members to take ownership and make decisions in the best interests of their fellow employees and their customers. This has paid off enormously for the organization, through staff retention, customer loyalty and, now, winning CAAR’s 2018 Retailer of the Year award, sponsored by Bayer CropScience Inc.

CAAR’s 2018 Retailer Hall of Fame award, sponsored by Univar Canada, was presented in memory of Wayne Deschouwer, who was taken from family, friends and Manitoba’s agriculture community far too soon when he passed away on Oct. 1, 2018, at the age of 63.

Taralea Simpson is a farmer, a mother, an entrepreneur, a passionate “agvocate” and CAAR’s 2018 Agronomist of the Year. Sponsored by Simplot, the award recognizes a CAAR member agronomist who consistently exceeds expectations through dedication to their field and their agronomic knowledge.

This year’s 4R Nutrient Stewardship Agri-Retailer is Nutrien Ag Solutions (Nutrien Ag), a company that has made 4R Nutrient Stewardship an integral part of the service they provide to their grower customers.

Four industry leaders provided their insight into the recent wave of mergers and acquisitions and shared their advice for ag retailers during the 2019 CAAR Conference.

Maintain positive, long-term relationships with customers by managing their expectations.

Retailers are helping their customers learn the ins and outs of plant growth regulators.

Every year, I come away from the CAAR Conference with my head spinning. It takes a bit of time to process all of the information, all of the implications and simply take a breath after the fast pace of the event.

When a customer looks to you, their retailer, as a trusted resource, opportunities are created to build a relationship that is mutually beneficial to both parties. You help them, and they help you.