Duane officially joined the legacy Dairy.com venture in 2013 as part of the Blimling acquisition – where he had worked since 2008. At Blimling, he supported traditional risk management activities for dairy cooperatives and processors. He worked on various consulting engagements ranging from plant feasibility studies to strategic planning exercises to market segmentation studies. In 2014, Duane re-located to Texas to work from the company’s headquarters in Frisco, where he assumed his current role as COO. His days vary depending on the season and existing client projects, especially as the company has grown exponentially over the past couple of years. He works cross-functionally across the organization, often managing customer contracts, implementations, acquisition integrations, and even brainstorming new ideas to advance the company.

An Early Influence

Duane’s introduction to the industry came from family, as his great grandparents homesteaded in Montana in the early 1900s. The family added dairy cows in the 1930s, where his father grew up on a registered Guernsey dairy and diversified farming operation. His father took on a corporate career with Carnation Company, working internationally in milk procurement activities to support evaporated milk plants in Mexico and then Peru. After the global stints, the family eventually settled in California, where Duane’s father traveled globally as part of the genetics division. “I didn’t appreciate what my dad was doing back in the 1980s until much later in life. Travel is one thing. But taking U.S. genetics to the world to improve the milking herds in these developing countries is quite astounding. As a kid, I looked forward to the treats and trinkets he would bring back and not fully realize that what he was doing then was helping to transform these emerging dairy industries into the modern powerhouses they are today,” Duane says.

Dairy Science, a Beach, and Corporate Jobs Follow

The combination of a leading Dairy Science department and wonderful geography led Duane to Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo. But without cows to milk of his own or the personality of a salesman, Duane took the cross-country leap. He attained his master’s degree in agricultural economics from Michigan State. From there, it was a variety of corporate positions that rounded out his education: Safeway, Leprino Foods, Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, Hilmar Cheese Company, and ConAgra Foods before landing at Blimling & Associates. Duane’s work as EverAg’s COO is a perfect blend of dairy, internal corporate management, client-focused engagements, and being part of an exciting ride. “I get to explore a variety of topics and engage in multiple aspects of the company. There’s never a dull day,” Duane says. At the end of every day, Duane knows he is supporting a dedicated, progressive industry – with a great team of knowledgeable people at EverAg. “We get to have meaningful relationships with our customers, and I think they see and appreciate the value we deliver. Whether that is a dairy farmer, a cooperative, a hauler, or a huge corporate entity, we work hard to form strong partnerships with people we’re working with,” Duane says. Duane lives in Frisco with his wife, Cristin. Together they have two adult daughters, a daughter who is a high school senior and a son in sixth grade.