Strong Ag Partnerships Foster Growth
T&S Crop Service, Inc., cultivates relationships with farmers to provide agricultural excellence.
For great retailers, knowing what farmers are looking for is only half the equation. Knowing what seeds and products are best suited to each farmers’ fields and methods is the second half. That’s where a good sales representative fits in. Good partnerships between retailers and sales representatives align the right materials with the right fields, and farmers reap the benefits of that collaboration.
Seth Sheehan has been with T&S Crop Service, Inc., (T&S) for his entire career. T&S, founded by his father in 1996, is an independent ag retailer that provides exceptional service and support to farmers in Wyoming County, New York. Sheehan joined the business after graduating from college when he was 23 years old. Now manager of T&S, Sheehan focuses on expanding the relationships his father built and cultivating new contacts who bring even more value to farmers.
T&S and NK® Seeds have been partners since Sheehan’s father ran the business, and Katie Edmunds, an NK Seeds sales representative, strives to continue this strong partnership with Sheehan and T&S.
Building Trust
“Building a trusting relationship requires time,” Edmunds says. “When I met Seth, we didn’t know anything about each other. We needed to get to know each other and then take time to understand each other’s business and goals.”
Sheehan and Edmunds quickly saw they had similar mindsets and a common goal: grow the T&S business and of bringing value to farmers.
“Katie does a great job bringing outside business to T&S that we haven’t necessarily worked with in the past,” Sheehan explains. “One of the biggest reasons I enjoy working with her is because she is excited, and I know she wants to do a good job and grow the brand.”
As for Sheehan, Edmunds says, “He has a lot of strong, long-standing relationships, and people trust his expertise. Plus, T&S offers exceptional service to their farmers, so farmers remain very loyal.”
“It’s really fun and exciting to work with a retail location that has goals similar to mine,” Edmunds adds. “T&S is excited to grow their business, and it’s great partnering with people who are passionate and driven to improve.”
Focusing on Dairy Production
Because T&S is located in western New York, a key area for dairy production, Sheehan and Edmunds largely focus on helping make dairy producers more efficient and profitable. Edmunds visits dairy farms, explaining the value of products like Enogen® corn for feed.
“Enogen is the reason I came to work for Syngenta because I was so excited about what it was doing for dairy cows,” Edmunds says. “Enogen is a huge focus for T&S and me because it brings farms a product that no one else offers.”
Sheehan agrees, explaining that attention to silage allows T&S to fill a growing gap in the market. He works with Edmunds assisting dairy producers already interested in Enogen and educating others about its on-farm benefits.
I love that once I’ve built relationships and understand farmers’ businesses, I can help them achieve their goals.
Enogen corn for feed offers the potential for feed efficiency gains of around 5%1 for dairy producers, which is significant because it helps maximize profit potential by reducing feed costs.
In addition to educating and supplying dairy producers with Enogen corn for feed, Edmunds and Sheehan also regularly discuss helping farmers make the right seed choice. Sheehan knows what his farmers are looking for, and that allows Edmunds to recommend hybrids and varieties with the best-suited trait packages and herbicide technologies for their farms.
Because of T&S’ partnership with NK Seeds, Sheehan’s farmers can look forward to planting high-yielding hybrids with cutting-edge traits, as well as industry-leading soybean varieties across the XtendFlex® soybean and Enlist E3® soybean platforms, in 2022.
Working Hard
T&S has experienced explosive growth over the last two years, and Edmunds is proud to think that outside business she’s helped bring in has contributed to that. Sheehan and Edmunds are both excited to watch growth at T&S continue to unfold. In the meantime, they enjoy the industry that lets them put relationships at the center of everything they do.
“I love working in agriculture because it gives me freedom,” Sheehan says. “Every day is different, and you get to work with so many great people.”
“Helping people be more successful in what they do is a driving factor in why I love what I do,” Edmunds adds. “I love that once I’ve built relationships and understand farmers’ businesses, I can help them achieve their goals.”
1University of Nebraska-Lincoln Research Studies, 2013–2017 Kansas State University Research Study, 2017; Pennsylvania State University, 2019.
Cover image: NK Seeds sales representative Katie Edmunds (right) has helped Seth Sheehan (left) of T&S Crop Service, Inc., in Warsaw, New York, grow his ag retail business. Photography by Luke Copping.
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