Landus Conduit LLC, Des Moines, on Feb. 7 announced that John Schmahl has been named Director of Strategic Partners. The company said he brings a wealth of experience in the agricultural start-up space and relationships with potential up- and downstream partners.
Schmahl joins Landus Conduit after nearly five years in the startup world with Indigo and Farmers Edge, where he was responsible for the US strategic accounts and managed sales teams across the Eastern US. Prior to that, he gained experience from all sides of production agriculture and retail during his time with Monsanto, Cargill, and Winfield United.
The primary function of Conduit, launched by Landus in November 2022 (GM Nov. 23, 2022), is to cultivate relationships and partnerships benefiting Landus farmer-owners outside of the traditional boundaries in which Landus currently operates.
“Landus Conduit is a key connector to the growth and value of Landus for our farmer-owners where we seek to find new opportunities without the historical costs of brick-and-mortar buildings,” said Landus President and CEO Matt Carstens. “Supplementing Conduit’s ambitions with someone like John, who has experience in the startup environment, brings us a network of skills needed to be successful as we build out our global footprint.”
“The addition of John makes a substantial difference to how we approach partnerships in areas where Landus doesn’t currently do business,” added Bruce Vernon, who leads Landus Conduit. “Having him on board builds our connections outside the Midwest region and beyond.”
The company said the expansion of the customer base goes beyond neighboring regions to farmers outside the US. Landus currently employs more than 600 people across the Midwest and Mexico.