JEFFRY D. FREEMAN
Wilsonville
Summary
Strategic Chief Strategy & Marketing Officer with over 15 years of leadership in agricultural, turf and ornamental input markets. Drove transformational growth and implemented strategic planning to enhance revenue and shareholder value. Expertise in M&A, financial alignment, and organizational restructuring. Focused on building high-performance teams and leveraging technology for competitive advantage.
Overview
30
30
years of professional experience
Work History
Chief Strategy & Marketing Officer
Marion Ag Service Inc
St Paul
11.2023 - Current
- Led corporate development by identifying and executing the equity share acquisition of Columbia Seeds, immediately expanding market presence and product portfolio. Also served as Board Member, Columbia Seeds (2024 - Present).
- Spearheaded a team sales growth strategy that resulted in a 114% revenue increase, scaling the company from $35 million to $75 million over five years.
- Negotiated a pivotal marketing contract for the industry's top-performing controlled-release fertilizer product, securing a long-term competitive advantage.
- Managed marketing strategies and margin control to align growth initiatives with corporate balance sheet objectives.
- Adopted a company-wide strategic planning framework, aligning mission, vision, values, operational capabilities, and market opportunities to enhance organizational coherence.
- Orchestrated major organizational restructure to instill supply chain discipline, optimizing resource management and elevating operational capabilities.
- Serve as board member of Columbia Seeds.
Director of Sales & Marketing
Marion AG Service
Saint Paul
08.2016 - 10.2023
- Monitored competitor activities and created strategies accordingly.
- Managed relationships with vendors to ensure quality services at competitive rates.
- Pursued and generated revenue through outside sales and marketing efforts by relentlessly identifying, developing and targeting new business partnerships.
- Created and managed budgets for sales and marketing initiatives.
- Negotiated contracts with customers while protecting company interests.
- Identified new markets and developed strategies to capture them.
VP of Commercial & Operations
AgWorld
Windsor
01.2015 - 12.2016
- Developed and executed the commercial strategy to align new market opportunities with product development, significantly expanding the customer base.
- Managed reporting lines for business development, customer success, and sales management to enhance alignment in GTM (go-to-market) strategy.
- Identified operational challenges and implemented targeted solutions to streamline processes.
Marketing & Supply Manager, Sales Manager Turf & Ornamental Markets
Wilco-Winfield LLC
Mt Angel
10.2006 - 12.2015
- Directed marketing objectives for $80 million cooperative in agricultural, turf & ornamental, and inputs markets.
- Developed profitable $5.5 million dollar turf and ornamental business over 5 year period.
- Oversaw margin management for crop protection and specialty fertilizer product segments.
- Identified, co-developed and implemented customer and product segmentation program to increase crop protection margin contribution by $625,000.
- Spearheaded Wilco Hazelnut Grower Alliance, increasing market share and on-acre consultation, contributing an additional $300,000 in margin.
- Managed large vendor relationships with Syngenta, Bayer, BASF, Dow, DuPont, Monsanto, Simplot, Agrium Advanced Technologies, enhancing value for agricultural and professional markets.
Territory Manager
Lebanon Turf Products
Lebanon
01.2000 - 12.2006
- Secured eight new distributors in territory under brand marketing business model, expanding market reach and driving sales growth.
- Sold, consulted, and trained 30+ distributors on fertilizer, chemicals, seed, and specialty products for golf, landscape, and nursery markets, enhancing product knowledge and sales effectiveness.
- Increased sales from $800k to $2.1 million.
Sales Manager, Oregon Division
Pacific Plants
Issaquah
01.1999 - 12.1999
- Opened Oregon branch and benchmarked sales from $0 to $950,000 first year.
- Managed sales of plant material to landscape contractors and land developers.
- Developed sales strategies to enhance customer engagement and retention.
- Led team meetings to align sales goals and share best practices.
- Managed inventory levels to ensure product availability for customers.
Sales Representative
Wilbur Ellis Company
Portland
01.1996 - 12.1999
- Increased sales from $100k to $1.2 million.
- Managed sales and consulting for chemical and fertilizer products, enhancing growth for nursery and landscape professionals.
- Identified weeds, insects, and diseases impacting plant health, enabling targeted management solutions.
Education
B.S. - Agricultural Business Management
Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR01.1993
Skills
- Strategic Planning & Vision
- Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)
- Market expansion
- Financial management
- Budgeting and finance
- Sales management
- Revenue growth
- Supply Chain Optimization
- Change management
- Stakeholder governance
- Problem-solving aptitude
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Relationship building
Affiliations
- Board Member, Agricultural Retailers Association
- Far West Agribusiness Association
- Oregon Golf Course Superintendents Association
- Northwest Turfgrass Association
- Oregon Association of Nurseries
Hobbies and Interests
- Skiing
- Golf
- Youth Sports
References
Available Upon Request
Professional Development
Land O' Lakes Leadership Advantage Program, 2011
Timeline
Chief Strategy & Marketing Officer
Marion Ag Service Inc
11.2023 - Current
Director of Sales & Marketing
Marion AG Service
08.2016 - 10.2023
VP of Commercial & Operations
AgWorld
01.2015 - 12.2016
Marketing & Supply Manager, Sales Manager Turf & Ornamental Markets
Wilco-Winfield LLC
10.2006 - 12.2015
Territory Manager
Lebanon Turf Products
01.2000 - 12.2006
Sales Manager, Oregon Division
Pacific Plants
01.1999 - 12.1999
Sales Representative
Wilbur Ellis Company
01.1996 - 12.1999
B.S. - Agricultural Business Management
Oregon State University