Following a nationwide search, the Landus Cooperative board of directors on Feb. 19 introduced Matt Carstens as chief executive officer for the farmer-owned cooperative.
The board unanimously selected Carstens, who has nearly 25 years of experience in the industry spanning every step in the supply chain from agronomy retail to end-user grain customers, food manufacturers, grocery stores and consumers.
“Carstens brings to Landus Cooperative both a personal connection to cooperative heritage and a focused drive to move our business into a new chapter,” said Jim Carlson, a Gowrie farmer and president of the board of directors. “We are focused on advocating for our farmer-members and customers, empowering our employees, and leaning into the future of our industry.”
Carstens is slated to take the helm at the Ames, Iowa-based cooperative on March 9, 2020.
“Whether you are an owner of this cooperative, a customer in any of our 26 Iowa counties, or you are feeding our value-added feed ingredients to dairy cows across the globe, your success will be the nucleus of our business,” said Carstens of his focus for his new role. “Our farmer-members and customers demand a trusted advisor, a partner who can advocate on their behalf, help them find value, and find new ways to make their operation better.”
Carstens most recently served as senior vice president of Truterra, a division of Land O’Lakes. There, he provided leadership for farmer-driven sustainability collaborations with food manufacturers and consumers by focusing on technology, data, and precision offerings. Previously, he served at United Suppliers, where he was responsible for the crop nutrient business, including sales, marketing, supply chain logistics, financial performance, and commodity procurement. He has also held various sales, marketing, and management positions at several other agronomy businesses.
Carstens is a graduate of Panorama High School and the son of Doug and Michelle Carstens of Bagley. He graduated from Iowa State University with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business.
