Beatriz M. Thigpen
Agricultural Supply Chain Manager
Des Moines, IA · (515) 555 0132 · name@example.com · linkedin.com/in/beatrizmthigpen
Key Qualifications
EXPERIENCE
Twelve years in grain origination, elevator logistics and rail freight across the Corn Belt
INDUSTRIES
Farmer owned cooperatives, ethanol processing, soybean crush, rail served terminals
SPECIALTIES
Basis management, shuttle train loading, storage and drying capacity, contract execution
SYSTEMS
Bushel, SAP, Tableau, John Deere Operations Center, Microsoft Excel
CREDENTIALS
Certified Supply Chain Professional through the Association for Supply Chain Management
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science in agricultural business, Iowa State University
Results at a Glance
9
Cents a bushel
41
Cents by shifting
$640k
Year through tighter
7 minutes
Truck at peak
Executive Summary
Grain supply chain manager for a farmer owned cooperative moving 62 million bushels of corn and soybeans a year through eleven country elevators, two rail loading facilities and four processor destinations. Twelve years in origination, freight and storage, judged on basis capture and cost per bushel delivered.
Signature Achievements
- Improved average basis capture by 9 cents a bushel across the corn book, worth 3.4 million dollars in a single marketing year.
- Cut freight cost per bushel from 41 to 33 cents by shifting 38 percent of volume from truck to shuttle rail.
- Raised shuttle loading performance to 110 cars in under 12 hours at both facilities, earning the railroad incentive rate every quarter.
- Reduced grain shrink and quality discounts by 640,000 dollars a year through tighter moisture targets and drier scheduling.
- Held harvest dump time under 7 minutes a truck at peak by rebuilding the scale and probe sequence at four elevators.
- Negotiated three year processor contracts covering 14 million bushels, giving the cooperative a firm home for member grain.
Professional Experience
Grain Supply Chain Manager
Heartland Ridge Cooperative, Des Moines, IA 2019 to present
Eleven elevators, 18 million bushels of licensed storage and a team of 24 including merchandisers, schedulers and location managers
- Owns the movement plan from farm delivery through elevator storage to processor and export destinations.
- Sets daily posted bids with the merchandising desk and manages basis positions against futures hedges.
- Plans rail car supply, truck fleet allocation and harvest surge capacity for a 40 day receiving window.
- Reports margin per bushel, shrink and turn rate to the chief operating officer and the member board each month.
Logistics and Origination Supervisor
Prairie Junction Grain Company, Cedar Falls, IA 2015 to 2019
Three elevators and a truck fleet of 22 serving an ethanol plant and two river terminals
- Scheduled daily deliveries to the ethanol plant and held contract fulfillment above 98 percent.
- Built the harvest staging plan that removed nine hours of average wait time from the busiest week.
- Managed carrier rates and backhaul opportunities for the company fleet and contracted trucking.
- Trained scale operators on grading, moisture testing and discount schedules under federal grain standards.
Grain Merchandiser
Skunk River Elevator Association, Ames, IA 2013 to 2015
Single location handling 6 million bushels a year for 340 farmer customers
- Quoted cash, forward and basis contracts to producers and entered every position on the same day.
- Reconciled the daily position report and flagged unhedged exposure to the general manager.
Licensure and Certification
Certified Supply Chain Professional, Association for Supply Chain Management
Member, National Grain and Feed Association
Education
Bachelor of Science in agricultural business, Iowa State University, 2013
Grain grading and inspection course, Iowa Grain Quality Initiative, 2016
Core Skills
Basis management · Rail and truck freight planning · Grain contract execution · Storage and drying capacity · Position reporting · Producer relationships · Cost per bushel analysis · Harvest surge planning · Carrier negotiation · Team supervision