GreenStone’s newly appointed CEO Travis Jones is at the helm of the more than 100-year-old organization and building upon the strong foundation laid by previous CEO Dave Armstrong.
Why GreenStone: “I've stuck around with Greenstone for 15 years. It's been easy. After my very first interview 15 years ago, it felt like home. The culture just came through. And after my second interviews, I told my wife this would be a great place to work. Since that day, I've always wanted to end my career here, and that's certainly still my intent.”
What keeps you motivated: “It's easy to be motivated on a daily basis. We've got the greatest customers in the world. They wake every day to work hard, to provide a dependable, affordable source of food, and our staff and our culture really support that. As the leader of this organization, I know I have to be here every day and be on top of my game because that's what our staff expect, and that's certainly what our customers expect. When they're waking up at 4:30 in the morning to feed the world, it's pretty easy to get motivated, to make sure that I'm here supporting our staff for Greenstone to be there for our customers.”
Who is Travis off the clock? “That starts with my wife Sue, with whom I have three children: my son Tyler (29), and my daughters Mackenzie (26) and Katelyn (23). They've all graduated from either the University of Michigan or Michigan State University. Two now have their own careers and the third is finishing graduate school. So that's been a change for my wife and I as our kids were very into athletics as they grew up. We kept very busy going from spot to spot depending on what sport and what season it was. Since they have graduated, we've gotten to spend more time together. We enjoy our cottage on Gun Lake, and have gotten into pickleball. Although it’s more to stay active than for enjoyment, I also run each day.”
What’s your back story? “My connection with agriculture really started as a young kid. My grandparents had a small farm which my parents bought when I was five years old. So I got to grow up on a small farm in Chapin, Michigan. My grandparents were also part owners of the Owosso Livestock Sales. At a very young age I had a firsthand understanding of livestock auctions. There were no better days than Thursdays when I went with my grandpa to haul livestock to the Owosso sales, watch the auction and hang out with him at the stockyard. I was very excited to come to GreenStone and reconnect with that agricultural background.”
Hear firsthand from Travis on his fond agricultural memories and his excitement for the strength and future of GreenStone and its members: www.greenstonefcs.com/meettheceo.
TRAVIS JONES EXCITED TO TAKE ORGANIZATION TO NEXT LEVEL
Travis, who previously served as CFO of the company, assumed his role as CEO Aug. 1, 2022, following Dave’s retirement. Throughout his 15-year tenure with GreenStone, Travis has consistently supported the rural and agricultural communities in Michigan and northeast Wisconsin with a primary goal to help them grow, thrive and succeed.
“Transitioning from CFO to CEO is certainly a big step, and it's a step that I've been preparing for,” Travis said. “I valued Dave Armstrong’s mentorship and really paid attention to his personal approach, forward-moving thought process and inclusive leadership, so it does feel like a natural progression to carry that forward. GreenStone has a fantastic team at every level, and that’s going to make this transition seamless.”
“GreenStone has been around for more than a century, and as I take the reins of the organization, we remain focused on continued solid growth through impeccable service to our members and superior engagement within our talented team,” Travis affirmed.
With a commitment to “customers first,” Travis and the entire GreenStone team work with a mindset of customer satisfaction and consistent quality with an emphasis on individual solutions and support for agriculture and rural living as well as young, beginning and small farmers.
“Our young, beginning and small farmers are very diverse in terms of their farm size, location, products grown, services provided and the consumers they connect with,” he said. “We recognize the value in cultivating relationships with these passionate farmers and helping to mentor and guide them to be the next generation of successful farmers.”
With this appreciation built on top of his agricultural foundation rooted early in his life, Travis is eager to be a part of the cooperative's future success.
“I was very excited to come to GreenStone 15 years ago and reconnect with my agriculture background,” Travis said. “I know my grandparents would be proud of me, and my parents are grateful for the positive impact we’re a part of helping our members make. This is a very rewarding place to work, and I know firsthand we have some of the best customers in the world thanks to their role in feeding and serving in our rural communities!”
Beyond GreenStone, Travis is involved on the board of the Michigan Finance Authority to help provide impactful, affordable loans for cities, colleges and public schools; he also serves on the Michigan FFA Association board providing support to year-round agriscience curriculum and youth development activities.
To view the article in the online 2022 Fall Partners Magazine, click here.
