Climbing up the ranks

LITCHFIELD, Minn. — Glenn Kaping has worn many hats in the past 24 years at First District Association; his new hat is CEO.

Kaping began in his role Aug. 1 with First District Association in Litchfield, taking over from Bob Huffman, who resigned earlier this summer.

“It is an honor and privilege to know you have the confidence of the board, staff and the team here,” Kaping said. “It is humbling and exciting.
I am looking forward to the new challenges and opportunities that the future will bring. It makes coming to work every day fun and fulfilling and yet is a responsibility I take very seriously.”

Kaping said being selected as an internal candidate for the CEO position has been a full-circle moment.

“(This) shows the strength of our team and our organization here,” Kaping said. “It is something that past leaders should be proud of that they were able to develop qualified candidates here.”

Kaping was most recently serving as the chief financial officer. He has also worked in multiple accounting, finance and sales roles with the company.

“I really appreciate the opportunity First District has given me to gain exposure pretty much throughout the whole organization,” Kaping said. “Not only do I understand the financial side of the business, but I have had opportunities to work directly with our customers, members and operations teams during my tenure.”

Growing up on a dairy farm just outside of Litchfield, Kaping has seen all sides of the dairy industry.

“That has been a very helpful and beneficial background,” Kaping said. “(It helps with) not just being better situated to relate to our members but (also) being able to convey the dairy farmer perspective to our customers (and) helping bridge the gap with those that we work with who do not come from an agriculture background.”

In the past two decades, Kaping has witnessed significant growth at First District Association.

“We are receiving nearly three times as much milk from our members now as when I first started,” Kaping said. “Seeing our member farms’ progress over the years and watching the next generation of dairy leaders come back to farm are some highlights from my time working here.”

First District Association processes about 7.5 million pounds of milk a day, converting that milk into approximately 800,000 pounds of cheese. Additionally, the cooperative also sells another 1 million pounds of milk every day to other processors. Over several years, the company has made significant investments in its cheese production, infant formula ingredient line and whey protein concentrate portfolio and is again expanding its milk processing capabilities.

“It is rewarding knowing we are collectively accomplishing something that none of us individually could,” Kaping said. “There are many people involved in the dairy production and manufacturing process, and everyone is a valued and important contributor to its overall success.”

The board and leadership team take a long-term view of the organization’s future, Kaping said, for the members, as well as the employees.

“We will continue to explore how we can invest in our cooperative to grow with our members,” Kaping said. “If we can become the trusted expert in all things dairy for our customers, I’m confident we will find more ways to create value for our member owners.”

Looking ahead to his new position, Kaping said he hopes to continue building upon past successes while helping steer the cooperative toward future business opportunities.

“I am looking forward to working with the board, employees and our members more closely, building high-performing teams and empowering people, to continue a culture where we all have a sense and appreciation for contributing to something bigger,” Kaping said. “We are not just looking at the next six months of financial performance; we take a big picture, long-term view, and I think that says a lot about First District’s success.”