4 SOURCE | Spring 2022 though he was attending classes just a stone ’ s throw from the GROWMARK home office during those years , the cooperative wasn ’ t on his radar , yet .
“ I knew FS all my life ,” recalls Orr . “ My dad bought from FS . But I have to admit , I didn ’ t know who GROWMARK was . Matter of fact , if you go back to the early 1980s , GROWMARK wasn ’ t very old ; it was formed by a merger of FS Services and Illinois Grain . And some of my classmates had internships with FS Agri-Finance and said that ’ s something you ought to try . It ’ s an opportunity for you to get your feet wet in the ag industry , and so I met with a group , they were on campus doing interviews for internships , and in the Fall of 1989 , I came in to start my internship in the Agri-Finance group and really never left .”
Along with interning , Orr also spent time working in agriculture to help pay for his way through school .
From the Farm to the Corner Office
How GROWMARK ’ s newest CEO rose through the System , and his vision for the future
Chris Grogan , Publications and Media Relations Manager cgrogan @ growmark . com
“ Before I got involved with FS , I worked for a couple other companies locally during my college years to help pay the rent , first at an elevator north of Bloomington that ’ s not even there anymore . That ’ s where I learned about the operations of the grain business , working the dryers in the evening , and helping to load out trucks .”
For Mark Orr , agriculture is in his blood .
“ My greatest memories are really from my time on the farm ,” says Orr . “ It ’ s something I really miss and always wanted to get back to , so that ’ s what really led me to where I am today , being involved in agriculture and our noble purpose to feed and fuel the world .”
The youngest of five kids , Orr says he was heavily involved with the family farming operation through high school . Growing up in the far western reaches of Illinois , at the Mississippi River where Iowa and Missouri come together , Orr spent much of his time involved in 4H , FFA , and showing livestock at the fair . Yet farming was in a rough spot in the latter part of the 1980s , especially with livestock . So , when Orr decided in college to pursue a career outside of the family farm , at least to start , the sense of relief was palpable .
“ My dad was relieved when I said I wasn ’ t coming back to raise livestock on the farm ,” adds Orr .
Orr spent his college years at Illinois State University studying agribusiness . And yet
He also later worked for a fertilizer company west of Bloomington , running a sprayer for them for a couple years . He attributes a better understanding of the on-theground operations to his time in these two jobs .
“ That really gave me a baseline for my career , just learning the day-to-day aspects of those areas ,” adds Orr .
Once he graduated , Orr says