washington business
U. S. Sen. Maria Cantwell and Alex McGregor smile during introductions at the Japanese Embassy during the 2019 AWB Fly-in to Washington D. C. Japan is an important customer for Washingtongrown wheat and other agricultural products.
Alex McGregor and his daughter Emily take part in AWB’ s trade mission to Japan in 2019.
stewardship of the land, sustainable in seeing those who are stewards of the land, our farm families, can survive to live another day and for many years to come.
Any advice for any Washington farmers or other businesses navigating this uncertain time?
Stay engaged. Help people understand why issues are so important. Reach out beyond your own trade and help people realize we as Washingtonians, we as Northwest residents, we as Americans, are very dependent upon relationships with other countries. We need free trade, we need fair trade, and we need to remember the importance of longterm relationships. Above all, realize when you get involved, you can make things happen. You can make a difference in your own way and it will matter.
What is your favorite kind of wheat?
My favorite has to be soft white wheat, so well suited to growing conditions here across our dryland prairies. It’ s a specialty crop nationally but so vital here and so valued around the globe for pancakes, noodles, pastries that have no match. For so many other areas around the nation wheat is a rotational crop. Here wheat is king, soft white in particular, and we grow it to meet the highest standards and produce bountiful crops unexcelled anywhere else. alex mcgregor’ s tips for running a successful multi-generational family business
We must do more than talk about teamwork, about how every job is as important as every other one. You’ ve got to mean it, and you’ ve got to live it. You can find all sorts of books about becoming a more astute manager. But if you respect people, build a sense of teamwork, and an‘ all hands on deck’ approach where we’ re all part of something that matters, you’ re going to do well. True in family businesses and publicly traded ones, too. In a broader sense, everyone on board should be considered an owner for each invests his or her most valuable resources— time, energy and a passion for excellence helping customers.
You’ ve got to have a future focus. My dad used to say,“ you can’ t stand still in agriculture, if you do, you will slowly die.” Most of all, you have to understand, appreciate and value your customers and the people you serve. I think sometimes organizations lose track when they allow their businesses to get impersonal and displace face-to-face communication by communicating solely with electronic tools. It’ s all about people. We’ re really fortunate. We’ ve got a number of people who have been with us for 40 years, 30 years, and many for 20 years. Yet we’ re always out recruiting young people and value their spark, innovative spirit, and the contributions we know they will make.
— Alex McGregor spring 2025 21