Upstream Ag Interview Series Episode #1: Brad Oelmann, Farrell Growth Group

Introducing Upstream Ag Insights Interview Series

This week marks the launch of a new Upstream Ag Insights series featuring detailed conversations with leaders from across the agribusiness landscape.

The conversations are intended to go beyond surface level and get into the core ideas, trade-offs, and lessons that matter most for agribusiness professionals looking to understand whats happening in the industry, where it is heading next and how they can improve their decision making accordingly.

The aim is for a roughly a monthly cadence.

In the first episode I talked with Brad Oelmann, CEO of Farrell Growth Group.

Overview

Ag retail sits at the center of the crop inputs value chain, yet its economic and strategic foundation is shifting. 

That is the focus of this conversation with Brad Oelmann, CEO of Farrell Growth Group and a leader who has operated across every major link in the channel: manufacturing, distribution, and retail. Brad brings direct visibility into how the strongest retailers benchmark performance, where margins are leaking, and what needs to change as product volumes tighten and cost of capital rises.

Our discussion covers the metrics that actually define retail success, the persistent erosion of crop protection margins, and the uncomfortable truth that retailers still give away far too many services. 

We explore unbundling, cost-to-serve discipline, and why focusing first on the five to ten customers per location that drive the business should guide capital allocation and capability investment. We also get into SKU rationalization, forecasting discipline, and the evolution of distributor roles as consolidation accelerates.

Brad reinforces a core theme for ag retailers: value is earned through execution and timing. 

Better retailers differentiate by understanding each grower’s business, asking sharper questions, and delivering proactive insight rather than reacting to problems after they show up in the field. The companies that combine operational efficiency with a culture built around purpose, curiosity, and customer understanding will be the ones that stay relevant as ag retail continues to evolve.

In short, this is a candid look at where margins are going, how the model must adapt, and what winning retailers will do differently over the next decade.

Listen to the audio:

Other Ag Retail Resources

Navigating Strategic Development, Strategy Tax and the Opportunity in Uncertainty in Agribusiness - Upstream Ag Professional

Illustrative AgTech Insights: Influence and the Retail Trusted Advisor - - Upstream Ag Professional

Influence Erosion in Ag Retail - Upstream Ag Professional

Finding Asymmetric Upside in Ag Retail and Agribusiness - Upstream Ag Professional

The Power of Constraints 2.0: What Ag Retail Can Learn from Switzerland - Upstream Ag Professional

Transcript

Shane Thomas
Welcome to the Upstream Ag Insights interview series. We will dive into detailed conversations with leaders who bring insight into topics that agribusiness professionals need to think about. In this first episode, I am speaking with Brad Oelmann, CEO of Farrell Growth Group. Brad has spent his career across crop inputs, ag retail, and distribution. We will explore how Farrell benchmarks retail performance, what the strongest ag retail operators do differently, which financial and strategic indicators define a thriving ag retail business, and what the future might look like. Brad, thanks for being here.

Brad Oelmann
Great to be here, Shane.

ST
I would like to start with your background, career trajectory, and some of your experiences.

BO
I grew up on a farm in Iowa and went to Iowa State. Early in my career I was with American Cyanamid in sales and marketing roles. I then moved to UAP, which is now part of Nutrien, for a short time, and spent a large portion of my career with United Suppliers as marketing manager and then CEO. We merged with Land O’Lakes a few years ago and I stayed there for a period. I also spent time with Albaugh, a private company, and for the last four or five years I have been with Farrell Growth Group.

ST
You have touched all parts of the value chain, from retail and distribution to manufacturing, plus growing up on the farm. That is why I am excited to talk with you. You bring a unique perspective on agriculture, especially ag retail. Before we get into retail, describe what you are doing today with Farrell Growth Group. What does Farrell Growth do?

BO
Farrell Growth Group does four things. First, financial benchmarking in ag retail. We have about 25 members across the United States. We previously had some Western Canadian members, but consolidation reduced the group there and we are looking to expand again. Second, we host two networking meetings per year with speakers from across ag business. It is a networking opportunity, especially for independents that do not always have access to those forums. We also have independent co-ops, so it is a strong mix of progressive retailers. Third, we do M&A. A couple of years ago we joined with Ocean Park, a small investment bank that has been heavy in biofuels and ag processing and wanted to expand into ag retail, so we partnered with them on M&A. Fourth, we do selective consulting, which is a smaller part of the work.

ST
That makes sense. The benchmarking gives you strong visibility into the financial dynamics, which complements M&A diligence and execution. On the benchmarking specifically, what are you measuring, why does it matter to retailers and partners, and how do they use your tools?

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