True Story: Cody Renard

1. Tell us about your current position.

I’m currently the director of industrial sales and key accounts for Agropur US Cheese.  I’ve been in the role for just over two years. I work closely with the cheese sales team, cheese plants and product development. I work to ensure effective sales and marketing of our US cheese to maximize return for each production facility.

2. Tell us about your training opportunities throughout your time at Agropur.

I’ve taken advantage of numerous training opportunities including safety, supervision, dairy economics and cheesemaking. It’s included internal training initiatives as well as classes through the Center for Dairy Research and other institutions. I’ve gained further knowledge and understanding of core subjects vital to Agropur’s business.

3. Tell us about your career path and how you have gotten to where you are today? (please specify positions held and duties, within each role at Agropur)

I’ve been very fortunate to have opportunities across different Agropur departments. It’s allowed me to grow and learn more about the dairy industry, which I’ve been a part of for my entire life. My great grandparents were farmers. My grandfather made cheese at a single-vat factory and his parents delivered milk there by horse. My grandfather worked at many Northeast Wisconsin cheese factories, and eventually purchased one. Numerous family members were involved, and I was fortunate to become a third-generation cheesemaker. I grew up in living quarters above the facility, so cheese is in my blood. I studied economics in college while still making cheese for the family business. I knew a few people who worked for Agropur, which sparked my interest in the company. Upon graduation, I was hired as a production supervisor in Little Chute, and eventually became a production supervisor at our Luxemburg facility. I was able to gain understanding our core operations, work with some great people and be part of the Luxemburg plant start-up in 2014. I continued learning with a goal of a position that better used my education. It brought me back to Little Chute as plant controller. I began to understand our accounting and finance teams and how they build value. I also came to understand key indicators and performance measurements for our manufacturing locations, and how they drive profitability. It propelled me into my next role as operational improvement manager. I worked on plant profitability files and learned more about all seven of our US cheese and whey facilities.  Through my four previous job positions, I gained a solid foundation of our core operations, how different departments provide value and areas with greatest returns. This broad-based knowledge -- along with my passion to learn and grow -- put me in position for my current role. I work with people across all areas of our company and with other companies throughout the world.

4. How has Agropur supported your growth within the company?

Agropur has supported my growth through opportunity. This company provides many opportunities for its employees to build skill sets and create a career path that suits their interests. There’s a broad base of careers to explore within Agropur, and I’ve been fortunate enough to carve my own path with the motivation and guidance of many great people. If it had not been for those people, I would not be able to do what I’m doing today.

5. Why do you love Agropur?

It’s all about the people. From the top down, the employees of Agropur foster a working environment that builds trust, collaboration and growth. This cannot be replaced and makes every day enjoyable. I know I’m making a difference for the company and that I’m part of its growth.