White Honored as 'Friend' of Bumpers College

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From left, Lona Robertson, associate dean of Bumpers College; Don White of White Commercial Corp.; Sherry Lorton, director of education and secretary/treasurer of WCC; and Steve Halbrook, head of the department of agricultural economics and agribusiness, present White the first “Friend of Bumpers College” award.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – For support of the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas, Don White and White Commercial Corp. have been recognized as the first recipient of the “Friend of Bumpers College” award for outstanding commitment and dedication to the college, Dean Michael Vayda announced.

WCC was founded by White in 1978 in Stuart, Fla., and has as one of its stated missions to “create economic growth in rural America and help feed the growing appetite of the entire planet.” The corporation focuses on futures clearing and grain trading. WCC supports country grain businesses by assisting elevators, feedmills and rice dryers in improving margins and acquiring new opportunities for profit. WCC focuses on five characteristics it says are the most common among successful grain businesses – identify and act on more opportunities, get comfortable with all the tools of basis trading, create meaningful relationships with farmers, put it all together into a meaningful plan and going deep in your organization and answering “who should know all this.”

“I am extremely honored to be named the first recipient of the ‘Friend of Bumpers College’ award,” said White. “I am surprised and touched to the point of being speechless. I look forward to our continued partnership with the Bumpers College to help young people learn about the huge opportunities in the grain business.”

“It’s important for us to have the external world — friends in the private sector — give us a reality check,” said Vayda. “It helps us with our course evaluations and in preparing students as they move along their career path. Don’s vision and his support have been tremendous. We’re very proud to recognize Don and White Commercial as a ‘Friend’ of the Bumpers College.”

WCC invests in education by offering several opportunities, including an annual Master Management Conference, which focuses on issues and challenges related to building a successful grain elevator business. WCC also sponsors the Grain Seller’s Retreat, regional action meetings, basis trading workshops, a grain buyer’s bootcamp, grain accounting courses and lender financing workshops.

“Don loves the public-private partnership, but our relationship is more than that,” said Vayda. “He has a passion for enabling career development opportunities. He exposes our students to the real world with hands-on experience. WCC teaches ‘basis trading,’ and Don wanted a university partner to help grow ‘basis trading’ knowledge – a skill necessary to be successful in the grain elevator business. We offer courses that are a joint effort in a mixed format. We have students in classrooms with business professionals online, which is great for education and networking.”

 “Our partnership with White Commercial is important to our academic and research programs,” said Steve Halbrook, head of the agricultural economics and agribusiness department. “Students get to interact with industry leaders and are prepared to be productive employees in the grain business. Our faculty gain insight that improves courses and stimulate new research initiatives. Don White and White Commercial keep us thinking about how we prepare students to be future grain merchants.”