History

Steve Danforth has been working in the rice and soybean industry for the past 40 years. Steve graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1980 and was awarded Arkansas Outstanding Young Engineer in 1995.

Among Steve's many awards was a patent for improving the rice parboiling process at Riceland. He also let a team that improved productivity at Riviana Foods-Carlisle plant through improvements in the parboiling, drying, and milling of rice. Steve has been fortunate to be involved with all aspects of rice processing including engineering, research and development and plant management. He is currently a principle with a firm he founded in 1999, Agri Process Innovations.

Steve's work experience includes plant engineering, project engineering, process development and plant management in the rice processing, grain drying, grain handling and soybean processing industries. Steve's expertise is in developing innovative solutions by applying engineering, food science, and management expertise in new or existing processes.

Mike Shook has been working in the rice and soybean industry for the past 40 years. He graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1982, obtained his Professional Engineers License in 1987 and was awarded the Arkansas Outstanding Agricultural Engineer in 1993.

Mike's work experience includes Plant Engineering, Corporate Engineering, Soybean Processing Plant Management, also nine years as Vice President of Manufacturing and Engineering with responsibility for processing over one hundred million bushels of rice and soybeans and over 1,200 employees.

Productivity improvements, safety programs, cost control, food safety, and yield improvements were part of his many accomplishments at Riceland. Mike was the leading force behind successful design, construction, and startup of the largest rice oil extraction facility and the largest rice hull gasification facility in the world. Modernization programs of three white rice mills, two parboil plants and mills, soybean processing plant, rice flour and packaging operations were accomplished under Mike's guidance in the last five years.

Mike has the ability to set clear goals, motivate employees, and organize teams to accomplish any task. Mike's expertise is in finding innovative ways to add more value and profit to new and existing processes.