The Potato Association of America held its annual meeting last week in Wilmington, North Carolina. Each year they recognize leaders in their industry with Honorary Life Membership Awards for both technical and non-technical achievement in their careers. This year the non-technical award went to Black Gold President and CEO Gregg Halverson of Grand Forks. Gregg is on the Northern Plains Potato Growers Association's board of directors and served as its chairman last year.
Black Gold farms over 17,000 acres in 11 different states for both the chip and fresh markets, and is the largest Frito-Lay supplier in the United States,
Gregg is no stranger to receiving major awards over the past several years. In 2008 he received the National Potato Council's Environmental Stewardship Award, in 2009 he received The Packer's Potato Man of the Year Award, and also the World Potato Congress Industry Award.
Gregg was not able to attend the meetings in North Carolina to receive the award, so he made his acceptance speech via a video hosted by the 2000 recipient of the same award, Duane Preston. That video can be seen below:
Potato Association of America: 2011 Honorary Life Member Gregg Halverson
Source: PAA via NPPGA
