Landus Cooperative Hires New CEO

LINCOLN, Neb. (DTN) -- Eric Heismeyer was hired as the new CEO of Des Moines, Iowa-based Landus Cooperative officially on Wednesday, five months after now-former CEO and President Matt Carstens resigned from the post, Landus announced in a news release.

Heismeyer worked previously for Archer Daniels Midland, Bunge and Poet LLC in various roles dating back to 1997.

Carstens resigned just a few months after the company announced layoffs of nearly 10% of its 600-employee workforce. Landus has about 7,000 farmer members and provided no details as to why Carstens left.

That same week, Sam Caton was appointed as the interim CEO and the company launched a search for a new permanent CEO.

"I'm honored to step into this role and eager to lead the team at Landus," Heismeyer said in a news release.

"The board and leadership team have developed a focused, actionable plan to launch into our 2026 fiscal year and I'm excited to stand shoulder to shoulder with them to drive results that matter for our farmer-owners and communities."

The company said Heismeyer joins Landus at a "pivotal moment" as the cooperative launches its 2026 operating plan designed around five strategic initiatives including: "Serving farmer-owners to get the most out of every acre; enabling employees to be their best; executing with operational rigor across the enterprise; operating with financial discipline to improve performance; driving sustainable, long-term growth," according to the news release.

"Eric is not joining Landus to reset the course but to accelerate the progress already underway," said Tim Kolder, board chairman of Landus. "His experience leading complex agricultural businesses and building cultures of accountability makes him the right leader at the right time for Landus. We're excited for what's ahead."

The company said in the news release that Heismeyer sees "strong potential" for Landus to be not only a "reliable partner" for farmer-owners, but also a "growth platform for prosperity" across rural communities.

"Landus is poised to deliver for our farmers -- through disciplined execution, consistent service and a sharp focus on what matters to our farmers," Heismeyer said.

"Together, we'll grow a stronger, smarter, more connected cooperative, driving unparalleled value and opportunities for those we serve."

The company said the national CEO search was aided by Medallion Partners, an organizational strategy, executive search and leadership development firm.

According to Heismeyer's biography on LinkedIn, he worked for Bunge for nearly 13 years first as vice president of supply chain for Bunge's North America milling operation and served as ethanol board director for Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy from 2013 to 2019.

From 2019 to 2022, Heismeyer was the vice president, general manager and divisional CEO in the corn milling operation at Bunge and represented the company on the North America Millers Association executive board committee.

He worked as the vice president and chief customer officer for Global Food Solutions at Bunge from 2022 to 2024.

Heismeyer was the director of sales and merchandising for Poet Nutrition at Poet LLC from 2008 to 2011.

He launched his career at Archer Daniels Midland in 1997 where he was a senior merchandiser for soybean procurement and coordinated rail soybean meal sales. From 2000 to 2008, Heismeyer was the general manager of oilseed crushing for ADM for facilities in Nebraska, Minnesota and Illinois.

Read more on DTN:

"Landus Co-op CEO Carstens Resigns," https://www.dtnpf.com/…

Todd Neeley can be reached at todd.neeley@dtn.com

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