By Alex Enlow, ARA’s Director of Communications and Member Experience
ARA is the only national association that specifically represents agricultural retailers. From family-owned operations to multinational corporations, ARA is proud to represent several thousand individuals and over 200 businesses in the U.S.
ARA believes we are stronger together, and while our network of industry experts may compete in the field, ARA brings them together to collaborate and share insight into overcoming the industry’s challenges.
Ulrich “Bob” Trogele’s friendship with ARA’s former president and CEO, Jack Eberspacher, led to his decadeslong involvement with ARA. Trogele recently received ARA’s Lifetime Achievement Award, named in honor of the late Eberspacher.
Trogele joined its board as a representative of FMC and later served on the Executive Committee. Even after retirement from AMVAC, where he served as an executive, Trogele still contributes to ARA’s success as a member of its Investment Committee. He now leads ProAgInvest LLC as CEO, a venture capital firm focused on advancing agricultural innovation, and Verdelis Investments.
Looking Ahead: Challenges and Advice for Ag Retailers
Trogele has seen the industry move through many ups and downs. As ag retailers look to 2026, he offers the following advice to them: embrace technology.
“We’re entering a new world order, and you have to realize that you and your customers are in a global competitive environment,” he says. “It’s not just about being an expert in agronomy, it’s about being an expert in how you use technology to get ahead of competition at home and abroad.
“We don’t just need stronger business models; we need ones that are faster, and as we discussed at ARA’s most recent conference in Salt Lake City, artificial general intelligence (AGI) will soon advance into quantum computing, and when that happens, it’ll move our industry forward at the highest speed we’ve ever seen,” Trogele continues.
It’s advice from industry experts like Trogele that encouraged ARA to prepare our members to embrace technology through ARA’s 2026 Conference and Expo theme, “Amplifying Ag Retail: Tech, Trade, and Transformation.” This conference is set for Dec. 1-3 in Austin, Texas.
Why ARA Membership Matters
Trogele’s additional advice to retailers is to join ARA or become more involved as members. It all comes back to networking, which he thinks is critical today. He says ARA is where the industry’s top experts really foster their business relationships and exchange valuable insights.
“I see ARA as a trusted partner to manage regulation,” he says. “The distance between the farm, Washington, D.C., and the consumer is growing. You need the one strong voice that ARA provides to make sure you’re well represented.”
Trogele highlights ARA’s transportation policy efforts as an exceptional representation of the industry.
“There’s really nobody else other than ARA paying much attention from an agricultural standpoint to how important transportation policy is to our industry,” he says.
In 2025, ARA was proud to endorse the Seasonal Agriculture CDL Modernization Act (H.R. 4601 / S. 2909), which enables seasonal drivers to renew their commercial driver’s licenses online while providing greater flexibility in the types of commercial vehicles they can operate.
This legislation, sponsored by Rep. Tracey Mann, R-Kan., and Sens. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, is a great example of solving a problem that will make the seasonal ag CDL program more durable by updating regulations to recognize and embrace modern technologies and empowering retailers to operate more efficiently and reliably, strengthening the agricultural supply chain and helping our rural communities thrive.
Pathway to Employee Success
Trogele also stresses the benefits of ARA’s Professional Development Pathway for retail executives seeking ways to train young professionals.
“The Professional Development Pathway that ARA offers is a tremendous tool. It allows participants to understand and share information, get educated and have their own network across the country that they can call somebody up when they have questions,” he says.
The Professional Development Pathway guides members to ARA programs that will be most beneficial to them at various stages of their careers. From leadership training opportunities to webinars and preparedness workshops, ARA’s Professional Development Pathway equips members with the tools to enhance their competitive edge.
Trogele highlights the pathway’s ResponsibleAg Auditor Training specifically as a key way that ARA’s peer collaboration and leadership have made it easier for the retailer to navigate the regulatory landscape.
“With ever-changing regulations, the ResponsibleAg program is a brilliant tool for retailers to self-audit, and ARA was key to its development and implementation,” he notes.
To learn more about ARA’s advocacy efforts, Professional Development Pathway and member benefits, visit aradc.org/join.
