The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
by Bonnie Johnson/The Quill
Bryan and Tammy Heap are the owners of Heap Ag Service, Stronghurst, and they are the parents of three children, Chase, Shayna, and Brock They live in rural Stronghurst in the former Blake and Neola Peterson home.
Bryan graduated from Western Illinois University with a business degree and then worked at the First National Bank in Burlington, IA. In his spare time, he remodeled the old car wash building in Media and opened a farm consulting/marketing business, while studying for his Broker's Series III License in Chicago.
He also taught night classes at Southeastern Community College, West Burlington, IA.
In 1986 he became a full time instructor in the agriculture department at SCC and taught there for 12 years.
During this time, as the marketing business kept growing, he was asked if he would like to manage the Pioneer Seed Agency for this area. Bryan quit teaching to develop his own business.
Bryan said, "I did everything from marketing, selling seed corn, delivering seed corn and consulting.
As my business grew, I found out I needed more space. So I opened up my business in a building on the Gullberg Farm and remained there until I built on the present site in 2003."
"I've been interested in agriculture as far back to when I helped my Dad and Archie in the fields. It was something I grew up with and I still enjoy it today."
Bryan and Tammy have hired three full-time employees, Michelle Olin, Ron VanBlair, and Kevin Box. Michelle works in the office with computer analysis , grain merchandising, and crop insurance; Ron works in the warehouse with loading, delivering, and many other tasks; and Kevin does the agronomy work and Pioneer Seed sales. Kevin was a former student of Bryan's at SCC and then went on to WIU to finish his agriculture degree.
The business handles many facets of agriculture for the farmer, such as complete crop marketing from establishing prices by calling elevators, keeping track of the Chicago Board of Trade prices and figuring the difference between the two which is called basis.
Some of the elevators he deals with are Stronghurst Grain & Merchandising, Twomey Company, and other elevators within a 70 mile radius; other businesses who buy the grain for their products, such as Roquette of Keokuk, IA who make corn syrup and Big River Ethanol Plant of West Burlington, IA.
Bryan thinks that the increase in domestic use of our grain is a benefit, not only to the farmer, but because it gives jobs to our population and it's better to export a finished product than a product that needs to be finished abroad and then shipped back.
Heap Ag Service also handles government paper work for the farmer, along with selling Pioneer Seed and offering crop insurance. In the winter, Bryan offers night classes on marketing to the farmers.
Bryan is also interested in the weather and keeps updated on future forecasts here and around the world.
He is concerned with the weather cycle, and if the lunar cycle will bring a period of drought, such as in 1934-1936 and in the late 1980's.
This might not affect Henderson County, no one knows for sure, but this could affect yields and commodity prices in the area.
Bryan said, "My concern for this area is the school systems and the impact the economy is having on them.
Cuts are having to be made and this certainly affects the future of our children and the future of our area."
"My reason for coming here and opening this business is this is my home and I want to give back to this area.
"I enjoy being in the small community and I think this area has great possibilities.
"With Highway 34 being improved, it will be more convenient for people to come to this area, build homes, send children to school, shop in the area stores, and start businesses here.
"There are many opportunities out there.
"Tammy & I are certainly happy in the fact that we are living in this area, a good place to raise a family," Bryan said.