Fremont Grain Inspection Department

At the Fremont Grain Inspection Department, it’s all about balancing the regulatory requirements with the customers’ needs.   Dave and Janice Reeder, agency owners find working with their customers to find solutions is the most exciting part of their job.

The agency was first established in 1968, and purchased by Eldon Davis in 1974.  Then in 1978 Dave Reeder was hired.  Dave says that when he started he knew what corn was and that was about it.  By 1980 Dave and his wife Janice were running a sub office in Hartley, Iowa.  In 2003, the Reeder’s purchased the agency from Eldon.

Located in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa, Fremont is a full service inspection agency grading mostly corn, soybeans, hard red winter wheat, and lesser amounts of oats, and sorghum.  The agency also provides the full range of mycotoxin testing.  Fremont is headquartered in Fremont, Nebraska, and has six onsite laboratories.  Fifteen full and part-time employees provide all the services.

It is the dedication and longevity of the Fremont employees that Dave credits for the agency’s success.  Many of the employees have been with the agency since the 2003 purchase of the agency.  Everyone is crossed trained to do many tasks, which is a necessity for a small agency.  Fremont’s customers frequently comment on how pleased they are to work with such a stable and knowledgeable group of folks.

Dave and Janice gain great satisfaction when working with the customers and the employees to find ways to put all the necessary requirements in to practice that will work in all the different situations and locations.  Dave is quick to point out that meeting customer needs never involves sacrificing integrity.  Fremont approaches every challenge with the attitude that “we are all in this together”, which garners the respect from their customers.  Dave feels that his customers return his respect and willingness to work with them whenever difficult situations arise. 

An old adage at Fremont, and one that is repeated frequently is, “all we have to sell is our service”.  Dave is constantly working with his existing customers to find additional services he can provide them, and to enter into business with those customers not yet using the official inspection service.

In addition to the rewards found in managing an agency full of knowledgeable and dedicated employees, Dave still enjoys the simple pleasure of analyzing grain samples so that the buyer and seller can settle on a fair and accurate price.  Providing stable, dependable, and third party service with the utmost integrity to the grain market brings great satisfaction to Dave and the staff at Fremont.