Fred Hepler Email & Phone Number

United States

Business, operations and investment consulting in the Agricultural space.

Edmond, Oklahoma

Fred L. Hepler AFM, AAC, ALC, MBAFred has extensive in Ag vertically integrated business operations, farmland RE sales, mgmt & consulting in the major crop producing areas in the U.S. He has over 40 years of experience in managing large acreage direct farming operations, farm mgmt, Ag consulting, and ag real estate sales. Prior to opening his business he managed the conversion of the large family owned vegetable processing and direct farming operation to a corporate style mgmt and managed almond farms for the owner of BGI Investments based in Kirkland, WA. Prior to that he developed a direct farming operation for a private equity firm which included over 50,000 acres in six states. His prior experience also includes working at the Westchester Group, a global farm real estate sales, management, consulting firm which managed over $1.0 billion of agricultural assets for public pension funds and private investors. During his career he has sold, managed, or farmed in 36 different states which involved 42 different crops. Fred brings an in-depth level of diversified experience in agriculture investment and operations thru out the United States. He holds a BS degree in Agricultural Business from Iowa State, an MBA from Eastern Illinois University. He is an Accredited Farm Manager, an Accredited Agricultural Consultant , & Past President of the ASFMRA. Authentic agribusiness expertise is not found just within the walls of an office – it is developed over time from hands-on farm experience and an intuitive business sense. It is precisely this expertise that has allowed Fred to make sound business decisions that significantly impact the livelihood and prosperity of his company, individual farmers, their families and their operations. Prior: Fred was a Senior Asset Manager for Cottonwood, before that at Wexford Capital, President of farming company.Prior to Wexford, Fred spent 21 years as the EVP at the Westchester Group now owned by TIAACref.

7610 Stone Valley Circle, Edmond, Ok 73034

Responsible for locating, evaluating, and analyzing agricultural properties, vertically integrated agri-businesses, and investment opportunities in the food production space for purchase worldwide with the primary focus in the US.

Kirkland, Wa

Senior member of the Ag Team responsible for creating a profitable, environmental sensitive, “Best in Class” global vertically integrated agricultural investment portfolio. Directed property operations, acquisitions, and leasing to maximize the agronomic and financial ROI on permanent crops on the west coast and vegetable row crop production in the SE. Developed and implemented business strategies, systems, processes and procedures for business operations optimization that utilized technology and “best in class” husbandry practices to protect the soil and water while minimizing operational costs & maximizing ROVC.  Implemented KPI metrics for improving efficiency, accuracy, and timeliness of operating processing facilities and reporting data for crop production and financial requirements.  Monitored and coordinated with other team members thru all phases of the farm financial record keeping software program design and implementation.  Coached and mentored all team members in the various phases of agricultural investment, financial reporting analysis, personnel and operations management.  Conducted a portfolio analyses (performance, capital improvement, and risk exposure) which included underwriting financial feasibility of capital expenditures, due diligence on new acquisitions & projects, and assisting with the portfolio valuations for ownership. Provided analytical support for evaluating new investments and the annual budget process.  Focused for the first 15 months on implementing “corporate” operating culture and practices into a 4th generation family owned vegetable production and processing business plus a direct farming operation which produced 23 different crops.  Facilitated the sale of the Farm Supply and Trucking companies in the first 9 months. Managed the land clearing company which converted timberland to irrigated row crop land.  Doubled the size of the operation (in acres) thru additional land acquisitions in < two years.

Oklahoma City, Ok

Organized and established a highly profitable direct irrigated farming operation of 50 K+ acres located in 6 states with >$150mm in assets that generated EBITDA of >$6.4 mm. Developed four regional operations that controlled 12 different farms with 35 full time employees.  Led senior management business-level discussion and decisions involving business vision and strategy, enterprise-level decisions, standardization of best operating systems, and business oversight with appropriate checks and balance systems. Managed operational, administrative, legal, and financial functions for the company, shareholders, and partners. Developed policies, procedures, and operating processes for the agl production companies. Conducted regular risk assessments and quality assurance reviews to evaluate compliance with regulatory requirements and to identify potential gaps in policies, procedures and business processes.  Developed strategies to improve financial returns by producing specialty crops and improving the field operating efficiencies.  Identified potential problem areas & provided guidance to regional managers for re-engineering operational procedures to improve profitability with emphasis on implementing the cost effective use of technology. ACHIEVEMENTS:  Designed, developed, and implemented an extremely high level database management, accounting, financial reporting, and business analytical system using Microsoft software. To my knowledge there is not another system similar available in the industry. Reduced corporate overhead and financial reporting costs by 20%. Reduced crop input and machine repair costs 25%.  Developed employee training programs thru various vendors to expand their education, training and efficiency in equipment operation, safety and maintenance. This program resulted in improved employee engagement, established a solid team culture, and resulted in increased employee retention.

Champaign, Illinois

Master Of Business Administration (Mba), Business Administration, Management And Operations

Bachelor Of Science (Bs), Agricultural Business And Management