STEVE KNUTH

FOUNDER & CEO

 HOLDREGE, NE

The drought of 1988 created both record volatility and prices in the grain markets.  This significant event caught Steve’s attention and provided the launch pad for his commodity trading career.  For several years, he committed significant time and effort to learning about the markets and attempting to beat the odds of out-guessing the next moves.  After a few years of reading a library of commodity books, attending seminars featuring “world-class” commodity traders and trading a multitude of markets, Steve grasped the difficulty of out-guessing markets.  He realized that farmers were also in the mode of out-guessing and hoping for higher prices with universally little success.  

Operating a part-time brokerage though most of the 1990s, Steve then went “all-in” in 1999 co-founding AgWest Commodities with his partner Susan Platt. AgWest was structured on a mechanical price-risk management plan utilizing Options.  After a couple of years in the business, he discovered that farmers needed help with not only risk management, but also in pulling the trigger on cash sales. The full-service RPM Program was introduced in 2002, incorporating the same price-risk management principles while adding customized marketing plans and execution to the mix. Over AgWest’s 21+ year history, our marketing techniques have become more advanced to satisfy the needs of a more sophisticated customer base.  There are certainly different approaches to successful production marketing but Steve often shares that no matter what one’s plan looks like, the most important principle in marketing remains the same: the ability to make a decision.

Steve and his wife Jan reside in Holdrege, Nebraska and enjoy giving back to the community and various missions. They have a passion for dogs and you’ll often spot them around town with their 4-legged friends. He also serves in various organizations, including the Valley Hope Association Board of Directors, an addiction treatment and recovery organization that was instrumental in saving Steve’s life.  

Steve’s ability to see the good in everyone and generous spirt are an inspiration to the entire company.