COLUMBUS – United Producers Inc. (UPI), the Midwest’s largest livestock marketing cooperative, announced the hiring of John Marihugh as the company’s vice president of strategy, communication and member services.
In this new role, Marihugh will work across the cooperative to support members, grow UPI’s impact and build its brand across the Midwest and beyond.
Marihugh brings a broad range of expertise and experience to his work at UPI, having served most recently as the director of strategic partnerships for the American Meat Institute. Prior to that, he spent several years with the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation (OFBF), where he developed and managed unique, innovative partnerships in his role as senior director of partnership and member services and served as executive director of the Ohio Farm Bureau Development Corp. Before OFBF, Marihugh worked for 20 years in the roles of CFO, controller and accountant.
“We are excited to welcome John to UPI,” said Mike Bumgarner, UPI president and CEO. “John has a keen understanding of the intersection of business strategy and agriculture and how it can play a key role in ensuring our cooperative and its members are positioned for success now and in the future. John also brings a diverse background that includes financial acumen, agriculture experience and a strong dedication to cultivating partnerships to this role.”
Marihugh has a bachelor of arts in accounting from Cedarville University and studied international business and German at the University of Salzburg in Austria.
Marihugh resides in Hilliard with his wife, Kirsten, and their three children. In his free time, he enjoys many outdoor activities, such as hunting, fishing and farming. He volunteers at his church and is involved in Hilliard Davidson athletics and Hilliard youth baseball.
UPI serves 30,000 members in Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri and Tennessee, handling approximately 2.5 million head of livestock per year. UPI also offers risk management services, including marketing agreements and brokerage services; and offers competitive credit services for agricultural, farm machinery and livestock financing. For more information, visit uproducers.com or follow United Producers, Inc. on Facebook.