Sands of Iowa

Company History: John Sand founded Sands of Iowa Ag Services (SOI), then known as John Sand & Sons, in 1932 as a small, independent seed sales operation. He began catering to local farmers around the company’s headquarters in northwest Iowa. John built up a market through aggressive promotion of the company’s seed products, building a following of local growers. In 1947, John and his team built the company’s first seed conditioning plant.

Eventually, John’s son Merle took over the business. Throughout his time at SOI, Merle saw the business grow through various stages. In 1972, the company built the region’s first independent concrete grain storage and load-out elevator; the elevator expanded over the following years. In 1980, the company launched its own in-house brand of soybean seeds, SOI Brand Seed. That component of the business grew rapidly locally, as well as through a network of distributors and dealers.

Brief History: The U.S. is a country of 50 states covering a vast swath of North America, with Alaska in the northwest and Hawaii extending the nation’s presence into the Pacific Ocean. Major Atlantic Coast cities are New York, a global finance and culture center, and capital Washington, DC. Midwestern metropolis Chicago is known for influential architecture and on the west coast, Los Angeles' Hollywood is famed for filmmaking.