Business Solutions for Summer 2019

S U MM E R 2 0 1 9 7 BUSINESS solutions CEO typically means Chief Executive Officer. But in the case of the Midland Institute’s CEO Program, it stands for Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities. This year-long class helps high school seniors learn problem-solving and business skills through interac- tions with local business and community leaders. Three of this year’s Edwardsville CEO students were selected to attend the CEONext National Trade Show. They’re listed below, along with the high schools from which they recently graduated and names of the CEO businesses they developed: • AdamWalters - Edwardsville High School, BloxByte Games • D.J. Villhard - Father McGivney Catholic High School, Villhard Smart Homes • Elijah Burns - Father McGivney Catholic High School, Burns Automotive Consulting At the CEONext National Trade Show, these young entrepreneurs spoke to business owners and competed for prizes by showcasing their skills. Walters was awarded $2,500. His business, BloxByte Games, created Ghost Simulator, which stayed at #1 on the Roblox gaming platform for a week. He said, “Before CEO, I was very introverted and had very little confidence in social situations. I knew I wanted to eventually form my own business, but I knew I would have to get over the introverted side of me. CEO taught me to be confident in myself and how to carry myself professionally, usually through being tossed into intimidating situations.” Walters plans to keep growing his business while attending Iowa State University for Software Engineering. “I want to continue on in game development and form a video game development studio that produces independent games for multiple platforms,” Walters said. Mary Schwartz Westerhold, Vice President of Madison Communications, was a mentor for this CEO class, and our company proudly sponsors CEO programs. We congratulate Adam Walters on his $2,500 win and wish all CEO participants much success in their future endeavors. You’ll find more information about the CEO program at edwardsvilleceo.com. Why Agricultural Producers Need High-Speed Internet Americans rely on farmers and ranch- ers to produce food for our rapidly growing population. Thankfully, the technology to grow more with less is readily available. With high-speed internet access, agri- cultural producers can boost efficiency and productivity by implementing best practices that increase food production and conserve resources. These prac- tices include: • Soil Mapping – This technology enables farmers to plant the right amount of seeds and use the right amount of fertilizer, resulting in a higher-quality product at a lower cost. • Precision Agriculture – Using GPS systems, precision agriculture brings together information from field, ani- mal, and machinery sensors, along with localized weather forecast data and soil information to assist with making precise decisions in relation to inputs and resources. Precision agriculture can improve both the producer’s bottom line and the environment. • Monitoring Markets – Producers can participate in auctions and more easily follow real-time changes in commodity prices and market information with high-speed internet access. • Management of Financial Operations – For livestock producers, this could entail farm business planning, direct product sales, and herd management. For grain producers, it could be crop management, ROI calculators, and business accounting. For details on the internet plans avail- able fromMadison Communications, call 1-800-422-4848. EHS Grad, AdamWalters, Wins at CEONext National Trade Show