Sam grew up working on his family farm in south central Kentucky.  In 2004 he graduated from Pittsburg State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Heavy Equipment Technology and a Minor in Business Administration. 

That fall he accepted a position with Caterpillar, Inc. and after a training rotation was sent to Monterrey, Mexico as a District Service Representative.  He supported large contractors throughout the country while his wife Stephanie worked in Supply Chain Management at Caterpillar in Monterrey. 

By 2010 Sam’s love of the family farm called him home.  They left Mexico and he assumed the role of Production Manager for Walnut Grove Farms where he coordinated labor and machinery to carry out all cropping tasks in a timely manner.  He also supervised crop delivery and commercial hauling. 

The most relevant discipline Sam brought home was the concept of Services Marketing.  He was fortunate to work directly with Valarie Zeithaml in 2006 learning about The Gaps Model of Service Quality.  This model begins with the Customer Gap; the gap between the service a customer expects and the service they receive.  Service providers must close this gap if they are to achieve customer satisfaction. 

Since returning home Sam and his family have utilized this model moving their business from commodity production toward customers that value premium grains and services.  The transition continues to evolve but it begins with a simple premise.  Commodity producers compete on quantity.  Walnut Grove Farms competes on quality. 

Sam is now the General Manager of Walnut Grove Farms, a family business focused on growing agricultural supply chains.