Kunisch becomes SSGA membership lead

Chuck Kunisch understands the value of becoming a member of the Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance (SSGA). As president of the Grain Elevator and Processing Society (GEAPS) board and Food Grade Business Development Director with Michigan Agricultural Commodities Inc, he’s seen firsthand how his SSGA membership delivers for his business. Now in his second year as a board member of SSGA, he’ll have a more active role in telling his story and encouraging others to join after recently being appointed Membership Lead.

For the specialty market industry, it’s all about who you know when you’re looking for resources. According to Kunisch, a big selling point of joining SSGA is the relationships that members can build with fellow industry leaders.

“One of the biggest advantages to becoming a member is the connections you can make with other members and the opportunity to network,” he said. “It’s very altruistic how others are willing to help you, even though you may be competitors, because they want you to succeed.”

Members help keep SSGA thriving by diversifying its revenue streams, Kunisch said.

“There are a couple of different ways organizations such as SSGA survive, such as membership dues, profits from trade shows and/or grants from other organizations,” Kunisch said. “SSGA gets a lot of its support from those grants, which can be hit or miss some years, and so we’d like to be less reliant on that, so that’s why we’re working hard on increasing our membership.”