KC Sheperd caught up with David Misener of U.S. Custom Harvesters to discuss their annual convention coming up from January 30 – February 1 in Des Moines, Iowa.
Misener is happy that the event could return to Des Moines as it has not been held there since 2021 when attendance was much reduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Convention will include many speakers, a live auction, entertainment, meals, and an awards banquet. Associate members make up the trade show comprised of 14,000 square feet.
“Before Convention, the Board is going to be there a few days early to revamp our safety videos for our membership,” Misener said. “We definitely want to teach good practices for our employees. We’ve been planning that for over a year already.”
The first day of the convention begins with the major equipment companies explaining the new features of their products. Day two is back to business with meetings, covering legislative activity and law enforcement and DOT issues.
“We try to be open-minded and have good communication with them, so they are happy with us and we’re happy with them,” Misener commented. “I have had a lot of conversations with the DOT in different states, and they would rather talk to us at Convention and get things understood than have to give us a fine for something that we are doing wrong.”
Aaron Davis will be a keynote speaker. Kristi Boswell will update the group on legislative happenings from 2024 and speak out about what 2025 holds. Lauren Lucille will host a women’s event that will speak to the struggles of women when it comes to balancing stress, family, and work.
The Convention is open to all members of the U.S. Custom Harvesters Association. Associate members may attend as vendors. Media is, of course, welcome, as well. More information, including the convention agenda, can be found at https://uschi.com/convention/.
Sheperd and Misener also discussed this year’s harvest so be sure to click the listen bar at the top of the page to hear the whole conversation.
