Andy Ferguson?s modern office sits in the far upper corner of the warehouse where he stores thousands of harvested apples in gigantic refrigerated rooms. Clad in a flannel shirt, well-worn jeans, and weathered hat, Ferguson is a stark contrast to the office he has furnished with a large conference table, new projector, and corner desk.
?I absolutely love being my own boss,? Ferguson said. ?And it doesn?t feel fair at 26 to not have a boss. I don?t think anyone would be complaining in my position.?
Ferguson is a lawyer, founder of Agribusiness Legal Solutions and is a nominee for the University of Wisconsin?s Alumni Association ?Forward under 40? award. On top of that, he keeps his day job running the family apple orchard as vice president of business development and finds time to advocate for other farmers.
As of now he is a one-man team with Agribusiness Legal Solutions working up to 100 hours a week the past few months. Ferguson says Agribusiness Legal Solutions is run on the principle that although he is a lawyer, he is primarily a farmer. He says is passionate about helping people just like him.
?When a farmer enlists my services, they know that they are not hiring an attorney who knows nothing about their industry, but rather someone who understands better than anyone the issues they face in everyday life,? said Ferguson.
His company covers the real estate process and agricultural law. But, Ferguson said it is business succession planning, the legal process of passing on the farm to another family or the younger generation, that hits closest to home. He wants to be there for families making that transition.
Ferguson says he has lived out a motto his father shared with him when he left for college at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities ? ?Don?t let your studies get in the way of your education.? This helped him focus on living a well-rounded life instead of stressing over every grade (although he did make the Dean?s list at both universities he attended.) After graduating from the University of Minnesota, he moved to Madison and attended law school. As opposed to taking the traditional route and accepting what his father, Tom Ferguson, called ?lucrative offers? from big law firms, Andy Ferguson set out on his own path.
?I think he is the type of person who can accomplish anything he wants to do because he has that level of determination,? Tom Ferguson said.
Andy Ferguson?s sister Jill describes her brother as calm, clever, and independent ? U.S. Apple agreed: They selected him as one of the Top Young Apple Leaders in the country in 2012. Part of this award meant a trip to Washington D.C. to lobby Congress on behalf of apples and the 2012 Farm Bill which among many other topics covers subsidies to farmers. His goal was to give a face to the issue in order to make it personal for political leaders. He spoke extensively with Rep. Ron Kind and is currently working with Kind on issues related to the apple industry in Wisconsin.
?The risks are big but the rewards can be pretty big too,? Andy Ferguson said.
As for the future, Andy Ferguson said he plans to add 40,000 new trees to their 50,000 tree orchard to boost revenue. In addition, he wants to expand his family business and create five to seven new orchards along the Mississippi river in the Midwest. But, he promises he will not take away from the family emphasis they have now. He maintains that his first priority is to have it be a family operated business with a family friendly environment.
Andy Ferguson said he looks forward to what is in store for his family and himself and is undaunted by the sizable challenges ahead. Ferguson summed up his ambitious character with a simple question:
?Why limit myself??
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Source: http://www.insideec.com/?p=24477
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