“My favorite part of my job is two-fold, and they both involve people,” Batesville location manager Ryan Pace said. “One is being able to be part of a winning team — both Greenway, including our team here at Batesville. And two is being able to serve the salt-of-the-earth people, which includes the farmer.”

Ryan Pace, the location manager at our Batesville store, is an Army National Guard officer, a helicopter pilot, and a lifelong cattle producer.

“Ryan joined Greenway Equipment after a distinguished leadership role in the military,” Senior Vice President Rick Bormann said. “Since joining our team in December, 2017, he has lead our efforts to transform our new Batesville location into an exciting retail destination for John Deere and Stihl equipment.”

Before joining the Greenway Equipment team, Ryan was an Angel One pilot for Arkansas Children’s Hospital for nearly 12 years in addition to serving in the military where he has served for 27 years.

“I came back from Iraq less than a year ago from my second deployment,” he said. “Over there, you have a lot of time to think about life as it is presently, and where you want to go. I wanted to continue in agriculture. That’s what I’ve always loved.”

Ryan got involved with Greenway when he attended the Veterans for Ag Summit, which is a conference put on by the Arkansas Farm Bureau. He wanted to see what opportunities existed for veterans in agriculture. That’s when he met Senior VP Rick Bormann, Farm Tech Manager Jeff Barnes, and Ag Tech Recruiter Abby Powell.

“Mr. Bormann had a chance to speak on the panel, and he was talking about the values of Greenway and what the business is built around, being an exceptional customer experience and being able to build a sustainable business,” Ryan said. “He also talked about [Greenway’s] core values and what the company stands for, which are actually very closely aligned with those of the army.”

For those reasons, Ryan felt like Greenway would be the perfect transition to working in the civilian sector while maintaining those same values. In fact, Ryan thinks working in agriculture is a great fit for veterans and military people in general.

“First of all, veterans are going to get the job done. Without a doubt. Also, veterans aren’t afraid to get dirty,” Ryan said. “They’re very mission-focused, and they bring a certain set of skills that can help organizations. They’re not afraid to work hard, to sweat, to make the mission happen,” he said. “If you look back to the vets of World War II, a very large majority came back and jumped right into agriculture.”

Veterans’ willingness to get dirty and work hard aren’t the only reasons Ryan thinks agriculture is a good fit, though.

“Another thing that it provides for veterans is almost like a therapy,” he said. “Working with your hands, with the livestock… there’s a peacefulness about it, and only agriculture can provide that feeling.”

Ryan also said that being in this line of work means being able to be around some of the best people on the planet.

“You cannot beat the farmer,” Ryan said. “They are closely aligned to that of a military person because they want to serve. They’re wanting to feed the world to give the best products for the benefit of the people. The soldier is trying to give the best for America and the world as they fulfill their missions. We’re all wanting to serve others.”

Serving others seems to come easy for Ryan, according to Senior VP Rick Bormann.

“His passion for excellence is easily recognizable and has enabled him to change the culture of this location,” Bormann said. “He and his employees are committed to delivering an excellent customer experience to everyone they come in contact with.”

Ryan’s family history with agriculture goes back five generations. Since birth, he has been exposed to various aspects of agriculture from cattle to hay to equipment.

“We’ve always had John Deere equipment,” Ryan said. “I grew up in rural Missouri, so everyone farmed; everyone hauled hay; everyone cut hay; it was just part of life.”

Now, Ryan is married with three children of his own that all help out on the farm. The family raises their own beef and even has their own label called Wholly Cow Farms, which is sold locally at three different stores and one restaurant, for now. They focus on providing all-natural, grass-fed, grass-finished and organic beef.

Since working in Batesville, Ryan has fallen in love with the area, the people, and the Greenway Equipment family.

“When we sell a piece of equipment, that’s only the beginning of a lifelong friendship,” he said. “In farming and in the military, we are all servants. We’re here to serve – we as Greenway, and as all of our locations — are here to serve the customers and ensure that their needs are met. And we will do all we can to offer that exceptional customer experience.”

According to Bormann,  Ryan has already made a big impact in Batesville.

“We are extremely proud of Ryan and what he has accomplished at Batesville in such a short period of time,” he said. “We look forward to seeing what he will produce in the future.”

Ryan, we are so thrilled and fortunate to have you with us here at Greenway Equipment. Thank you for all that you do for Batesville, for this company, and for our country. You are appreciated more than you know!