A Day in the Field with DTM & Elevated Ag! 🚜🛸

On Thursday, our Union County CEO students had the pleasure of visiting DTM Custom Applications, LLC and Elevated Ag, LLC where Mr. Chris Hodges and Mr. Brock Buckner opened their doors and shared the stories behind their businesses. Many of our students had been looking forward to this visit since the start of the year, and it absolutely lived up to the excitement!

Mr. Buckner walked us through Elevated Ag, his agricultural drone business, and shared how his interest in drones led him to connect with the ag world through a partnership with Chris. Students learned that Elevated Ag does far more than spray fields; Brock also sells and repairs drones, and our unique region creates a strong market for his services. He gave us an honest look at the challenges facing the drone industry right now and how much they could affect agriculture for all of us. The highlight of the day? Watching Brock launch one of his drones and fly it for the class. Seeing it in action made it easy to understand just how valuable this technology is for local farmland. 🌾

Mr. Hodges then shared the story of DTM, and it left a lasting impression. Students were inspired by how he turned an unexpected setback into the opportunity to run DTM full time, and many were surprised to learn how far his lime-spreading work reaches beyond our local area, including southern Illinois, central Illinois, southeast Missouri, and Tennessee. Chris spoke with deep appreciation for his employees and the many ways he provides for them, from insurance all the way down to buying lunch some days. One student said it gave them a clear picture of how they'd want to run a business someday. 💙

Chris also left our class with advice worth holding onto: never burn bridges, be friends with your competitors, and take an active role in your community. The many connections he's built across Union County are proof of what that looks like in practice.

Our students walked away with a new appreciation for the hard work, innovation, and integrity behind some of our area's lesser-known businesses, and for how so many pieces of the ag world connect.

A heartfelt thank you to Mr. Hodges and Mr. Buckner for your time, your honesty, and your hospitality. We're especially grateful to Chris and DTM for also being proud investors in the Union County CEO program. Your support makes days like this possible, and our students are better for it! 🙌

#UnionCountyCEO #MidlandInstitute #CEOProgram #Entrepreneurship #Agriculture #AgInnovation #SupportLocal #AnnaIL