b'Serving Customers in Real Time Another Summit hallmark is responsiveness.Henze emphasizes that the company watches closely what customers need and adapts accordingly. Rising freight costs, shifting markets and evolving product requirements have all driven Summit to develop new allow-ances, pricing structures and service adjustments.As Henze puts it, Weve done some creative things because we went out and listened to them.For many customers, these relationships run deeper than transactions. Its more of a friendship, Hoadley says. Its not a business thing. But business comes out of it on the back end.That approach has helped Summit become the premier force in alfalfa coating today, coating between 85 and 90% of the dormant alfalfa in the United States.And the trajectory continues upward.Thought Leadership as a Business StrategySummits recognition as Insider of the Year is a content milestone but, even more importantly, a reflection of theirSummit team members Joseph Young, Gene Beiker and David philosophy. They believe leadership comes from contrib- Henze celebrate their Seed World Insider of the Year win.uting meaningfully to the conversation, not just to the marketplace. Three Recommendations for the IndustryTrue thought leadership is about showing up with aWhen Henze and Hoadley talk about leadership, they point of view, offering clarity amid complexity and helpingdont mince words. Here are three lessons they believe others make sense of the forces shaping the industry. every company needs to hear:Henze views the award as validation of that commit- First, be relentlessly curious. Think innovatively. Be ment: If this award is the result of our strategy and it meetscurious on whats out there, Hoadley says. Companies our purpose to elevate our industry, then it gives you athat stop evolving, he warns, will simply not exist in the sense of satisfaction that youre doing the right thing. future.Summits Insider articles resonated because they wereSecond, give your people a voice. Empowered employ-substantive, honest and written for the readers benefit, notees create resilient organizations. Summits significant the companys. They reflected industry realities as Summitstructural changes over the past couple years havent been sees them from the ground level: operational challenges,top-down: the team helped shape them. Henze describes supply chain nuance, agronomic realities and the practicalhow employees stepping up during modernization efforts, side of innovation. offering ideas, testing new approaches and helping the Thought leadership has become a business asset forcompany move forward rather than stand still.Summit: one that builds trust, strengthens relationships andThird, share your story and your results. As Henze amplifies progress across the sector. says, You need to measure it and then you actually have to communicate it. Visibility thoughtfully done builds trust.Why Summits Voice MattersSummits insights work because they speak from livedWhere Summit Goes Nextexperience, are paired with professional rigor and areSummit Seed Coatings stands as a company with deep authentically open and accessible. Their communicationroots and a clear trajectory. Their mix of seedsman stylereal, direct, practicalbridges the gap betweenheritage, professional management and industry-facing knowledge and action. thought leadership isnt an accident: they see it as their Henze says it plainly: The things that are working incompetitive advantage.our business, even the things that sometimes arent: wereTheir story demonstrates something essential: innova-not going to keep it quiet. Were sharing what were doingtion isnt just about new products or technology. Its about because it moves everyone forward. posture, intention and willingness to evolve.SWJANUARY 2026SEEDWORLD.COM /7'