The Moldovan Agrostoc Input Supply Company is a dynamic company with a wide variety of activities, from importing seeds, fertilizers and farm equipment to exporting crops to regional markets.
With the recent company growth, Agrostoc’s managers began to recognize that they needed a more professional approach to human resources. They contacted CNFA to request a volunteer to train staff in effective staff recruitment and rewarding, developing and maintaining an effective work force to secure a competitive advantage in the agriculture industry.
CNFA’s Farmer-to-Farmer team recruited Bryce Malsbary of Robbinsville, NC, to give Agrostoc the benefit of his 35 years of financial and human resources executive experience. Malsbary, who teaches at Western Carolina University and sits on the board of United Way, worked one-on-one with Ina Ciudin, the company’s new human resources director, to train her in key responsibilities such as job recruitment and staff motivation. He also worked with Agrostoc President Igor Tagadiuc and the company’s managers to improve their management style. He listed all the necessary forms and policies to be developed for the company and provided templates they could apply to Agrostoc. At the end of the assignment Ms. Ciudin felt that she is well prepared to take over this challenging position in the company.
For his part, Malsbary enjoyed the challenge his assignment offered. He described his experience as interactive and exciting, with the staff very attentive and eager to learn. “The thing that really excites me is the appreciation,” he said. “I like it, because they appreciate what I bring to them, and I appreciate their wanting to improve their performance in terms of offering jobs to people who live in the country. Anything to help improve the economic stability of a country, I’m all for that.”
CNFA has been working with Agrostoc through the Farmer-to-Farmer Program since 2005 and has placed eight volunteers with the host to provide technical assistance in cooperative management, output marketing, business planning, board of directors training, financial management and human resources.
