Max grew up at the Knoxville location. Along with his parents and his brother John, they started Smith Fertilizer & Grain in 1972. Max and his wife, Sharon, raised three boys and three girls. Max has been involved in many organizations locally and at the state and national level. Most recently he served as Chairman of the Agribusiness Association of Iowa. Max & Sharon enjoy their 17 grandchildren and boating in Florida.

Kyle Smith is the youngest of six and son of Max and Sharon Smith. From a young age, Kyle was immersed in the family business, helping with daily operations and gaining hands-on experience. Some of his fondest childhood memories include unloading trucks at the elevator and riding on the back of the TerraGator to check spray nozzles alongside his dad—a practice that, while cherished, might raise a few eyebrows today!
 
After high school, Kyle remained actively involved in the business, operating pre- and post-application equipment, hauling grain, and assisting in the shop. He later attended Vatterott College in Des Moines, where he earned an Associate Degree in Computer Technology.
 
Outside of work, Kyle is passionate about competition and fitness. He enjoys hitting the gym, running, and occasionally taking on the challenge of Spartan races. He and his wife Kristin—SFG’s Senior Office Manager—are proud parents of four active children who keep their schedule full and life anything but boring.
 

Sharon Smith is the Chief Operating Officer of SFG. She grew up in Nebraska and later moved to Iowa, where she completed her Bachelors Degree from Grand View College.  Her husband, Max, convinced her to switch careers and work beside him at SFG in 1989, allowing them to raise and work along side their children at SFG. Sharon is responsible for all aspects of the office personnel and business administration.  Sharon enjoys cooking, reading, and spending time with their children, grandchildren, and friends.
 

Ashley has been around farming and agriculture her entire life and grew up on a large farm in southern Marion County. After high school, Ashley went to college to earn a Bachelor’s in Accounting and a Master’s in Business and started her first full time accounting job with the Iowa Corn Growers Association. She then transitioned and spent the next ten years in the healthcare industry starting as a staff accountant and working her way up to the Controller of the hospital.

After figuring out that her desire really lies in her roots, where she came from, she decided she wanted to be back in the agriculture and farming industry for her career. Ashley joined Smith Fertilizer and Grain in 2019 as the Financial Controller, where she handles all the accounting and finances for the business. She is enjoying seeing all the familiar faces again and looking forward to helping this business continue to succeed.  

When not working, Ashley enjoys spending time with her kids, family and friends. She also enjoys spending as much time as she can outside doing things like camping, riding, racing, and so much more.  
 

Amber grew up and lived in the Lynnville-Sully area most of her life. She and her husband, Jason, raised their three children in Lynnville. In November 2021, after their last child finished high school, they relocated to Knoxville.
 
Amber’s work experiences started right out of high school in various office positions which then gave her the opportunity to own her own businesses. In 2011, Amber decided to return to the workforce and gained extensive office experience while working for companies in the West Des Moines and Newton areas. Amber has many years of accounting, human resources, and office management experience and plans to earn her Professional in Human Resources certificate.
 
Amber joined SFG in 2022 as the Human Resources Director.
 
When not working, you will find Amber and her husband enjoying ranger rides, the Knoxville races, traveling and relaxing at home with their dogs.
 

Kristin Smith is a dedicated professional and an integral part of the SFG team, where she has fostered her career since 2013. Beginning her journey in front counter sales, Kristin quickly demonstrated her exceptional customer service skills and keen business acumen, leading her to the position of Senior Office Manager in Knoxville.
 
Growing up in Knoxville, Iowa, Kristin developed a strong sense of community and teamwork early on through her love for sports. As a high school volleyball captain and a member of the William Penn College team, she learned the importance of perseverance, teamwork, and leadership—qualities that she brings to her professional life every day. Her athletic background not only shaped her work ethic but also laid the foundation for her commitment to fostering strong relationships with colleagues and customers alike.
 
In 2018, Kristin's life took a beautiful turn when she married Kyle Smith, and together, they became a dynamic family of six. With their four energetic children, the Smith household is a whirlwind of activity. Kristin and Kyle prioritize keeping their kids engaged in various sports, allowing them to explore their passions while instilling values of hard work and dedication. Their annual trips to Florida are a cherished family tradition, providing memories and quality time together. 

Mark White has been involved in agriculture his entire life. He was born and raised on a farm in Lucas County. He began farming right out of high school and farmed full time for 20 years until he took a sales job for the Chariton Farmers Coop.

In 2005 he came to work for Smith Fertilizer and Grain as an agronomist. Two years later he was moved into the home office and began working in administration. This included managing the Knoxville location and being the primary truck dispatcher. A year later he also became the grain merchandiser for SFG. Mark attends annual marketing seminars and reads several daily grain articles to keep informed on the grain markets.

He enjoys the opportunity to work with our many grain customers. He continues to farm part time which allows him to experience the same ups and downs that our customers feel. Mark and his wife Rhonda have two grown children and two grandchildren.

Derrick grew up on a row crop and cattle farm in Prairie City, Iowa. Growing up he was very involved in 4H/FFA. He spent most of his time in FFA competing in various Ag competitions. He went to continue his education at Iowa State University for Agronomy. During college he spent time on the Crops Team traveling around the Midwest participating in agronomy competitions. This taught him many useful skills that he uses daily.

During the fall of 2019, Derrick started with SFG working in Melcher, focusing on area sales and helping promote seed throughout the SFG territory. During spring of 2021 he transferred to the main location and spends most of his time working with other salesmen on seed and precision ag capabilities.

Derrick lives in Carlisle and during his free time he likes to work on projects around the house or spending time with family.

Charles grew up in the family business. He has worked in all departments at SFG, from a laborer, to the Pleasantville location manager for 15 years, and currently oversees agronomy operations and product procurement. Charles is away from the office he enjoys his family, gardening, sports and woodworking.
 

Brandon grew up in Oskaloosa, Iowa where he currently resides with his wife of almost 20 years and their three children. Brandon has been working in the agriculture industry since 2009 working at multiple facilities managing feed, grain, agronomy, fuel, and propane operations. Brandon spent over 11 years as a grain buyer before transitioning into co-op management for the last 4 years. Prior to working in the ag industry, Brandon lived in Kansas where he worked as a Procurement Expeditor for Black & Veatch, an engineering firm that designs, builds and constructs nuclear power plants. Brandon has a degree in Business Administration, a CDL w/tanker and hazmat and is a certified PCQI for animal feed.

In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family and attending his kids’ activities. He enjoys coaching, playing golf and working out. He’s coached several youth teams over the years including softball, volleyball, baseball, football and basketball. Brandon is very involved in his church and his community. He’s been on the little league board for many years and has been the President for the past 7 years. He loves volunteering his time for the youth, community and playing music for his church.

Paul was born and raised in Holland where he got his education and graduated in 1977 with a degree in Ships Engineering. In 2000, Paul moved from Holland to Knoxville and started working for SFG right away as a mechanic. A year later he assumed the position of Shop Manager and has filled that position ever since. Paul is married, has three children and two grandsons that he enjoys very much.

Jason grew up on the farm at the Knoxville location with two brothers and three sisters. He has been in application equipment since before he could walk. When he's not at work he enjoys spending time with his family as well as staying active. He enjoys running, and has completed a few marathons as well as several obstacle course  events. He hopes to someday complete a triathlon.