John Hardin, Jr., a pork producer from Danville, Ind., and past chairman of t...
John Hardin, Jr., a pork producer from Danville, Ind., and past chairman of the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), was recognized with the organization’s 2007 Distinguished Service Award Monday (Oct. 29) at the USMEF Global Outlook Symposium & Strategic Planning Conference in Washington, D.C.
The Distinguished Service Award has been awarded every year since 1991 by USMEF to an individual in the red meat industry who exemplifies the exceptional dedication and outstanding capability responsible for the federation’s success.
“I felt from the very beginning of my career that the United States had an opportunity in exports and much of my time has been spent on working to gain market access,” Hardin said. “I am honored to receive this award and feel fortunate to have worked with so many great people at USMEF, especially President and CEO Phil Seng.”
Hardin owns Hardin Farms, a farrow-to-finish hog operation and corn, soybean and wheat farm. He served as USMEF chairman in 1995 and is a past president of the National Pork Producers Council. He was honored by the National Pork Board (NPB) in 2002 with a place in the Pork Industry Hall of Fame for his service as an advocate for better trade access to world markets for U.S. pork.
“John sees opportunity as industry first,” said NPB CEO Steve Murphy. “He is unique in that he brings together a visionary perspective with a practical implementation viewpoint.” For example, Murphy noted, in the early 1990s, Hardin led an initiative to improve the quality of U.S. pork, which helped restore the United States as a net exporter for the first time in more than 50 years.
In choosing Hardin for the honor, the USMEF Executive Committee noted Hardin believes that pork exports generate wealth and create good paying jobs that contribute significantly to the economic well being of rural America. His foresight and ardent support of developing export markets was instrumental in the U.S. pork industry achieving export growth for the last 16 years.
“If importers cannon benefit from your products, you do not have a chance in gaining access to their markets,” Hardin said. “That is why it is so important that we all work together in this effort, adapting and changing to market factors to provide the best products possible.”
In addition to his leadership in the pork industry, Hardin also served as vice chair of the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee for Trade for USDA and USTR during President Bill Clinton’s administration and was former chairman of the Agricultural Advisory Committee of the Chicago Board of Trade. He currently is vice chair of the Purdue University Board of Trustees and serves on the Board of the Purdue University Alumni Association.
The U.S. Meat Export Federation is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry and is funded by USDA, exporting companies, and the beef, pork, lamb, corn, sorghum and soybean checkoff programs. For more information, go to www.usmef.org.
– USMEF –
The following photos are available with this release:
Photo 1 – John Hardin receives the USMEF Distinguished Service Award from USMEF Chair Dennis Erpelding for his leadership and dedication to increasing U.S. red meat exports.
Photo 2 – John Hardin said he was honored to receive the USMEF Distinguished Service Award and has enjoyed working with the many great people at USMEF, especially President and CEO Phil Seng.
Photo 3 – USMEF Distinguished Service Award recipient John Hardin (center) with USMEF President and CEO Phil Seng and USMEF Vice Chair Jon Caspers to his left and USMEF Chair Dennis Erpelding and USMEF Secretary/Treasurer Jim Peterson to his left.
Photo 4 – John Hardin (center) and his wife Vicki, who has supported his efforts in the U.S. pork industry, with USMEF Chair Dennis Erpelding (left).
