Chet Wolery grew up on a farm north of Turner, MT. He leased farms near Chester and Wagner, Montana, for almost 20 years before returning to Columbia Grain as manager of the Chester grain facility, where he has managed the seed facility for the past three years. Chet is passionate about helping farmers become more profitable in both seed and commercial wheat.
Cole LaValley is an experienced agricultural products salesperson who leads the sales force in Columbia Grain’s Arvilla, North Dakota agronomy facility. Prior to joining CGI, he worked at Nutrien Ag Solutions where he developed expertise in crop protection and seed recommendations. Cole is dedicated to working closely with producers to bring more profitability to their operations.
Ross Bolek has been working in grain purchasing and operations for over eight years. Ross joined CGI in 2022 and has helped expand CGI’s edible bean and pulse programs in Grafton and Ross, ND. Ross is dedicated to helping cultivate opportunities for growers in the Red River Valley by leveraging CGI’s extensive asset presence in the northern tier of the U.S. He assists in seed sales and procuring edible beans at CGI’s North Dakota locations.
Cody Michael brings with him ten years of agriculture experience from multiple roles. He started with Columbia Grain in 2019 and has since worked up to location Manager of Merrifield, ND. Cody’s expertise in edible bean processing and local market knowledge make him an invaluable asset to the team. He enjoys cultivating relationships with the community by putting on and assisting in local appreciation dinners for growers and Easter events for kids.
Doug Sprehe came to Columbia Grain with over 33 years of experience in seed R&D at two multi-national seed companies. His background brought strong attention to detail, long-term planning, and a passion for making farmers profitable. Doug retired from full-time work at CGI in 2022 but continues to assist with customer relations, seed selection, and any agronomy service needed to produce quality edible beans in eastern North Dakota.
Brandon Rehder has spent 13 years in the Ag industry, first in food processing before moving on as a Director of Sales and Marketing for an ag equipment manufacturer. He came to Columbia Grain in 2019 and is currently the location manager for the South Camas Prairie. Brandon has grown into a leader on the Camas Prairie in both the commercial grain and seed industries. Brandon is committed to building both the commercial grain and seed business for Columbia Grain and developing relationships with area producers to help optimize and grow their operations.
Mitchell Scott has been in the Ag Industry for the last 10 years and the Manager Trainee of the North Camas Prairie for Columbia Grain since 2023. Prior to joining Columbia Grain, Mitchell was the Sales Director at a PNW Ag manufacturing company. Mitchell has a strong agronomic and technical background in Agriculture which led to a seamless transition into commercial grain and seed. Mitchell has also built strong relationships with producers across the PNW region. He believes the key to running a successful country elevator operation is going above and beyond for our valued producers during our peak busy seasons and being proactive with housekeeping and repair and maintenance of equipment.
