Primera continues to honor past Chairman of the Board, Michael Kropp, by awarding three scholarships through its Kropp Strong Scholarship program.
Recipients were recognized at Primera’s Annual Meeting and Trade Show on July 12th in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
“This is our second year recognizing the next generation and their pursuit of higher education, and doing so while honoring Michael’s dedication to our Co-Op is a great way to honor his passion and impact on our industry,” CEO Jeff Braun stated. “Since Michael’s death in December 2021 from colon cancer, our Membership has rallied in support of this scholarship program, and we’ve seen a number of well-rounded, highly recognized nominees submit their applications, making it difficult to select winners from a pool of talented and well-deserving students.” Based on the applicant’s credentials, essays, and general accomplishment to date, we believe our future is bright.”
Michael Kropp Jr. and Alex Kropp, Michael’s two sons, were on hand to help give the Kropp Strong Scholarship to a deserving winner, Whit Coggin, who will attend Virginia Tech in the fall to pursue a degree in Turf Management. Whit thanked his family, the award Committee, the entire Membership, and the Kropp family for the privilege of being this year’s top award winner.
Along with Whit, Thomas Wineinger, a Kansas State University Agricultural Economics student, and Lacy Strickland, an Eastern Carolina University Recreational Therapy student, received Kropp Strong Scholarships. Full-time Primera Members (Distributors or Suppliers) employees attending an accredited college are eligible for the Kropp Strong Scholarship.
Alex and Michael Jr addressed the Membership, sharing their mission to help eradicate colorectal cancer and launching their charitable foundation appropriately named Big Mike’s Bottom Line sharing their mission:
To empower everyone to speak freely about the signs and symptoms associated with colorectal health and to recognize the importance of early detection of colorectal cancer so that we can eliminate the threat of lives lost to this disease.
