The owners of Central Illinois Ag, Steven Schmidt, Michael Schmidt, Tim Evans, and Brian Reeser announce the hiring of Chad Colby as general manager effective April 11, 2016. The current owners will continue in their roles.

“This is a significant milestone in our company’s history,” says CIA President Michael Schmidt. “We are not a traditional company where the team sits in their offices; we’re out there learning what customers need and then finding solutions for them. Chad’s one-of-a-kind strengths in ag technology prepare our family owned company to serve our customers as never before. His knowledge and commitment will serve this business and our customers not just in the near term, but also for the next 20 plus years.”

“Agriculture grows and transforms through technology advancement, and Central Illinois Ag will be there to help its customers make the best decisions for their future,” says Colby. “I look forward to serving farmers through my work with CIA sales, marketing, parts and service.”

Chad Colby grew up on his family’s Central Illinois farm, always being the tech “geek,” and that has not changed, nor has Colby’s passion for and connection to agriculture. From tractors to technology, Colby has served farmers and growers with his expertise and experience.

He founded Colby AgTech, where he has worked with progressive farmers, leading companies and government agencies to provide deeper understanding and practical applications of new technologies.

Colby is a frequent contributor of domestic and international farm and technology stories to television show, This Week in AgriBusiness, featuring Orion Samuelson and Max Armstrong.

Colby shares his knowledge and passion of agriculture by having one of the largest social media footprints in agriculture. He is the industry-leading advocate for the use of unmanned aerial systems in agriculture.

Twitter’s Commercial Drone Industry Group named @TheChadColby as one of the “20 People to Follow on Twitter,” where he landed in the number six spot.

Colby will continue to share his ag technology expertise through speaking engagements in the U.S. and across the globe, as well as through his social media venues. Chad resides in Goodfield, Ill., with his wife Karen and two daughters.

Central Illinois Ag, located in the heart of the Illinois prairie, is proud to offer the best products and people in the agricultural industry. Its full-service dealerships in Atlanta, Clinton and Farmer City, Ill., along with a parts and sales location in Mason City, Ill., enable the company to provide superior local support for today’s growing producers. From a one-man blacksmith shop in 1898, CIA has grown into an agricultural equipment powerhouse.