IC To Get Endowment From GROWMARK, Inc. in Honor of Spradlin

By Benjamin Cox on February 23, 2022 at 5:11am

Illinois College is getting a financial gift in honor of a retiring CEO of a major agriculture business.

GROWMARK, Inc. is honoring the 40-year career of CEO James Spradlin with substantial financial gifts to IC. Spradlin is retiring from GROWMARK at the end of this month.

The GROWMARK Foundation is providing $50,000 to establish the James Spradlin Endowed Scholarship Fund. This permanent endowed fund will provide financial assistance annually to a student or students majoring in agribusiness or a similar field.

In addition, the GROWMARK Foundation will provide a $25,000 gift to Illinois College to be used for internships, global study, student-faculty research, community engagement, and other experiential learning opportunities for students studying agribusiness and other business-related fields.

Spradlin began his career with the GROWMARK System in 1982 as an accounting trainee at Schuyler-Brown FS, shortly after graduating from Illinois College. Since then, Spradlin has held 10 separate roles within the GROWMARK System, serving as CEO since 2014. Spradlin, who now lives in Morton, has also served on the Illinois College Board of Trustees since 2016.