Feb 25, 2026
Receiving the Agribusiness Association of Iowa’s inaugural Agribusiness Impact Award is a meaningful honor for Steve Sukup, his family, and everyone at Sukup Manufacturing. “I’m truly humbled and deeply appreciative of this award,” Steve says. “It’s not just about me, it’s really a recognition of the farmers and rural communities we’ve been privileged to serve.”
For Steve, agriculture is inseparable from Iowa’s identity. “In Iowa, agriculture isn’t just what we do, it’s who we are,” he explains. Growing up in Sheffield, he worked with his father Eugene to develop solutions to help neighbors store and handle grain more safely. “I learned early on that when you help a farmer, you strengthen a whole community,” Steve recalls. “That’s why I’m so passionate about this work.”
Steve has also been instrumental in Sukup Manufacturing's growth and evolution during his time in leadership, helping guide the company from a small family operation to a major player in grain storage, drying, and handling. “Over the last 20 years, our company has grown to roughly 12 times its former size, and that’s a credit to our employees, our dealers, and the farmers who trust our equipment,” he says. “I’ve been blessed to work with an outstanding team as we’ve expanded our product lines, our capacity, and our reach, all while staying true to our roots as a family-owned Iowa company.”
Sukup Manufacturing has worked with the Agribusiness Association of Iowa for many years on issues like infrastructure, biofuels, and tax policy. “AAI gives agribusiness a unified voice,” Steve notes. “From my perspective as a manufacturer and a former legislator, that voice is critical when decisions are being made in Des Moines and Washington.”
Over his career, Steve has seen agriculture change dramatically. “We’ve gone from smaller, more manual grain systems to highly advanced operations with big bins, automation, and data at farmers’ fingertips,” he says. “But our goal is the same as it was in that first machine shed—protect the farmer’s crop and help them be safer, more efficient, and more profitable.”
Steve believes that advocacy will shape the future of agriculture. “Policy decisions directly affect whether farmers and rural businesses can compete and can pass their operations on to the next generation,” he says. “This award is a reminder that we all share a responsibility to speak up for agriculture and to keep investing in the future of rural Iowa.”
