What Matters Most for Agribusiness Today

Pinion is dedicated to the people who entrust us with what matters most.

What Matters Most to You GROWING PROFITS. SEIZING OPPORTUNITIES. BUILDING BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS. SURVIVING MARKET VOLATILITY. MANAGING MARGINS. BUILDING A LEGACY THAT LIVES ON.

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Expanding Into New Territory

Ray and Tammy Olivarez started out with one hive. Today they have 18,000 colonies stretching from Northern California to Hawaii’s Big Island. As the premier queen bee producers in North America, the Olivarez family’s commitment to raising happy, healthy bees is unwavering.

The Olivarezs are dreamers and visionaries, full of ideas for growing their business, creating new products, and building a legacy they can pass on to their children.

From innovations in beekeeping to the Hive Kitchen and Bar, a farm-to-fork restaurant, coffeehouse, and flower shop, to selling their own honey — they have ventured into new territory again and again.

In 2019, as the business landscape became increasingly complex with their expansions into new states and markets, the Olivarez family sought Pinion for their expertise in tax compliance and strategic tax planning and business restructuring. This collaboration

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FOOD PRODUCTION

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ees may be small, but they play a pivotal role in our survival. In fact, one third of the world’s food production is dependent on honeybees. At the heart of sustaining these creatures is Olivarez Honey Bees, a family-owned business that has thrived through three generations of dedicated beekeepers.

quickly deepened as they brought Pinion on to help execute their vision for their Olivarez Honey Bees retail line: expanding from a regional to a national brand.

Pinion’s team of food and beverage advisors helped the company navigate the complex world of go-to-market, including direct-to-consumer product management, pricing, negotiation strategies, product marketing, and more. The rich relationship served as a sounding board for ideas and innovation.

Today, the fruits of this labor are evident as Olivarez Honey Bees products line the shelves of major retailers across the country like Walmart and Whole Foods Company.

The legacy of the Olivarez family not only thrives through their expansive business achievements but also lives on vibrantly through their three children, who continue to be integral to the vision and growth of the family enterprise. Olivarez Honey Bees exemplifies how passion, innovation, and a strong team can lead to sustaining not just a family business but an entire ecosystem.

Their journey from a single hive to a nationally recognized brand is a testament to the power of dreaming big and the enduring values of family legacy.

• Business Reorganization • Brand Consulting • Estate Planning

• Financial Reporting • Tax Strategy & Reporting

“Many times, there are opportunities that we’re not aware of that Pinion is bringing to our attention. That’s where having a trusted advisor, more than an accountant, really comes into play with helping us be successful.”

– Tammy Olivarez, Olivarez Honey Bees, Inc.

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estled in the fertile expanse of California’s San Joaquin Valley, Nuss Farms stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of passion and precision. In its fifth generation, the farm is now run by the Nuss brothers — Tim, Tyler, and Derek — alongside their father, Dave. Together, they cultivate a diverse range of specialty crops including garlic, tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, sunflowers, and wheat. The family’s deeprooted connection to the land is coupled with a forward-looking vision.

Recognizing the need for more than a traditional CPA, the Nusses sought a partner who could not only help them grow but also set the stage for a seamless transition to the next generation. They turned to Pinion, engaging initially in bookkeeping services before fully integrating Pinion’s comprehensive back-office solutions that include bookkeeping, HR, payroll, and expense management.

The Nuss family dove into the technology, adopting a fully remote back office, which

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C O M M O D I T Y & S P E C I A LT Y C R O P S

Stewarding the Land for Multiple Generations they can run from anywhere — even from their phones or trucks. Every expense, invoice, and statement is uploaded and handled remotely. This system streamlines their financial operations, allowing them to maintain a team across state lines, and also unlocks the true value of data-driven decision-making.

Instead of relying on gut instincts alone, they can make strategic, data-driven decisions because they have a clear view of their actual cost of production — right down to each crop and field. This clarity allows them to identify which expenses are ballooning, which crops are performing, and how to move ahead in the next season.

With a firm grip on the present and a visionary eye toward the future, Nuss Farms is set up for success today and for generations to come. When the time comes to pass the reigns, the next generation will be armed with precise records and a finely tuned operation to steward.

• Farm Business Management • Expense Management • Payroll & HR

“We want to see this farm succeed into the sixth generation, but stewarding the land for multiple generations is a big task. Pinion helps us look around the corner at what’s coming up in order to continue on the legacy we’ve built.”

– Tim Nuss, Nuss Farms

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rothers Shane and Shawn Tiffany of Tiffany Cattle Company — a Kansasbased custom feedlot with 32,000 head and crop operations — are first generation owners of the property they grew up on, and hail from a long line of farmers and ranchers who love the land and agriculture. This foundation, coupled with their own extensive cattle backgrounds and a dedication to cattle customers and public consumers, has resulted in 10 years of ownership and operation of their thriving cattle feeding and marketing services company. While the business had performed well for years, the Tiffany brothers were looking for new solutions, options, and in-depth financial analysis, as well as exploring possibilities for expansion.

The ambitious duo needed a proactive consultant who understood their business and who could strategically organize financials, manage risks, and implement their vision for forward momentum and growth strategy around their macro-life plans. A Pinion Farm Business Management advisor came out to the feedlot, listened to where Shane and Shawn wanted to

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ANIMAL PROTEIN

Getting Personal With Business Strategy take their business and personal success, and then dove into Tiffany’s financials.

Initially, it started with financial statements compilation and analyses, and calculating overall profitability, as well as drilling down into profitability of individual crops and the feedyard.

Through trusted oversight of the financial side of the business, Tiffany Cattle was able to purchase another feedyard. The Tiffany brothers leveraged the value and expertise afforded by Pinion’s ability to understand their business and vision of where they wanted to take it. A deal was structured and implemented by providing projections, key financials, purchase structure, and agricultural operations insight. Additionally, Pinion acted as a liaison between lenders, accountants, and attorneys to set up, structure, and finalize the purchase, allowing for comprehensive tax minimization.

Today, the relationship with Pinion and Tiffany remains strong, as they meet monthly — often around the dinner table — to evaluate opportunities, share ideas, and develop plans for the future.

• Farm Business Management • Tax Planning & Reporting • Independent Financial Reporting

• Estate Planning • Strategic Acquisition

“We don’t make any major business decisions without talking to Pinion. They are a partner who has taken a vested interest in our success. I appreciate that they can strategically organize our business so that growth isn’t a challenge. Being nimble and taking advantage of the right opportunities without restructuring our entire business model is key. The relationship we have with Pinion gives us the sounding board and financial stability we need to be ambitious, while providing valuable insight for what has or hasn’t worked for other organizations.”

– Shane Tiffany, Co-Owner, Tiffany Cattle Company

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assing the farm, and a love of the land, to the next generation is a dream for most farmers. This dream was within reach for John and Christie Wilson when they called on Pinion for help. As thirdgeneration corn and soybean farmers in Plain City, Ohio, they wanted to bring their son Jakob into the family business as an owner.

To achieve this, the Wilsons collaborated with Pinion’s Next Gen team to establish estate and succession plans. The Next Gen team worked closely with the family, ensuring that JCW Farms was both financially and operationally prepared for a smooth transition.

As the process evolved, the Wilsons also sought advice on restructuring their business from a farm ownership into a family

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COMMODITY CROPS

Preserving a Farm Family Legacy

partnership. This new arrangement included clear terms designed to safeguard the family legacy while also facilitating future generations’ ability to invest in the farm.

Today, Jakob is deeply ingrained in the farm’s daily operations as a partner, working alongside his parents and sometimes his grandpa, who lends a hand during the busy spring and fall seasons. After ten years, the family is still closely connected with the Pinion team through ongoing tax planning and preparation each year. Pinion’s team often gives them a call with new ideas or ways to save or invest money.

Thanks to thoughtful planning and restructuring, JCW Farms is well-positioned to thrive for generations to come.

• Business Reorganization • Brand Consulting • Estate Planning

• Financial Reporting • Tax Strategy & Reporting

“Pinion knows Ag. They know the business — and the ins and outs of everything in the business. And that’s really important for what we’re doing.”

– John Wilson, JCW Farms

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ohrs Farms, now in its sixth generation, is located in the small town of McGuffey, Ohio. Situated in the “Scioto Marsh,” the region is characterized by flat, black, highorganic soils ideal for grain, forages, and vegetable cultivation. It’s in this unusually rich soil that the family grows grain, corn, corn silage, and soybeans.

During this period of change, John also discovered a new opportunity. He had been building strip till bars and strip fresheners for his own use, and soon, other farmers started requesting custom builds. Recognizing the potential for growth, John consulted Pinion about expanding this sideline into a more formal business venture.

In 2012, brothers, John and Don Rohr, reached out to Pinion with a challenge all generational farms face at some point: ownership transition. They needed help addressing Don’s desire to exit the family farm. Together with Pinion’s Next Gen team they crafted an estate plan that facilitated a fair settlement while ensuring the farm continued operating smoothly.

With strategic advice from the Pinion manufacturing team, John established Rohrs Manufacturing as a distinct entity.

This essential move formally separated the books, payroll, and liability, ensuring the liability of one didn’t expose the other.

Today, Rohrs Manufacturing has grown to offer welding, fabrication, CNC machining, fiber laser cutting, sand blasting, custom design work, and more.

A few years later, the family navigated more change when Don’s son, Jason, chose to pursue another career and John’s son wanted to become an owner.

Again, they looked to Pinion for estate and succession planning. They were all able to work collaboratively and openly through the process to ensure everyone’s goals were met, that everyone was treated with fairness, and that the operation was set up to succeed for years to come.

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COMMODITY CROPS & AG MANUFACTURING

Adapting to New Dreams and Exploring New Ventures

Running a family business is a challenging endeavor, especially as dreams and goals evolve over time. Through strong communication and the right team around them, the Rohrs were able to navigate each transition, safeguarding the family farm and forging new paths in both agriculture and manufacturing.

• Estate Planning • Tax Strategy & Reporting • Entity Structuring • Payroll Services • Farm Business Management • Cost Segregation

“It’s good to know this is a company my kids can rely on.”

– John Rohrs, Rohrs Manufacturing

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At Pinion — the nation’s leading consulting and accounting firm dedicated to the food and agriculture industry — we focus on what matters most to you. And we know your business because many of us grew up on farms and are actively involved in our own farms and ranches.

We Are Food & Ag. The firm is embedded throughout the U.S. food-supply chain — from policy to plate — working with people just like you — producers, input suppliers, processors, packagers, distributors, biofuel manufacturers, equipment dealerships, landowners, lenders, and many agencies and policy organizations — to positively impact the future of farming and food production in America.

Join us.

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