TAMPA — Rick Brandt, CEO and president of Brandt Consolidated, didn’t hold back when
asked about the biggest hurdles he faced taking over the family’s agricultural fertilizer
business at age 29.
“The biggest challenge was the first generation,” he said. “A lot of the things I
wanted to do, they held me back. We had an older board of directors and they had a
way of doing things.”
In 1995, the USF alumnus took over the family business, which had been started in
1953 by his parents, Glen and Evelyn Brandt, in Springfield, Illinois.
“My dad was very hard on me. People said he was always so proud of me, but he never
told me that,” Brandt said.
Despite the obstacles, Brandt said the focus on family is still at the heart of the
business, originally named Brandt’s Fertilizer Service.
“We treat employees like family,” he said. “Our culture is built around fun.”
Brandt was the featured speaker at Friday’s EMBA Conversation with a CEO event at
the USF Muma College of Business where about 50 executive MBA and sport and entertainment
management students attended.
During the hour-long conversation led by David Blackwell, Lynn Pippenger Dean at the Muma College of Business, Brandt shared some business
advice and lessons learned to the young executives in the room.
As CEO, Brandt has overseen the company’s phenomenal growth and expansion, including
the acquisition and integration of 16 companies during his tenure. The agricultural
company, known as Brandt, provides products and services to help farmers grow healthier
crops and employs nearly 500 associates.
His advice on hiring people: “I knew I wasn’t the smartest guy in the room, but I
turned that into an asset. I could attract the smartest guy in the room and get them
to work for me.”
On managing the market fluctuations of the agriculture business: It’s important to
have diverse holdings. “In agriculture, you’re going to have failure somewhere in
the world every year.”
On how the company got into NASCAR racing: In 2010, Brandt received a solicitation
email about a racing sponsorship opportunity. The mail sat in his inbox for three
months before he decided to move forward. The company sponsors JR Motorsports and
driver Justin Allgaier in NASCAR’s Xfinity Series.
“I knew nothing about NASCAR. The demographics looked good to me. We didn’t have
a marketing person. Within two weeks we had a contract.”
On why they partner with the Tampa Bay Lightning: “It’s awareness for our brand. People
see Brandt is part of Tampa and that we are part of the community,” he said.
As a partner, they’re able to host a skate night at Amalie Arena for Brandt employees
and their families to promote the business’ family culture.
On why he started the record label, GB Records, to support country artist Kelsey Hickman:
“She just needed that break,” Brandt said. “It’s ‘how can I help the hometown kid?”
USF’s Executive MBA program is among the top 10 “Best Executive MBA Programs” in the nation by Fortune magazine.