November 2000
Todd and Barbara
Bachman Establish a Chair in Horticulture
Marketing at the U of M
MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL - The University of
Minnesota has received a gift from Todd
and Barbara Turnquist Bachman to create
an endowed chair in horticulture marketing.
Their gift will make it possible for the
University to expand its teaching, research
and outreach in developing the expertise
for marketing horticultural products such
as flowers and vegetables.
"With this gift, Todd and Barbara
are exerting a profound influence on the
field of horticulture in the upper Midwest
and the United States," said university
president Mark Yudof. "Appointing
a distinguished faculty member to this
chair will provide the leadership for
expanding expertise in this area, which
is of great importance in helping the
horticulture industry in Minnesota."
"Barbara and I are happy to have the
opportunity to help the university encourage
innovations that will lead to further
success for the horticultural industry
through the improved marketing of horticultural
products," said Todd Bachman, who
is chairman and CEO of Bachman's, Inc.
Gary Gardner, head of the Horticultural
Science Department, said that product
quality and the ability to market one's
products are the two factors that will
most influence the success of horticultural
enterprises in today's global market.
"The new chair will help our industry
address the unique problems of marketing
perishable or living materials that are
horticultural commodities. The U.S. horticultural
industry must improve its marketing to
increase the size of the market, to maintain
its market share in face of foreign competition,
and to develop new export markets for
horticultural products."
Todd Bachman's family traces its roots
back to Henry Bachman, Sr., who started
a truck farming business in south Minneapolis
in 1885. It continued to be managed as
a family business, and grew over the years
to become Bachman's, Inc., one of the
largest traditional floral and nursery
operations in the country. Todd's father,
Lloyd, served on the Agriculture Advisory
Council of the university for 22 years
and helped secure support and funding
for the present horticulture building,
Alderman Hall. Barbara Bachman's father,
Dr. Orrin C. Turnquist, was a professor
and horticultural extension specialist
at the university from 1947 to 1978. He
established the Minnesota Association
of Vegetable Growers and was instrumental
in developing the "Anoka" potato
variety. Todd and Barbara are both graduates
of the University of Minnesota.
The university will conduct a national
search to fill the chair, which will be
called the Todd and Barbara Bachman Chair
in Horticulture Marketing.
Creating new endowed faculty positions
is one of the priorities for Campaign
Minnesota, which aims to raise $1.3 billion
in private gifts by 2003 for endowment
and ongoing program support. There are
296 endowed faculty positions at the university,
with 51 created since campaign counting
began in July 1996. Campaign gifts through
October total $945 million.
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