After decades of steady growth, technological breakthroughs, and a reputation for project excellence, Stueve Construction is entering a new chapter — one shaped by shared leadership, deep respect for its people, and a commitment to moving the fertilizer industry forward. With retiring CEO Reynold Franklin, President and CEO Jim Bishop, and VP of Operations John Muehring working in lockstep, the team is guiding a 67-year-old company into its next generation.
They don’t see Stueve simply as a builder. They see it as a service provider, a strategic partner, and an engine of innovation for an industry that feeds the world. The journey here hasn’t been linear for any of them — but that’s part of what makes their story uniquely fertilizer.
A Transition Years in the Making
Stueve’s leadership transition didn’t happen overnight. It was a multi-year process designed with intention: preserve the company’s legacy while equipping it for long-term success.
Reynold, who joined Stueve as a junior engineer in 1999, grew through nearly every role in the company — senior engineer, project manager, VP of Operations, Executive VP, and eventually CEO. Now stepping into the role of Board Chair, he leaves behind an engineering and innovation legacy that includes inventing the rodless design — now a standard across the industry.
“It’s been a dream career,” he says. “And the team we have…that’s what I’m most proud of. The right people, the right mindset — that’s why this company will continue to grow.”
Jim Bishop, who will now be stepping into the President and CEO role, has spent more than 30 years building industrial terminals around the world. When he joined Stueve four years ago, he immediately recognized something rare.
“Stueve has an amazing legacy — and an amazing culture,” Jim says. “To be trusted with guiding the next generation is an incredible honor.”
New VP of Operations John Muehring echoes that sentiment. A military-brat-turned-operator with nearly 25 years in agriculture and industrial projects, he says joining Stueve feels like joining a mission-driven team.
“People assume ag is slow-moving,” John notes. “It’s not. It’s fast. Markets shift quickly. Customer needs shift quickly. Being part of that is exciting — and Stueve is uniquely positioned to help the industry adapt.”
A New Generation— Same Commitment to Excellence
Stueve’s evolution is more than a leadership shuffle. It’s a restructuring designed to push the company forward for decades to come. That includes:
- Internal knowledge transfer from long-time experts to up-and-coming talent
- Key strategic hires including operations, engineering, and project leadership
- New processes and discipline to codify the company’s expertise
- Investment in innovation and technology to meet customers’ changing expectations
The team is united behind one priority: continuing to work as one.
“Our culture is unique,” Reynold says. “At Stueve, everyone, from the CEO to the laborer, receives the same benefits. That’s intentional. We’re all one team.”
Jim adds that this structure only works because the company treats field crews as long-term professionals, not seasonal labor. “When people know they’re valued for the long haul, they act like it,” he says. “It creates a cycle of loyalty and quality that’s incredibly rare in construction.”
More Than a Builder: A Partner in Strategy
Ask anyone at Stueve what business they’re in, and you won’t just hear “construction.”
“We’re a service provider in the ag industry,” Jim explains. “The facilities we build are often the biggest strategic investment our clients make. So we have to understand what they’re trying to achieve.”
Stueve is the only company in its space that performs:
- All engineering and design in-house
- Construction with its own crews
- Project execution from concept to completion
This vertical integration allows the company to be nimble, collaborative, and responsive to evolving customer needs.
“We shape our work around our clients’ strategies,” John says. “Not the other way around.”
Innovation: A Thread Running Through the Company’s DNA
Throughout the interview, the excitement for innovation is palpable. Reynold says it plainly: “We’ve been leaders in innovation for two decades — and we will continue to be.”
Jim sees it as Stueve’s responsibility to bring new thinking to a historically conservative industry. “The ag industry has lagged behind other sectors in innovation,” he says. “But we see ourselves as a thought starter. We try things. If they fail, we toss them out and try something else. That’s how the industry moves forward.”
Customers are increasingly willing to invest in technology, especially automation and systems that support limited labor resources. Stueve’s job is to build the facilities that bring those technologies to life.
The People Behind the Projects
When asked what makes them most proud, each leader returns to the same theme: people.
Jim recalls watching crews perform “miraculous things” to meet tight schedules in difficult conditions.
Reynold says his proudest achievement isn’t a project — it’s building a team that “works hard, acts with integrity, and loves what they do.”
John points to his safety record across decades of work. “Everyone who came to my job sites went home safely,” he says. “That’s something I’m extremely proud of.”
What People Outside the Industry Don’t See
According to Jim, the fertilizer and ag-construction space still operates on a deep foundation of trust.
“That old metaphorical handshake? It still means something here,” he says. “When we commit, we deliver. The contract is secondary to the trust.”
John adds that despite perceptions, the ag sector is fast-moving and exhilarating.
“Trends shift like the fashion industry,” he says with a laugh. “Projects are hard. They take immense collaboration and commitment. But that’s what makes it meaningful.”
Advice for the Next Generation: “Come to Ag.”
The leadership team is unanimous: agriculture offers both purpose and opportunity.
Jim points to stability paired with “untapped potential.”
Reynold says the industry is ideal for people who want to “give back to society” and to be part of feeding the world.
John offers a call-to-action for creative minds. “If you’re curious, if you like to build, invent, or solve problems, we want you here. Engineers, technologists, scientists… agriculture needs you.”
Three leaders, three backgrounds, one shared commitment building the future of fertilizer together.
The Stueve Team’s Walkout Songs
John:
Reynold:
Jim laughed and deferred to his teammates— though he promised to go home and look up John’s pick.
