About Us
Our Team
Steven R. Sershen, CLU, ChFC - Founder
Steve has a business resume that includes extensive experience in the financial field and venture capital. He has over 40 years experience in various management positions including investment banking and in retail securities. Steve has worked for Citicorp, New York Life Insurance Company, Prudential Insurance, First USA and Steiger Tractor. After retiring from the financial services industry Steve founded and created Val-Add Service Corporation.
Brian Minish - Founder
Brian has worked with Val-Add Service Corp since its formation in 2000. Prior to forming Val-Add Service Corp. he had a broad-based agricultural business experience. His background includes sales with Monsanto, grain elevator management and securities sales prior to joining American Cyanamid in 1986. During his 13 years with Cyanamid he held positions in logistics, sales management and marketing management, including responsibility for Cyanamid's domestic insecticide products. Brian has a BS in Agribusiness and Animal Science from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and an MBA from Northwest Missouri State.
Nick Sershen - President
Nick's professional history started in the non-profit sector. He began his career as an executive with the Boy Scouts of America, serving two Scout councils in South Dakota and Wisconsin. His experience includes board development, business structuring, event planning, equity fundraising, marketing and grant writing. Nick has degrees in International Business and Spanish from Concordia College, Moorhead, MN and an MBA from the University of Sioux Falls.
Our History
In 2000, Steve Sershen assisted a group of Chester, SD area farmers in the development of an ethanol plant. That project was successful; the plant was constructed and today operates as Dakota Ethanol in Wentworth, SD. Following the success of that project, Steve founded Val-Add Service Corporation to help with similar projects. As the ethanol industry began its growth in 2000 and 2001, the expertise gained while developing some of the early ethanol plants was in demand and Val-Add Service Corp. grew and expanded its project development expertise into a variety of value added agricultural ventures. In the past several years Val-Add Service Corp. has assisted in the development of more than 20 ethanol plants in eight states, as well as working with projects as diverse as biodiesel production, soybean crushing, egg-laying, beef processing, dairy development, fish farming, wind farm development, real estate development, pharmaceutical projects, and web-based technologies. The combination of project management skills, private equity consulting, new entity structure and development experience, along with backgrounds in finance, agricultural business and technology has provided Val-Add Service Corp. a unique ability to analyze and assist new business ventures. Val-Add Service Corp. has helped develop over Two Billion Dollars in new value-added agricultural and technology ventures.
Our Mission
So you've got an idea for the next big thing in business... now what? Where do you start? Is it really a valid idea? Where do you set up shop? Should you worry about government rules and regulations? Where will you get the money to start?
Many new business ventures never get off the ground because the would-be entrepreneur gets too overwhelmed with decisions, details and red-tape to keep moving forward. Val-Add Service Corporation specializes in simplifying the start-up process from initial concept through to full production. We've worked with companies of all sizes and shapes across a variety of different disciplines to see their plans and dreams through to fruition.
It's an ambitious project, but it's your ambitious project and
Val-Add is here to help.