Bill Lehmann
Senior Vice President

Bill Lehmann grew up on a 900-acre grain and livestock farm, fully participating in all aspects of field operations and livestock production. Corn, soybeans, and small grains were produced, along with cattle, hogs, and poultry. He was active in 4-H and FFA showing livestock, participating in both crops and livestock judging contests, and taking part in parliamentary procedure.

Lehmann graduated from Millikin University, Decatur, IL, with a degree in marketing and has served in a variety of assignments with Jones and Thomas for the past nine years, including director of media and research and vice president of strategic planning. He is currently serving as senior vice president charged with numerous corporate management functions and various client-related services, including account supervision, market research and analysis, and marketing strategy development.

During his tenure with Jones and Thomas, Lehmann has worked for clients involved with feed, equipment, and grain procurement, as well as with farm associations in all aspects of their marketing efforts, including strategy, research, sales materials, web, and trade shows.

Gary Augustine
Vice President

Gary Augustine is a Decatur, IL, native who graduated from Millikin University with a B.S. degree in marketing. He has more than 20 years of sales and marketing experience in the agricultural processing industry with Tate & Lyle and its Decatur predecessor the A. E. Staley Manufacturing Co. Founder A.E. Staley brought the soybean to Midwest agriculture and convinced farmers to grow soybeans for the processing company he was creating.

In his various roles at Staley/Tate & Lyle, Gary was involved in all aspects of the supply chain related to food ingredients. This included the purchasing, development, sales, and distribution of both commodity and specialty food ingredients.

Augustine recently joined Jones and Thomas as Vice President with overall supervision of account executives managing food and food ingredient marketing. Augustine’s lengthy industrial experience has been put to use in supporting ADM’s marketing efforts in both consumer and industrial soy products such as meat analogs, protein concentrates, isolates and textured vegetable proteins, oils and fats, lecithin, plant sterols, and isoflavones.

Augustine’s knowledge of the soy processing and food ingredient industries has been an invaluable asset that Jones and Thomas brings to the table on behalf of its clients.