Meet New Executive Directory Steve McCabe

Steve McCabe Executive Director | Board of Directors Agricultural Manufacturers

With his sporty orange jeep, his ever-present canine co-pilot Molly, and his keen sense of humour, Steve McCabe is a well known, familiar and friendly face on the roads of rural Southwestern Ontario and at many agricultural events across the country.

At Halloween you might even see a photo on Twitter of his trademark wheels with a skeleton hanging off the back. Steve had to develop his sense of humour growing up as the only boy with six older sisters. “I learned to use the shower very quickly and spent a lot of time in the barn.”

Steve still calls Kenilworth, Ontario home. “It was a great way to live” he recalls of growing up on the family beef and cash crop farm in the Wellington County township.

In his spare time, Steve enjoys the outdoors and depending on the season he snowshoes, ice fishes, curls or fly fishes.

His career path is as diverse as his interests. He worked for the Federal Government in Human Resources for three years, then moved to a private HR company. Next, he moved into sales. He held a number of roles working for Western Producer, then Director of Sales at Copernicus

Educational Products, selling classroom equipment. From there he went back to his agricultural roots and that is where he has remained since. After about six years in sales at Top Crop Manager, he accepted a position at Grain Farmers of Ontario as their Manager of Member Relations. “I was the conduit between the GFO board and growers. My job was to let farmers know what direction the board was going and to tell the board what the issues were in the field. It was a great job!”

It was in this role that Steve had the opportunity to host the second Women’s Grain Symposium. He was also heavily involved in the GFO Grains in Action program, which he describes as a way to get young farming professionals involved in the organization through a tour to show them where their commodities go after leaving the field.

When asked what he is looking forward to most in his new role at AMC, Steve did not hesitate, “Meeting members and finding out what they manufacture, how they manufacture, and why.”

As for the biggest issue facing the industry in the next year, he points to the theme of this issue of Implement Success. “Trade issues and barriers and getting our members’ products to the global market. That’s going to be the biggest challenge,” he says.

Looking forward to the next few months, Steve will be calling on members to begin the conversation and share their own individual challenges and discuss a strategic plan that will best serve the Agricultural Manufacturers of Canada.