Thomas Daschle: “I was privileged to meet earlier this week with Richard and Janet Cone, owners of Cone Ag-Service, Inc., in Pierre…”

“I was privileged to meet earlier this week with Richard and Janet Cone, owners of Cone Ag-Service, Inc., in Pierre, South Dakota. They were recently designated the South Dakota Small Business Owners of the Year by the Small Business Administration. This award is a testament to the Cones' drive and business acumen over the last 30 years, during which they have provided high quality, liquid fertilizer to South Dakota farmers. Like many small businesses, they began at the kitchen table and have grown into a business that employs eight full-time and six part-time employees. The Cones' success story also includes timely and appropriate assistance from a Federal agency, the Small Business Administration. This agency joined with a local lender to help finance the Cone Ag-Service at a crucial point in its growth, proving that even the best business idea may need financial backing to come to fruition. But, the most important measure of Cone Ag-Service's success is its customers, who loyally return year after year.”