FOUNDER

Mr. Venter founded Stoneground Mills of America in 1998, and worked as its Operations Manager until 2005, when it was acquired by Tova Industries, LLC. Before emigrating to the United States from South Africa in 1997, Mr. Venter founded and subsequently sold several companies in the food and beverage and food manufacturing and technology industries. Earlier in his career, Mr. Venter worked in the import/ export field, performed commodities trading, and served in the South African Embassy in Washington, D.C. from 1982 through 1985. Mr. Venter was awarded both Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Potchefstroom University, and served in the South African military from 1979 to 1984.

When he emigrated to the U.S. in 1997, Mr. Venter founded Stoneground Mills of America, which he sold to Tova Industries the next year. He then worked as Operations Manager for Tova for seven years. Mr. Venter previously founded and sold eight companies, including Indu Spice Company, Stoneground Mills International, Bishoff Gateway, Dietary Concepts, Best Grow, Bakers Favourite, Best Foods, Food Creation and Packers, and Mega International Import and Export.

Mr. Venter also has served as German Commodity Trader for Helm AG, Petro Chemicals Commodity Trader for Frank Fehr International, Export Import Manager for Almashrek, Export manager for Iron and Steel Corporation (ISCOR), Economic Attache in the South African Embassy in Washington, D.C., Junior Lecturer in International Marketing and Macroeconomics at Pretoria Technical College, and Statistical Analyst at South Africa’s Department of Commerce. He holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Commerce from Potchefstroom University.