Sales Manager Retiring After 40 Years in Dairy

Jun 04, 2020 (Westby, WI)

Westby Creamery Sales Manager Mark Rutlin is retiring this July after almost 18 years with the co-op. His career in the dairy industry began over 40 years ago after he graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stout. From cheese to cultured cheese, to cream products, he has done it all before retiring. His experience includes:

Mark Rutlin

• Welcome Dairy, Inc. (Colby, Wisconsin)
• Morningstar Foods (Madison, Wisconsin)
• Westby Cooperative Creamery (Westby, Wisconsin)

Four decades is a significant commitment to give to any industry, but Rutlin stayed the course, he said, because of the great people. “They are all very passionate and down to earth individuals. Their hard work and dedication to their livelihood is unmatched,” Rutlin continued.

Rutlin’s authenticity and ingenuity, combined with his passion for the dairy industry, have attributed to much of his success. “Between his extensive experience and charismatic personality, Mark was great at what he did. We will miss the wealth of knowledge from someone who has been in the industry for so long,” Pete Kondrup, Westby’s general manager, said.

Though his time at the Creamery is coming to an end, the positive impact he has made on his peers will continue to shine. “I’ve only had one short year to work with Mark, and in that time, I believe I uncovered, in part, what makes him so successful in business,” Emily Bialkowski, Westby’s sales and marketing manager, said. “Mark has an uncanny sense of when to be assertive in communicating a message and when to roll with the punches. In the future, I know I will be asking myself, would Mark assert himself in this situation or would he roll with it?”

Westby Creamery is thankful for Rutlin’s hard work and dedication, and for that, the coop proudly congratulates him on his retirement.