At Latham Seeds, we’re proud to grow our team with people who bring strong values, hard work and a commitment to helping others succeed. That’s why we’re excited to welcome Josh Mrazek as our newest Regional Sales Manager (RSM)!
Josh hails from Conroe, Texas, just north of Houston, where he grew up immersed in athletics — wrestling, motocross, baseball, fishing and football. That passion for sports and determination to improve led him to Dordt University in Sioux Center, Iowa, where he earned a scholarship to play football and captained the team as a middle linebacker. He also earned a degree in Business Finance, a natural fit for someone who loves numbers, budgeting and solving complex problems.
Though Josh didn’t grow up on a farm, his ag experience runs deep. Prior to joining Latham, he spent four years as an ag salesman for AgriVision Equipment Group (a John Deere dealership), helping customers solve operational challenges and build solutions for the future.
“My goal is to help Latham dealers fulfill their goals and reach their full potential — as far as they want to go,” says Josh. “At my previous job, it was all about servicing customers and building relationships that last. That’s what excites me about Latham, too.”
Josh was introduced to Latham Seeds through his wife’s uncle and quickly felt at home during the interview process.
“When a company treats every individual like family, it’s an easy yes,” he says.
That family-first culture is a perfect match for Josh, who now calls Sioux Center home with his wife, Avery (a preschool teacher), their one-year-old son Abel, and a baby girl on the way this fall.
When he’s not working with dealers, you’ll likely find Josh lifting weights, bass fishing, hunting or coaching high school football. And if you ask him about food, don’t be surprised when he serves up his family’s gumbo recipe — a nod to his Houston roots and love for Cajun cuisine.
Please join us in giving Josh a warm Latham welcome!
Gumbo Recipe (Sausage and Shrimp)
Ingredients
- 1 cup canola oil and 1 tablespoon separate
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 3 stalks celery diced
- 1 pound andouille sausage chopped
- 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning like Tony Chachere’s
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
Instructions
- Cook and stir oil and flour in a skillet over medium heat until mixture is thick and the color of peanut butter, about 20 minutes.
- Stir onion, green bell pepper, and celery into flour mixture.
- Cook and stir until softened, about 5 minutes.
- With a tablespoon of canola oil, cook sausage separately until browned about 5 minutes.
- Add to vegetable mixture.
- Add Cajun seasoning, garlic, and black pepper.
- Cook and stir about 2 minutes.
- Pour chicken stock over vegetable-sausage mixture.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add shrimp and cook until shrimp are pink and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
- Serve over rice.