Riceland Foods announces retirement of PBH Hulls Commercial Director Scott Johnson

Scott Johnson

U.S. rice miller and marketer Riceland Foods Inc. announced the planned retirement of Scott Johnson, commercial director, effective Jan. 30, 2026, marking the close of a 27-year career with the company.

Johnson joined the farmer-owned cooperative in 1998, stepping into a role focused on developing markets and selling rice hull ash. Over the decades that followed, he became a leader in expanding the company’s presence in the horticulture industry and helped establish one of its most enduring products.

Riceland Foods, which serves 5,500 farmer members in Arkansas and Missouri, stores, transports, processes and markets more than 2.5 million metric tons of grain each year, and its products are sold across the U.S. and around 25 countries.

Early in his tenure, Johnson was instrumental in developing and commercializing PBH Parboiled Rice Hulls, introduced in 2008 as a rice hull horticultural amendment and later a topdress for weed management. He led trialing and launch efforts.

“I hope PBH Parboiled Rice Hulls continues to grow as a valuable solution in horticulture,” Johnson said. “Understanding customers and solving their needs has been a career highlight. I am grateful to help turn a milling by-product into something that positively impacts our customers and serves farm families.”

While Johnson looks forward to fully stepping into retirement, he said he will miss the customer visits and the relationships he built over nearly three decades.

To ensure a smooth transition and continuity for customers and stakeholders, Mark Shepherd will assume Johnson's specific responsibilities, including managing key accounts, maintaining partner communications and overseeing collaborative projects.