PEORIA MAGAZINE September 2022

Ag World CEO Jacob Cluver with his daughter, Lily

T U R N E R C E N T E R H O N O R E E

EXPORTER OF THE YEAR Ag World International Corp.

BY SCOTT FISHEL PHOTOS BY FRANK BLAIN

W hen pigs f ly,” is not a phrase that Jacob Cluver takes lightly. As the CEO of Ag orld International Corp. in Bloom ington, he arranges for pigs to fly — on cargo planes, of course — to farmers, corporations and governments in Asia and around the world. Yes, you read that right: Flying pigs. He and about a dozen full-time employees in the United States and ‘

abroad have been brokers for shipping thousands of pigs, beef cattle, dairy cattle, sheep and goats to overseas buyers. The latter value Ag World’s 45 years of experience and trust its reputation for quality and service. Established in 1977 by Jacob’s father, Bruce Cluver, Ag World has exported livestock to 110 countries on six continents. The younger Cluver grew up in agriculture in El Paso, Illinois, showing animals at the Woodford

County Fair and studying smal l business management and computer science at Iowa State University. He assumed management of the company in 2010. China is current ly Ag World’s largest market and consumes 60% of the world’s pork, half of which it produces itself, Cluver said. China is still recovering from an African Swine Flu outbreak that wiped out up to 70% of the country’s pig population in 2018.

38 SEPTEMBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE