About Us
Protein Alliance was created in 1999 when Jeff Stauffenecker and Carl Wittenburg took their extensive experience in the agricultural industry and pursued their dreams of becoming entrepreneurs. Both enjoy building relationships with their customers and suppliers. In the past, both have served as board members, Jeff on the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association and Carl on the National Turkey Federation. In July 2022, Protein Alliance partnered with The TradeCafe Group to provide enhanced digital transaction tools to our customers. TradeCafe is a provider of software-enabled trade fulfillment and financing solutions to the protein industry. In January 2023, Protein Alliance relocated its office to 4277 Dakota Street, Suite C, Alexandria, MN 56308.
Carl grew up on a turkey, cattle and grain farm in southeast North Dakota. Carl attended the University of Minnesota-Crookston and North Dakota State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in University Studies and a minor in Food Science. He was employed by Northern Pride after college and then took a US Sales Manager position with Hybrid Turkeys, an international genetics company. Carl lives in Alexandria, MN with his wife Sharlene and they have 3 sons, Nick, Nate & Wyatt.
Jeff grew up on a turkey farm in Northern Minnesota. Jeff holds an Associate of Science degree in Agriculture from the University of Minnesota-Crookston and a Bachelor of Science degree from North Dakota State University in Agricultural Economics. After graduating from college, Jeff spent two years working for Northern Pride as the Turkey Procurement Manager. He then moved to Willmar, MN and worked for Jennie-O Foods as Commodity Sales Manager for 4 years. Jeff lives in Spicer, MN with his wife LeAnn and they have two daughters, Jenna & Abby.
Clayton came to Protein Alliance / TradeCafe in the fall of 2022. Clayton grew up on a livestock farm and attended St. John’s University. While at St. Johns he obtained his Business management degree. For the past 15 years, he worked in a wide variety of agriculture positions in the grain and livestock industries. To start his professional career he became a Series 3 license broker and most recently spent 4 years exploring the Carbon Credit space and introducing a digital transactional platform to the grain industry. Clayton’s diverse experience led him to Protein Alliance as an expert in behavioral change with years of experience introducing/onboarding clients to a web-based application.
Nick grew up in the turkey industry having 2 generations of family members highly involved in the turkey industry. Nick attended Minnesota State based in Moorhead, MN. Nick was a State Farm Insurance agent for 15 years working as a Sales Representative/Office Manager from 2004 through 2019. Nick worked in various plant operations at Northern Pride Inc. before joining the Protein Alliance team in the fall of 2021. Nick lives in Alexandria, MN with Kari and they have 3 daughters, Brecklyn, Brixten, & Bristol.
Sara grew up on her family’s farm surrounded by acres of corn, soybean crops, and alfalfa. They raised livestock such as cattle, pigs, chickens, and plenty of sheep, leading into heavy involvement within 4H. Later Sara attended the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus for a Bachelor’s degree in Food Science with an emphasis in Business Marketing Communications. Sara is married with two grown sons, and now presides on a lake in west central Minnesota.
Chelsie is a hard-working farm girl who grew up on a hobby farm outside of Osakis, MN producing beef cattle, fainting goats, chickens, and her favorite peacocks. Chelsie journey furthered into the medical field where she obtained a medical billing and coding degree and spent 7 years leading an assisted living complex in Alexandria, MN. Looking for a career change Chelsie decided to pursue global opportunities with Protein Alliance and the TradeCafe teams. Chelsie currently resides near Osakis, MN and loves staying busy with her daughter Hazel and all things outdoors.
Nick Almich grew up in Alexandria, MN, where he currently resides with his significant other, Kiana, and their two cats. His interest in the protein trading industry was sparked by his mother, Sara, the longest-tenured Trading Specialist at Protein Alliance. Before joining TradeCafe Group in 2023, Nick spent nine years independently trading stocks and options, honing his skills in risk mitigation and managing high-volume transactions. Since coming on board, he has quickly adapted to the protein trade, with a primary focus on turkey purchasing and overseeing digital offers on the TradeCafe platform. Nick’s analytical mindset, strong business acumen, and commitment to building long-term partnerships make him a valuable asset to the team. Outside of work, he enjoys a round of golf and spending quality time with family and friends.
Tim Hass currently resides in the heart of Kansas with his wife and three daughters, who keep the family active with sports, community theater, and Taekwondo. Tim's professional journey spans several industries, beginning in hospitality and later transitioning into inside and outside sales roles with private equity startups, including Indigo Ag. At Indigo Ag, Tim's career grew significantly, starting as an inside sales rep where he was responsible for warming up leads. His dedication and expertise led to his promotion to "Market Expert," where he sold Indigo's online marketplace, grain hedging tools, and carbon credits. His strong relationship with Clayton Rehm during this time ultimately brought him to TradeCafe. Now, as a Business Development Specialist at TradeCafe, Tim leverages his diverse experience to educate both current and prospective partners on the value of TradeCafe's innovative, value-driven platform.