WINNIPEG – It’s a long bomb from the football stadium of Winnipeg to the grain fields of Saskatchewan, but Lyle Bauer sees it simply as a move from one commodity to another.
Bauer played centre for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for 10 years and has been the team’s assistant general manager since 1992. At the end of the month, he’s moving his family to Saska-toon to manage terminal operations for AgPro Grain and a territory for Saskatchewan Wheat Pool’s country services division.
“Football is fun, but football is just a commodity,” Bauer said. “And I have a strong belief that strong management skills can be applied to any industry, regardless of the commodity.”
Read Also
Agri-business and farms front and centre for Alberta’s Open Farm Days
Open Farm Days continues to enjoy success in its 14th year running, as Alberta farms and agri-businesses were showcased to increase awareness on how food gets to the dinner plate.
Bauer said he’s excited about the move because of the competition and change ahead in the grain industry.
“You’re going to have to have people in positions that are able to think very quickly on their feet, analyze the situation and act on it in a very, very pressure-packed environment. And that happens to be something that I’m very used to.”
The 36-year-old honed his business acumen while he was on the team’s roster. He got into real estate, eventually running a brokerage firm. Then he moved into the team’s front office, where he had fingers in scouting, automating the office, developing new sales and marketing plans and negotiating with players.
Barry Loudon, a director of the football club, said Bauer proved his mettle when he was only a few months into his job as assistant to Bombers general manager Cal Murphy.
Murphy had a heart transplant and was out of commission in the height of the football season.
“Somebody had to take the reins,” Loudon said. “And without a blink, Lyle did it. He never looked back, he wasn’t afraid of it.”
Bauer grew up in Saskatoon, spending many summers with relatives who farmed in southern Saskatchewan. How-ever, he said he faces a steep learning curve for his new job.
Will he also learn to love the Roughriders? “I was drafted by the Roughriders and Ron Lancaster cut me when he was the coach there. I ended up in Winnipeg. I’ve got three Grey Cup rings as a player, I’ve been to two Grey Cups as a manager (in Winnipeg) ….
“It’s going to take a little work to change the color of the blood.”
