Shawn Thiele discusses flour milling with customers of U.S. wheat during USW’s Sub-Saharan Wheat Buyers Conference in Cape Town, South Africa. Photo credit: U.S. Wheat Associates.
Shawn Thiele discusses flour milling with customers of U.S. wheat during USW’s Sub-Saharan Wheat Buyers Conference in Cape Town, South Africa. Photo credit: U.S. Wheat Associates.

A chance introduction to flour milling as a college freshman launched Shawn Thiele on a career that now helps flour millers around the world improve efficiency, flour quality and the performance of U.S. wheat.

Thiele serves as associate director and flour milling and grain processing specialist for the International Grains Program (IGP) Institute at Kansas State University, where he teaches future milling professionals and provides technical expertise through U.S. Wheat Associates (USW). His work includes mill consultations, technical workshops and educational programs designed to help customers maximize value from U.S. wheat.

Raised on a farm in northwest Kansas, Thiele entered Kansas State University intending to pursue agriculture but was uncertain about his career path. A friend encouraged him to try milling science, leading to an internship in Australia during his sophomore year. That experience introduced him to commercial flour milling on an international scale and shaped the direction of his career.

Today, Thiele combines classroom instruction at K-State's Hal Ross Flour Mill with technical support for flour mills across Asia, Africa and South America. His consultations focus on improving flour extraction, increasing milling consistency and optimizing the use of purchased wheat.

Many of the technical questions he encounters are similar regardless of location, including wheat conditioning, tempering and the milling characteristics of soft and hard wheat. Other challenges are unique to individual mills, depending on local markets, production goals and quality requirements.

USW officials say technical support is a key part of the organization's international marketing efforts. While USW promotes the quality of U.S. wheat to overseas buyers, specialists such as Thiele work directly with millers to ensure they achieve consistent performance in their operations.

"Technical service is one of the greatest advantages U.S. Wheat offers our customers," said Mike Spier, USW president and CEO. "Shawn combines world-class milling expertise with the ability to solve real production challenges. His work builds confidence in U.S. wheat, and that confidence translates into long-term relationships that benefit wheat farmers across the United States."

Earlier this year, Thiele traveled to Thailand to conduct mill consultations and present a national seminar on the functional characteristics of U.S. wheat classes and strategies for improving milling performance. In Indonesia, he worked with production teams after customers increased purchases of U.S. wheat, helping optimize tempering practices, wheat blending, flour extraction and overall mill efficiency.

Before returning to Kansas State University, Thiele spent 10 years in commercial flour milling, including production management, quality assurance and mill optimization at Quaker Oats in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Earlier experience included durum milling and internships in Australia and at ADM in Kansas City.

In addition to teaching IGP's milling and grain processing courses, Thiele develops specialized workshops, technical seminars and distance education programs for milling professionals worldwide. He also conducts research that supports practical applications in milling education.

Each fall and winter, Thiele participates in USW's Crop Quality Seminar series, where flour millers, grain buyers and food manufacturers review quality characteristics of the latest U.S. wheat crop before making purchasing decisions. This fall, he is scheduled to participate in Crop Quality Seminars across North Asia.

Outside the classroom and his work with USW, Thiele remains active in the industry as a member of the technical committee of the International Association of Operative Millers. He also maintains relationships with milling companies worldwide and with former Kansas State students now working throughout the industry.

After years in commercial milling, Thiele returned to Manhattan, Kansas, following an opportunity to join the university's faculty while raising a young family. He and his wife now have three daughters, and although international travel remains a regular part of his work, advances in technology and careful scheduling help him stay connected at home.

Looking back, Thiele credits a series of unexpected opportunities, from a friend's suggestion to explore milling science to an overseas internship and a return to Kansas State, for building a career dedicated to advancing flour milling and supporting customers of U.S. wheat around the world.

Source: U.S. Wheat Associates, "Shawn Thiele: From a Gentle Nudge to Global Milling Leadership"