GRANITE CITY HIGH SCHOOL
CLASS OF 1969

Edward L. Mullins, a 1969 graduate of Granite City High School, is the Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of Prairie Farms Dairy, Inc. – a farmer-owned dairy co-operative founded in 1938.

Upon graduating from Granite City High School, Ed accepted a position with Schulze & Burch Biscuit Company, where his career began as a Sales Representative . Two years later he was promoted to Sales Supervisor, and then to Sales Manager in 1974. In 1977, Ed was drafted into the U. S. Army where he served 15 months as an M.P. in Southeast Asia. From 1978 - 1980, Ed worked for the Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company in Marion, IL as General Manager.

Ed joined Prairie Farms in 1980 as a Sales Representative. He moved through the ranks to Sales Manager, Director of Operations- St. Louis Division, General Sales Manager, and Vice President of Sales-
Fluid Milk Division.

In September 2004, he was named Senior Vice President, and held the No. 2 position until being promoted to CEO in 2006. Ed is only the fourth CEO in Prairie Farms’ 70 year history. His expertise and dedication has further strengthened Prairie Farms’ position as one of the leading dairy companies in the United States.

The Corporate Office for Prairie Farms Dairy, Inc. is located in Carlinville, Illinois. Sales for 2007 were
$2.6 billion dollars. Prairie Farms, its Subsidiaries and Joint Ventures employ over 6,000 people.

Ed currently oversees 27 Milk Plants, 4 Ice Cream Plants, 1 Butter Plant, 2 Novelty Plants, 2 Culture Plants, 1 Soft Serve Ice Cream Plant, 2 Fast Food Warehouses and 1 Transportation Company, for a total of 40 operations in 14 States.

Ed’s vast and influential relationships have strengthened Prairie Farms’ reputation, and places the Company in an enviable position in the dairy industry. In North America, Prairie Farms is ranked 10th out of 100, indairy processing in the dairy industry

Ed has been and continues to be active in the food industry and civic arena.
Specialist for Atlas Airlines operating out of Kennedy International Airport, Jamaica, New York. After four years with Atlas, Arvil accepted a position as a 737 Captain with Vanguard Airlines in Kansas City, Missouri. At Vanguard Airlines, he was elected Chairman of the Vanguard Airlines Pilots Association. In this capacity, he worked very closely with company officials to develop key personnel initiatives for the airline. He retired from aviation with over 10,000 hours of flight time of which over 5,000 was in 747’s.

In 2002, Arvil retired from aviation. In the spring of 2007, through the Troops to Teachers Program, Arvil un-retired and became a professional educator. For the past three years, he has taught Algebra, Geometry and Trigonometry at the Paseo Academy, the magnet school for fine and performing arts in Kansas City, Missouri.

Ed has been and continues to be active in the food industry and civic arena.

• Past President of the Allied Food Club
• Past President of the St. Louis Association of Manufacturer’s Reps
• Past President of the St. Louis Area Food Association
• Past President of the Granite City Ambassadors
• Former Board Member of the Granite City Chamber of Commerce
• Former Board Member of the Granite City United Way
• Board Member for the Missouri Grocers Association
• Board Member for the National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board
• Board Member for Dairy Management, Inc (DMI)
• Board Member for the Milk Industry Foundation
• Board Member and Executive Committee Member for the International Dairy Foods Assoc. (IDFA)
• Board Member for the Ice Cream Manufacturers Association
• Secretary for MILK PEP

Ed has been with Prairie Farms for 28 years.

He currently resides in Litchfield, IL. Ed and his wife, Carla, have two children and three grandchildren.
In his leisure time, he enjoys playing golf, boating, and attending sporting events.