Land O’Lakes, Inc., based in Arden Hills, has employment opportunities throughout Minnesota and across the country. The agricultural cooperative is one of the largest co-ops in America, operating in all 50 states and more than 60 countries. Land O’Lakes leadership realizes the value that veterans bring to its workforce, through leadership, teamwork and ethnical decision-making, among many other sought-after skills honed through military service. That’s why the company is engaged in the SkillBridge program through the Department of Defense, to help connect service members transitioning out of the military into civilian careers.
"Our veteran community has given so much in service of our country. Our participation in SkillBridge is a way of recognizing and respecting these contributions, as well as doing our part to show our gratitude for their service," Land O’Lakes Chief Human Resources Officer Julie Sexton says. "Plus, we’re seeing the benefits from these veterans applying their valuable skills and work ethic to our ongoing mission of supporting U.S. farmers, ag businesses and the communities they call home.”
Land O’Lakes was a premier employer exhibitor at the 2025 Veterans Career Fair, which took place last month in Brooklyn Center. A land O’Lakes employee who went through the SkillBridge program himself was there to talk with fellow veterans about the benefits of working at Land O’Lakes. While a person has to get involved in the SkillBridge program while on active duty, just knowing that veterans are valued and that there are other former military members on staff can help make finding employment easier.
Patrick Schlichenmeyer, who completed a 34-year career with the U.S. Air Force, started his 180-day "permissive duty” SkillBridge internship at Land O’ Lakes in February 2023. Schlichenmeyer liked what he saw as an intern and after he officially retired from the military, he was hired by the company. First, he served as operational excellence manager at the Land O’Lakes Melrose dairy plant. Now he serves as an expert project manager and SkillBridge Ambassador at headquarters in Arden Hills, mentoring fellow veterans serving as SkillBridge interns.
"Land O'Lakes lives up to the hype. I really feel it's another place, another family where I can serve. In the military, you're not in a job. You're not even in a career. You're in a service. You become a family with the people you serve with, and I feel like Land O'Lakes has that,” said Schlichenmeyer. “I wasn't looking for a job – I was looking for some place where I could go to work with good people who care about each other that are doing something important for this country. That's Land O'Lakes."
Sh-Landa Redding is an Army Veteran who works in quality assurance for Land O’Lakes. She formally joined the company a little over a year ago after her SkillBridge internship. Prior to that, she served as a Food Safety Officer in the Army for 22 years.
“It was very comforting to see the amount of respect that people at Land O'Lakes had for what I had done and what I was trying to do with my life, and they allowed me the autonomy to figure things out as I was going,” said Redding. “I think most people that join the military are selfless, service-oriented people...I think that the culture of giving back is what drew me to this company.”
Schlichenmeyer represented Land O’Lakes at the 2025 Veterans Career Fair along with several other Land O’Lakes employees and a SkillBridge intern in the process of transitioning out of the Air Force after 22 years. The annual Veterans Career Fair is sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs. Next year will mark the 20th annual event, which routinely draws hundreds of current and former U.S. military service members and their spouses to meet with employers looking to hire veterans.
CareerForce Veterans Employment Services is a program of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. If you are a current or former U.S. military service member, let CareerForce staff know and you will be connected with your local Veterans Employment Representative, all of whom are veterans themselves. Your rep will provide everything from resume review and interview preparation assistance to in-depth career exploration and specific military skills matching to civilian careers. CareerForce also offers specialized employment services for veterans with disabilities. The annual Veterans Career Fair is just one of the many ways that CareerForce helps connects veterans with employers who value their service.
- Find out more about employment opportunities at Land O’Lakes
- Learn about the Department of Defense SkillBridge program
- Get connected to Veterans Employment Services for current and former U.S. military members
- Talk with staff at a CareerForce location near you about preparing for and finding work now
