THE SUSPENDED FRESH® TEAM

KNOWLEDGE

AND EXPERTISE

TAKING THE LEAD

Over 100 years of combined experience in the industry

At SUSPENDED FRESH® we are exceedingly proud of our team of experienced and dedicated employees. With a combined total of over 100 years in the industry, we have the knowledge and expertise to handle any challenge that comes our way.

highly trained

Our employees are highly trained and committed to delivering the best possible service to our customers. They are passionate about our work and are always willing to go the extra mile to ensure that our customers are satisfied.

excellent customer service

In addition to our technical skills, our team is also known for excellent customer service. They are timely, friendly, approachable, and always willing to help.

expertise and dedication

We believe that our team is one of our greatest assets. We are dedicated to supporting and developing our employees, and we are confident that our expertise and dedication will help us achieve success for our customers.

Meet The Team

Brandon Lobaugh

President, iQ Foods

Brandon Lobaugh is President of iQ Foods, a Quirch Foods wholly owned subsidiary responsible for overseeing the sales expansion and operational efforts of the proprietary SUSPENDED FRESH® technology. Prior to founding iQ Foods, Brandon held several roles at IBP starting in the technical services division in Texas. Thereafter he was quickly promoted within the company leading teams in Canada and eventually rising to lead both beef and pork technical services in the US. After Tyson Foods acquisition of IBP, Brandon was promoted to New Product Development where he was able to combine his innovative thinking with the rich technical experience gained. Brandon graduated from Texas A&M University where he majored in Animal Science & Agricultural Economics.

Brandon Lobaugh

President, iQ Foods

Kurt Lobaugh

Vice President of Operations, iQ Foods

Kurt Lobaugh is Vice President of Operations at iQ Foods. He is leading a team focused on Supply Chain execution, warehouse performance and quality assurance. Kurt started his career in the protein industry at Colorado Premium Foods where he learned about meat fabrication, quality systems, and inventory management. Kurt has been at iQ Foods since the early days of the development and commercialization of the SUSPENDED FRESH® process. Kurt graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics.

Kurt Lobaugh

Vice President of Operations, iQ Foods

Dr. Brad Morgan

Vice President of Research & Development, iQ Foods

J. Brad Morgan is the Vice President of Research & Development. He was raised on a ranch and in the oil community of Antlers, Oklahoma. He received his B.S. in Animal Science from Oklahoma State University (1985), his M.S. in Meat Science from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (1988) and his Ph.D. in Animal Science from Texas A&M University (1991). Dr. Morgan was an Assistant Professor and Extension Meats Specialist at Colorado State University from 1991 to 1995 where he was part of the inaugural National Beef Quality Audit and other high impact research projects. In 1995, he joined the Animal Science faculty at Oklahoma State University, where he taught undergraduate and graduate meat science courses and conducts research on the quality, quantity, safety, and usefulness of meat and meat products. Dr. Morgan’s research and expertise in meat tenderness and color is known nationally and internationally. He attracted over $21.5 million in extramural funding, published over 90 journal articles, given over 1,500 invited presentations, and conducted research in 29 countries while at OSU. Dr. Morgan has received numerous research and teaching awards including the Outstanding Teaching Award from the American Meat Science Association along with the Outstanding Scientist in the Division of Agriculture at Oklahoma State University. Dr. Morgan is a recent past president of the American Meat Science Association. Recently, he was the Sr. Director of Protein for the Performance Food Group (PFG). At PFG, they delivered more than 125,000 food and food-related products to 85,000 customer locations daily. Dr. Morgan rejoined the Animal Science faculty at Colorado State University in the meat science area where he taught, conducted research, and helped fundraising for the department.

Dr. Brad Morgan

Vice President of Research & Development, iQ Foods

Neil Corbin

Vice President of Business Development and Strategy, iQ Foods

Neil Corbin is Vice President of Business Development and Strategy at iQ Foods. He is focused on enabling customer success, managing risk, forecasting wholesale market prices in addition to platform development to seamlessly deliver information. Prior to joining iQ Foods, Neil was a Director of Business Intelligence & Analytics at Fulton Market Group, a beef and pork procurement provider for the McDonald’s corporation, where he provided analytical insights, price forecasting & risk management strategies. Neil graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics.

Neil Corbin

Vice President of Business Development and Strategy, iQ Foods

David Wilks

Outside Cold Storage Director, iQ Foods

David Wilks is Outside Cold Storage Director at iQ Foods. He is focused on implementing warehousing best practices, negotiating contracts, and strategic planning to ensure high-capacity utilization of warehousing space. Prior to joining iQ Foods, David was a GM at Americold where he was involved in the strategic planning of daily operations utilizing WMS for labor planning and warehouse product flows. David’s career in the Cold Storage business started in 1996 working for companies such as Del Monte, Lineage, and Americold servicing both retail and food service channels.

David Wilks

Outside Cold Storage Director, iQ Foods

Andrew Coffman

Sr. Director of National Procurement, iQ Foods

Andrew Coffman is Sr. Director of National Procurement at iQ Foods. With over 10 years of experience in the beef industry, Andrew is well-versed in all aspects of the beef procurement process, from market analysis, evaluating the quality of different cuts to negotiating prices and contracts with suppliers and customers. Prior to working at iQ Foods, Andrew has held several roles at JBS in the US and Canada. In addition to his expertise in the field, Andrew is known for his strong work ethic and commitment to delivering exceptional results for customers. Andrew graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management.

Andrew Coffman

Sr. Director of National Procurement, iQ Foods

Nicholas “Nico” Franco

Procurement Specialist, iQ Foods

Nicholas “Nico” Franco is a Procurement Specialist at iQ Foods. At iQ, Nico develops the business model by coordinating supply chain orders for the purchase and sale of product. As part of the supply chain team, his focus is to mitigate order issues, collaborate with leadership on account growth opportunities, and develop working relationships with facilities and vendors. Before joining iQ Foods, Nico was a Production Supervisor Intern at George’s Poultry Inc. Nico received a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, Food, and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas with a focus in Agriculture Business.

Nicholas “Nico” Franco

Procurement Specialist, iQ Foods

Lauren McConnell

Quality Assurance & Technical Services Lead, iQ Foods

Lauren McConnell is the Quality Assurance and Technical Services Lead at iQFoods.  Her day is focused on management of new products and new proteins and their efficacy through the SUSPENDED FRESH® process.  She is constantly reviewing product and perfecting the knowledge around the process.  She is instrumental in the development of utilizing the process across all proteins. Her knowledge comes from a previous role as a microbiologist for Tyson Foods where she completed hands on work in the food microbiology sector.  Lauren graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in Biology and a minor in Chemistry from Missouri State University.

Lauren McConnell

Quality Assurance & Technical Services Lead

Brandon Edson

Key Account Lead

Brandon brings a unique blend of experience from feedlot operations, and both import and domestics beef markets. After five years as a Flight Security Controller in the United States Air Force, Brandon transitioned to working with a family-owned cattle operation, where he gained hands-on knowledge of cattle management at the producer level.
For the past six years, Brandon has worked across both the domestic and international beef markets, focusing on the packer side of the business. This experience has given them a well-rounded understanding of the beef market and supply chains, from sourcing to processing. Brandon graduated from the University of Arizona GC with a Bachelor of arts degree in Finance.