Inductees

He grew up in Joplin, spending summers swimming at the Schifferdecker Park pool, or playing baseball in the neighborhood and, during the school year, the venue was the Boys Club.

Years later, Gary Aggus was a three-sport athlete for Joplin’s Memorial High School, earning all-conference in football, basketball and baseball. And he never forgot the way sports set him up for success.

“Growing up playing sports in Joplin, I feel helped me develop my competitive spirit to always work hard and do your best at whatever you are doing,” Aggus said. “Not only in sports but in the classroom and later in life in the workforce as well.”

With that in mind when he led Springfield-based Hiland Dairy Foods, Aggus saw to it that the company supported athletics. And that’s why the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame proudly honored him with the President’s Award in 2025 at the Outdoor Sports Luncheon.

The President’s Award is bestowed on individuals who champion the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame and sports in general in the Show-Me State.

In his 20 years as President of Hiland Dairy before retiring in 2023, Aggus ensured the company was a corporate sponsor of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame and a lead sponsor of the Price Cutter Charity Championship.

That’s incredibly important, as both are 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organizations. The Hall of Fame has never applied for state or federal funding since opening in Springfield in 1994 and instead relies on private donations, induction ceremonies, golf events, a sporting clays classic and auctions. And it not only honors athletes and coaches from the state’s professional sports franchises and colleges, but also from small-town high schools and other organizations. The PCCC benefits roughly 50 Ozark children’s charities annually.

“At Hiland, we have always wanted to support good causes in the community we do business in, as long as earnings were there to allow us to do that,” Aggus said. “We felt from the beginning that the MSHOF would be great for Springfield and certainly something the state of Missouri should have. Price Cutter (and Consumers before them) have always been very good customers of Hiland’s, and this was another way for us to support them to help the many charities that the tournament provides for.”

Aggus certainly put Hiland Dairy in position to support many causes.

A 1972 graduate of Joplin’s Memorial High School and a 1976 graduate of Missouri Southern State University, Aggus started with Foremost Dairy right out of high school. After college, he moved into a management role and, in 1984, joined Hiland Dairy. A year later, he transferred to Springfield and became vice president.

Founded in 1938, Hiland Dairy is an award-winning processor and distributor of dairy foods and other beverages. Under Aggus, Hiland grew from six plants in three states to 19 plants and 64 distribution centers in 10 states, and sales increased from $400 million to approximately $2 billion. Staff grew from about 800 to nearly 4,000, with expansion into Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Texas.

In 1995, Aggus received a call from Jerald Andrews, who was starting a 27-year run as the CEO & Executive Director of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.

“Jerald always had convincing reasons why Hiland and other firms should be involved in supporting the MSHOF and PCCC,” Aggus said. “These pitches just re-emphasized for me and the Hiland Team that the reasons we stayed involved was the right thing to do.”

Hiland, as well as Aggus and his wife, Debbie, have supported numerous causes over the years. Among them are St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, various food banks, the Breast Cancer Foundation of the Ozarks, Boys & Girls Club of Springfield, local colleges, the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds and the Blue & Gold Tournament and Pink & White Tournament.

He also has served on boards for the Missouri Dairy Products Association, the International Dairy Foods Association, the National Milk PEP and the Missouri Southern State College Foundation.

Even better, he has long had the support of Debbie, their children Holly, Erin and Kelli and their families, and Hiland leader Rick Beaman and the rest of the management team. Aggus also thanks business mentors Bob Quinn and Lynn Oller for setting him up for success.

“The Springfield/Nixa community has been a great area for Debbie and I to live and raise our kids and grandkids in,” Aggus said. “We are pleased to be in a position to support the many activities mentioned that help to make the community even better.”