AMES, Iowa — The Egg Industry Center recently awarded Jeff Henning with the 2026 LeggACY Maker Award for his constant leadership and contributions to the advancement of the U.S. egg industry and the EIC.
Henning is an industry leader and founding EIC board member, but he is widely known for his role as the CEO of Henning Construction Company from 1971 to 2000, EIC said in the announcement.
During his tenure as CEO, Henning made the company a vital player in supporting modern egg production systems as part of its construction portfolio. Outside of construction, the company’s influence shaped important decisions across multiple egg production enterprises.
Henning was also at the forefront of the cage-free transition through the development of Iowa Cage Free, LLLP, EIC added. Henning’s contributions to industry innovations also include products outside of the farm. He helped support and develop businesses that add value to egg industry by-products, including Naturally Recycled Proteins and Biova, which utilizes eggshell membranes for applications in human and pet health, EIC noted.
Henning’s business ventures are only one part of his dedication to the advancement of the egg industry. He has also been very active in industry organizations, such as the International Egg Commission, the Iowa Poultry Association, the United Egg Producers Allied Association, and the United Egg Producers.
He is also a past vice chairman of the board for the Midwest Poultry Consortium, where he supported workforce development, research, and education initiatives critical to poultry production, EIC said.
Henning has also been very active in his community during his career. He served as the mayor of Latimer, Iowa, and held leadership positions with the Delta Tau Delta Educational Foundation and Rotary International.
Specifically for the Egg Industry Center, Henning was a founding board member in 2008 and was elected board chairman in 2021. Under his leadership, EIC recommitted to its original research funding objectives, leading to growth of the Center’s research fund, and expanding its ability to support applied, producer-driven projects, EIC noted.
These changes now allow the EIC to fund an extra full research project every year, directly aiding egg producers through viable, science-based solutions. Dr. Hongwei Xin, inaugural director of the EIC, commented on how Henning always brought a steady, strategic approach to EIC’s decision and always had a clear vision for how research and education could stay closely aligned with industry needs.
“Jeff Henning is truly an outstanding industry, community, thought, and forward-looking leader,” Daniel J. Robinson, Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Endowed Dean’s chair, said. “At the recognition ceremony for this award, as part of the annual EIC Egg Industry Issues Forum held in Minneapolis, it was well said by his colleague, friend and partner, Dr. Craig Rowles, vice president of strategic projects for Versova, that Jeff Henning is the kind of leader who makes an organization complete and engaged and makes people around him better with his drive and his care.
“That’s exactly what Jeff does for the Egg Industry Center! The level of activity and impact of the EIC is very much a reflection of his work,” Robinson added “He is exactly the right recipient of this award and EIC looks forward to his continued leadership!”
Others who work with Henning told the EIC that his leadership style is focused on consensus, clarity, and timely decision-making, which helped guide the Center through key strategic discussions while keeping it flexible and industry responsive.
The LeggACY Maker Award celebrates individuals whose long-term work and commitment have left a lasting mark on the EIC and the entire egg industry. It is clear that Jeff Henning’s decades of engagement across egg production, allied industries and applied research have definitely left a mark that will last for generations to come, EIC added.
