She’s going the distance

Wheat is a staple food for more than 35% of the human population. You could say this small grain punches above its weight. With muscle-building proteins, energy-boosting carbs, and a whole lotta fiber, these grainy powerhouses will have you goin’ the distance, like you’re starring in a Rocky movie. And that means Ting Liu, a technical specialist for U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) based in Beijing, China, is the regional equivalent of the fictional Mickey Goldmill, Rocky’s trainer (cue “Eye of the Tiger”).

“I bring a strong theoretical knowledge of wheat and flour to design demonstrations of U.S. wheat’s strengths to customers,” Liu said. “But besides collecting solid data, it takes bilingual skills to translate technical communications between USW and Chinese customers in an easy-to-understand way.”

Liu joined USW in 2016 after completing her doctorate program. “I decided to do my postgraduate research on whole wheat products because of my childhood memories and my understanding of the health benefits of whole grains,” Liu said. “But it was my experience of working at the Wheat Marketing Center that really allowed me to see how we can use technology to solve real industry problems.”

Like any good coach, her idea of success is providing value. “Not only to be useful for myself, but also for others, so that others are willing to come together with you, and you can make contributions to society.”

Her aim is to contribute both to the U.S. wheat trade and to Chinese flour mills and bakeries by advancing their knowledge and solving their technical problems, all using U.S. wheat.

“I hope, in the future, relationships between U.S. and China can be more peaceful, and that the international wheat trade can proceed purely and simply,” she said.

While Liu hails from the southern part of China where rice is the dominant staple grain, she enjoys eating all kinds of wheat foods. “I love wheat-based food,” she said. “Food not only feeds people but also brings such happiness.” And speaking of happy, communicating and exchanging ideas with customers is one of the highlights “It’s the best way for me to understand customer needs in the real world, which cannot be learned simply from books or the internet.”

This aligns with USW goals to earn trust with customers and develop a rapport as relevant experts.

“Nobody has to pay too much attention to us otherwise,” says Jeff Coey, who oversees Liu’s work and serves as USW vice president based in Hong Kong.

Coey affirms that the Washington wheat grower’s investment in breeding, the promotion of certified seed, and sustainable farming practices make for a compelling story for Washington wheat. “This is all inherently good and gives us much to talk about with customers,” he said. “As much as we love soft white and club for cake flour, if we could change one thing, it would be a reliable supply of hard white from the PNW to gain market share in Asian noodle uses. This would be a solid way to consolidate our position in many Asian markets.”