| Feed Energy News - 2009 Edition 4 |
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| Dr. Dasari Chairs Key Technical Program and Makes Presentation at Recent AOCS Meeting
Dr. Mohan Dasari, Feed Energy’s Director of Research and Development, recently chaired a technical session at the 100th AOCS (American Oil Chemists’ Society) Annual Meeting held in Orlando. The session was titled New Uses of Glycerol. Dr. Dasari is a nationally recognized glycerol expert and has been recognized as a Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award winner (2006). In addition to chairing the technical session, Dr. Dasari also made a presentation as part of a technical session focused on Green Chemistry. Approximately 50 AOCS members attended the technical session titled New Uses for Glycerol which included presentations from four nationally recognized teams of experts in the field of glycerol and its current and theoretical uses. Two of the four presentation teams included recent award winning scientists who’ve been recognized for their work in the glycerol field. Click here for session information. Dr. Dasari also made a presentation titled Enzymatic Processing of Vegetable Oil Refining By-products to a group of approximately 60 AOCS members. This presentation was developed as a result of FEC experiences in using several commercially available enzymes used to process various by-products. The overall objective of the research was to use these enzymes to process by-products as an environmentally green technology alternative to the traditional acid hydrolysis process. Click here for abstract.  Bruce Lindquist Attends AFIA’s Liquid Feed Symposium Bruce Lindquist, Feed Energy Senior Account Manager, recently attended the AFIA’s Liquid Feed Symposium in Memphis, which  had an attendance of approximately 175 professionals from around the country. He reported that there was an excellent line-up of speakers with a particular nod to the presentation made by Jason Henderson of the Federal Reserve. This presentation was very frank and gave the audience some additional confidence in the Federal Reserve according to Bruce.
While attending the LFS, Bruce had his first meeting as a member of the Liquid Feed Committee after being elected to the post in the spring of 2009. Bruce states, “Serving on this committee will benefit FEC customers and suppliers and will make the work involved in serving very worthwhile.” During his first year on the committee Bruce will serve on the Finance and Sponsorship Committee. IPA 2009 Fall Festival  The Iowa Poultry Association held its Fall Festival in West Des Moines, September 22 – 24. Cal Halstead, Feed Energy Senior Account Manager is a Festival Committee member and assisted in the planning of this successful event. An IPA Festival tradition is that Feed Energy hosts the hospitality time both evenings of the event, and this continues to be a great time to make new friends and renew old friendships.
Cal says the highlight of the event was the presentation by the banquet speaker, Bruce Vincent of Libby, Montana. Vincent’s message stressed the need to actively support and promote our animal and livestock production businesses in our communities and with our elected officials. Poultry producers need to spend at least one hour each and every day promoting the industry in general. These efforts will protect the livelihoods of those associated with the poultry industry. Lab Services Update In Feed Energy News 2009 Edition 2 Dr. Mohan Dasari, Feed Energy’s Director of Research and Development, reported on the comprehensive nature of the lab services provided by Feed Energy and how the protocols established are designed to protect Feed Energy customers. One area we touched upon was that Feed Energy uses an outside lab for some of the testing with the objective of providing confirmation on the validity of procedures performed by our in-house lab. Several of our readers contacted us asking for more information about why we use an independent lab when Feed Energy seems to have a comprehensive capability to perform all required testing. 
Dr. Dasari states, “Feed Energy is committed to providing an extra level of assurance to our customers through external testing. The fact that we use the only independent lab in the country which has earned USDA Accreditation and Certification for testing both CHC’s and PCB’s - Diversified Laboratories (Chantilly, VA) - simply adds credibility and trust in the procedures Feed Energy has in place.” Iowa Turkey Federation Launches New Website  The Iowa Turkey Federation recently launched an improved website @ www.iowaturkey.com. Visit the website to see how family farmers in Iowa are making turkey production a sustainable part of their operations. The website has been designed to provide producers and consumers with more information about the industry as well as how to use this tasty and nutritious product. Take a few minutes and check out some of the really great recipes on the website. There is something there for everyone’s taste!
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| Feed Energy Company Earns Safe Feed, Safe Food Re-certification | |||
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| Hyper Cal 3800
Hyper Cal 3800 is a scientifically formulated blend of vegetable oils and high grade animal fats, blended to provide high energy at an economical cost. A balanced blend of unsaturated and saturated fatty acids will assure you of the proper fatty acid profile designed to satisfy the nutritional needs of a variety of species. Hyper Cal 3800 can be relied upon to contain 3800 – 3825 kilocalories of metabolizable energy per pound. Click here for more information. |
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| Mike VanWeelden’s Service Tip
It’s important that you keep a close eye on the float or level indicators in your tank system so that you do not run the risk of your tank overflowing. If the float is bound up or hanging up for some reason, this could cause a very unwelcome delivery of fat! Mike’s suggestion? Get into the habit of pulling on the float or bob every morning just to make sure it is operating freely. It’s a small preventative measure that can prevent a potentially big problem. |
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 Pro Football Fans - Take a Look – You Could Win Six (6) Tickets to a Vikings Home Game Just By Answering This Survey Question! Brett Farve is currently being hailed as the “miracle man” by Vikings fans. He has managed to lead them to an undefeated season (at least so far) by playing much younger than his 40 years should allow. So, here’s our question:
All respondents will get their name thrown into a Feed Energy hat and a drawing will be held once we have made the mailing of this newsletter to those who do not receive it electronically. For those of you who receive the newsletter in a printed format please call (800) 451-9413 to register your answer for the drawing. FEC employees and relatives are not eligible. |
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| 2009
November 11 - Iowa Egg Industry Symposium - Ames November 30 - December 2 - Iowa Turkey Federation Winter Meeting 2010 January 27-29 - International Poultry and Feed Expositions - Atlanta February 9-10 - Agribusiness Showcase & Conference (AAI) - Des Moines February 10-13 - National Turkey Federation Annual Convention - San Antonio February 24-25 - Nebraska Poultry Industries Convention - Columbus, NE March 12-14 AFIA - Purchasing & Ingredient Suppliers Conference - San Antonio March 15-17 - Midwest American Dairy Science Assoc. & American Society of Animal Science - Des Moines March 16-18 - Midwest Poultry Federation Convention - St. Paul June 9-11 - World Pork Expo - Des Moines June 9-11 - Minnesota Turkey Growers Association Summer June 15-17 - Iowa Turkey Federation Summer Meeting - Altoona, IA November 29 - December 1 - Iowa Turkey Federation Winter Meeting - West Des Moines, IA |
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| Sustainability – Feed Energy’s Approach |
 In the last issue of this newsletter I introduced you to the topic of “sustainability”. I shared with you the importance of leaving a legacy of our life’s work in agriculture. We are in the process of providing this legacy… a world that’s a better place to live for our descendents.
But we struggle. How do we pass along the values, perspectives, and principles necessary to continue the “sustainable” model we are trying to develop and perfect? Let me share with you the Feed Energy approach. Feed Energy has undertaken an aggressive strategic planning initiative in an effort to insure that our business model is sustainable. We need to insure our capacity to maintain our leadership position in current and future markets. As we work to strengthen this model, it would be naïve to think that improvements aren’t needed. We characterize this as “going where the future is headed.” Therefore, we need to acquire new skills, tools, and processes to better deal with the unknown. For us it’s all about satisfying the three legs of a sustainable model – providing value to customers and suppliers (“profit is the by-product of quality,”) seeking environmental harmony, and supporting the people and the communities in which we live. If these are satisfied, the future looks bright and inviting. So, when ideas for improvements and changes come forward, we have three checkpoints:
Processes insuring solid footing for a sustainable future include:
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| Dr. Michael Persia Settles in at ISU |
If you look at where Dr. Michael Persia has been located during the past few years you begin to wonder what brought him to Iowa State University this past July as an Assistant Professor of Poultry Nutrition in the Department of Animal Sciences. With a B.S. from Penn State, an M.S. from The Ohio State University and a PhD from Illinois (he likes to say he finally learned to count and is now in the Big 12!), this product of a non-farm central Pennsylvania upbringing will tell you without hesitation that he was attracted to ISU by the amazing interaction and support shown from the industry by both producers and corporate entities. “I’ve never seen the high level of support for an ag college and Department of Animal Sciences like I’ve witnessed at Iowa State,” he comments.
 Being new to the state and the university, Mike has spent a considerable amount of time meeting with industry leaders when and where they are available. Cal Halstead, a Feed Energy Senior Account Manager, met Mike at an Iowa Turkey Federation Board meeting. “It is very exciting that we can attract someone with Mike’s talents and skills and that he will be working with some of Feed Energy’s good customers. We think that poultry producers will be very well-served by Mike’s research emphasis and his sincere desire to create positive and mutually beneficial relationships,” states Cal.
Mike moved to ISU from North Carolina where he was with Syngenta Biotechnology, Inc. and worked on nutrition and enzyme programs. Prior to his 3-year stint in North Carolina, Mike did post-doctoral work at the University of Delaware. When asked about the differences between the corporate and academic worlds Mike states, “You would be surprised at just how many similarities there are between the two although in the corporate world it always comes back to the bottom line.” Mike has an aggressive and focused research agenda which includes three key areas:
As we like to do with other professionals who we feature in this newsletter, we took the opportunity to get Mike’s perspective on current issues and trends in the industry. Here is Mike’s response to the question, “Please identify, from your perspective, the most significant issue facing the industry today as well as the major trend you see developing.” Issue – “The issue that seems to be gaining more momentum every day has to do with animal welfare. As an industry (not just poultry) we need to see more transparency in this area. We know that the majority of producers by far are doing a great job but the only message the public sees or hears is from animal rights groups.” Trend – “It has really been tough to get a handle on feed ingredients because of competition from bio-energy. We need to make sure we can effectively source feed ingredients for the birds because as demand for bio-feedstocks increases again, we will see an increase in competition.” While technically still considered a “newbie,” we think you will be seeing and hearing much more from Mike in the months and years to come. His research focus is relevant and timely, and we predict this Pennsylvania guy has found a home in Iowa and will be putting down some strong Iowa roots. For more information about Iowa State University’s Department of Animal Science and their poultry programs, including the new Egg Industry Center, please click on these links: http://www.ans.iastate.edu/ and http://www.ans.iastate.edu/EIC/. |
| New Account Management Structure Goal Stresses 100% Satisfaction |
During the past six months, Feed Energy’s Leadership Team has embraced the company’s Continuous Improvement initiative by analyzing processes throughout the company. Why? We want to know at all levels that we are connecting with customers and suppliers to achieve our goal of 100% satisfaction. The result: a team tactic to ensure that FEC has input from all involved in the three core processes of Accounts, Production, and Transactions. We call it “The Zipper Approach.”
 Feed Energy’s updated management structure and terminology better reflects how our team “zips together” each core process to better deliver services and products you need. As Feed Energy Executive Director Sam Scheidler said when reviewing the new approach to a visiting group, “We’ve always known how important it is to communicate with you, and now our teams are focused on connecting with you on strategic, tactical, and operational levels. I believe this approach will build our partnership and collaborations and is critical to achieving your 100% satisfaction.”
You will continue to work with familiar names and faces - Cal Halstead, Bruce Lindquist, Jim Hauf, and Paul Knockel. Account Management - Cal Halstead and Bruce Lindquist, Senior Account Managers Feed Energy’s Account Management Team ensures we have the broadest and deepest sustained relationships possible with our suppliers and customers. Their focus will be on long-term partnerships, strong personal links at the strategic, tactical and operational levels and communication of customer and supplier needs among all Feed Energy functions. Production Management - Paul Knockel, Director of Production Management Feed Energy’s Production Management Team is responsible for our overall acidulation and blending operations. Production Management will also be responsible for inventory management, including ingredient and finished goods inventory, inventory buffer management, blending formulation and Quality Control/Quality Assurance. Transaction Management - Jim Hauf, Director of Transaction Management Feed Energy’s Transaction Management Team is responsible for daily interactions with our customers and suppliers. Transaction Management orchestrates each transacted load (ingredient or finished goods), taking into account, pricing, logistics, backhauls, and inventory. 
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| Mike VanWeelden – Is “Service” Really His Middle Name? |
 While we are not going to tell you what Mike’s real middle name is, there are many Feed Energy customers who feel that it should be “Service” regardless of what his parents gave him for a middle name. After 17 years with Feed Energy and progressing “through the ranks,” Mike has become an institution both within FEC and with FEC customers. As Customer Service Manager and Safety Coordinator, Mike is in daily contact with customers who have come to rely on his knowledge and expertise to help them make their operations as efficient and with as few problems as possible.
We asked Mike about where he learned his work ethic, and he told us that his grandfather was fond of saying, “If you get 25 cents for doing something, give 35 cents in value.” We are guessing that this advice has stayed with Mike. He always seems to go above and beyond the call of duty, and days off take a backseat if a customer needs help. “Emergencies don’t take time off,” says Mike. “And, the last thing a customer wants to do is crawl under a leaking fat tank on a hot day.” We did some checking with some of Mike’s co-workers at FEC on their perspective of Mike and what he means to FEC. We thought Senior Account Manager Cal Halstead’s response sums up the collective opinion of FEC staff. “Mike makes everyone at FEC look good,” states Cal. “He is the Service Ambassador for Feed Energy.” When Mike speaks with a customer, he knows how important it is to ask the right questions, if you want to be able to specify a tank system that really meets the needs of the customer. With a vast knowledge of tank systems, as well as the components such as seals and piping that make up those systems, Mike takes a “no one size fits all” approach. Because everything is custom, the needs of the feed mill drive the final specification of the tank system. When he is involved at the front end of the process, he coordinates the initial specifications as prescribed by the customer and works with various suppliers to meet the customer’s requirements. Mike also supervises the installation of new tank systems so FEC customers can be assured that it will be done right the first time. One area that Mike acknowledges as having been a real help to the mills is the area of automation. Most automation is tied into a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) that makes it easier (and less costly) for service and a real help to the feed mills when it comes to calibration. Mike says he spends a great deal of time assisting older feed mills retrofit equipment because of the need for greater capacity. Mike is a believer in promoting preventative maintenance, and he has convinced FEC customers that this approach pays off over the long term. The number of emergencies, which he sees based on a lack of timely maintenance, has really decreased over the past few years. He also acknowledges that the current economy is driving some of the increased maintenance and retrofiting activities because customers would rather keep their systems up-to-date rather than purchase new systems. So the next time you see Mike, don’t bother asking him about his middle name – more than likely he will just smile and get to work taking care of Feed Energy customers just like he’s been doing for the past 17 years. |
| A Look at the Real World of CI |
 In the last issue of our newsletter, we introduced you to our philosophy of Continuous Improvement (CI) and steps to advance our objective to build a sustainable CI plan. This plan began with Six Sigma training and certifications. In this issue you will hear real world insights and stories from key Feed Energy Company personnel who have championed projects initiated during their Six Sigma training in 2009. The fundamental objective for FEC has been the implementation of measurement and tracking methodologies that focus on process improvement.
Feed Energy’s Director of Production Management Paul Knockel, championed the “First Pass Yield” project while taking Six Sigma training and earning Yellow and Green belts. We asked him to tell us a little about his experiences as well as the application of what he learned. “In Production, we deal with lots of data, and unless we can be objective, we can’t really focus on what the data tells us. We learned to focus on the full spectrum of the data and information including center, variation, and shape. You can’t just look at averages, all are equally important. This project helped us understand the importance of measuring devices, the validation of the measuring devices, and the consistent execution of processes.” John Eubank is Feed Energy’s Controller and he, like Paul, championed a project while taking the Six Sigma classes and earning Yellow and Green belts. John’s project “COGS” (aka Cost of Goods Sold), measured and tracked costs tied directly to production. John’s experience as a result of the Six Sigma training has mirrored Paul’s to a certain extent but because each person has a different “internalization” process for the information, his application of what he has learned is different. “The training has really given me confidence in the decisions we make. When we are faced with a choice and one of the choices is backed with data then it makes the decision much easier. The statistical knowledge allows us to bring more to the table in the form of evaluation skills when working with departments from R&D to Operations. In my area, we can spend a lot of time answering questions that later turn out to be insignificant problems. The tracking and measuring skills keep the staff and me from chasing ghosts and that helps us focus on the real issues.” Cal Halstead and Bruce Lindquist are both Senior Account Managers and earned Yellow Belts during the Six Sigma training, and have championed the Supplier Relationship Management/Account Management initiative. We had a chance to talk with both Bruce and Cal about the initiative and how it has been designed to help FEC work with suppliers and customers. “Our goal,” says Bruce, “is to be a better customer for our suppliers and a better supplier to our customers.” FEC found that it was strong in its transactional relationships but work needed to be done in the areas of strategic and tactical relationships (see related article “New Account Management Structure”). Cal provided an example when he said, “In one case, FEC went to a supplier and asked this question, ‘How can we access more product from you and at the same time serve you better?’ The supplier agreed that there were some areas for improvement. The discussion moved from the transactional to the strategic level by just asking that one question.” Bruce adds, “I’ve had similar training in the past, but this training really helped me put theory into practice, particularly the decision-making process.” Cal talked about the single most important lesson he learned from the training. “I have really changed the way that I think about problems – or at least what I thought were problems. We now apply the ‘concept of variation’ which says that until you find what a normal variation may be, there may not be a need for a new direction. I’ve learned to look at a longer time frame and measure more.” Alan Richardson, FEC’s Strategy and Processes Director reiterated that the project teams all took home an important message, “You can’t manage what you can’t measure. So we’ll continue to emphasize tracking and measuring – a critical key to achieving sustainable Continuous Improvement.” |
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