| Feed Energy News - 2010 Edition 6 |
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| Seeing the Next Step
Dr. Kevin Roberson – What’s a Nice Guy Like This Doing in Wakefield, Nebraska? Meet Sam Scheidler … Executive Director, Feed Energy Company Troy Shoen Named Director of Marketing Good News About the Good Egg People at Rose Acre Farms If you know someone who might be interested in this newsletter, you can send them this issue using the "Send to a Friend" link at the bottom of this email. |
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| Meeting Madness … Feed Energy was well represented at regional and national events in February and March
Riley and Lindquist Attend Purchasing and Ingredient Suppliers Conference - From March 8 to 12, Bob Riley, CEO/President, and Bruce Lindquist, Account Manager, joined 475 colleagues at the American Feed Industry Assn. (AFIA) Purchasing and Ingredient Suppliers Conference in San Antonio. “This continues to be a well-planned conference with excellent sessions,” says Bob. “From market trends to carbon-footprint issues, we heard a lot of good information from several perspectives.” While Bob is a member of AFIA’s Information Technology Committee, Bruce attends as a member of the Liquid Feed Committee. 2010 Midwest Meeting ADSA and ASAS - Feed Energy’s R&D Chemist Mahfuz Abdullah joined Account Manager Bruce Lindquist at the annual joint meeting of the American Dairy Science Association and the American Society of Animal Science. More than 1,000 attended this annual meeting in Des Moines in March. The issue getting the most attention at the meeting was mycotoxins and their affect on feed intake. Halstead Hears Positive News About Poultry and Turkey Growers - Cal Halstead, Feed Energy Account Manager and Vice President of the Iowa Turkey Federation, attended three annual conferences recently. “I had the opportunity to represent Feed Energy at the National Turkey Federation (San Antonio), Nebraska Poultry Industries (Columbus), and the Midwest Poultry Federation (St. Paul). A repeating message was the positive economic outlook for the industries in 2010.” Cal says it appears that production cutbacks are beginning to improve the profitability of growers. That message began at the at NTF’s 70th Annual Meeting with remarks by ag-economist Dr. Tom Elam who said the industry has responded well to 2009’s double whammy of the recession and feed costs. “At NTF, too, I was reminded of how much work is done to benefit the industry from legislative oversight to improving food safety across the nation…an excellent forum to provide input to the sustainability of the industry.” Cal added, “At Nebraska, I was reminded why this is a meeting not to miss. Susan Joy and staff had an exceptional line-up of speakers this year, covering topics from pest management to El Nino.” Cal noted, too, that the Midwest Poultry meeting is always a productive event highlighted this year by the remarks of ISU’s Dr. Mike Persia who presented an informative and unbiased look at interpreting research. |
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Feed Energy Company Earns Safe Feed, Safe Food Re-certification
Iowa Turkey Federation  |
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| Mike Van Weelden’s Service Tip
Before we get to the safety tip for this issue, which will discuss tank ladder safety, I want to first give very well-deserved congratulations to the Feed Energy Des Moines plant for achieving a perfect safety record in 2009. Safety benefits each of us, FE employees as well as customers. Sam Scheidler states, “As we move into 2010 we will continue to strive for continued excellent performance in safety at ALL of our operations.” LADDER SAFETY  The most recent accident statistics suggest that the working men and women in America abuse and misuse both fixed and mobile ladders in the workplace as a rule rather than an exception. These accidents can be avoided. The fact is, a ladder can be one of the safest tools to use if some commonsense is applied to the given situation at the time of its use.
Under the provisions of 29 CFR 1926, Sub Part X, employers must provide a training program for employees using ladders. The training must enable each employee to recognize hazards related to ladders. This training must be conducted by a competent person as per the regulations. Most ladder accidents are the result of careless or improper ladder usage, making a well designed and well-taught ladder safety program well worth the effort. The following information deals more specifically with the ladders Feed Energy employees and customers come in contact with almost every day. These ladders are typically affixed to fat tanks but the guidelines can also be applied to ladder use in general where various liquids may be present.
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| 2010
June 9-11 - World Pork Expo - Des Moines “If you are in Des Moines for the World Pork Expo in June,” says Account Manager Cal Halstead, “Please stop in and say hello.” He adds that you are welcome to use the Feed Energy parking lot and that there will be snacks and refreshments available each day of the Expo. Hope to see you in June! June 9-11 - Minnesota Turkey Growers Association Summer June 15-17 - Iowa Turkey Federation Summer Meeting - Altoona, IA September 14-16 - Iowa Poultry Association Fall Festival - Okoboji, IA November 29 - December 1 - Iowa Turkey Federation Winter Meeting - West Des Moines, IA |
| Seeing the Next Step by Bob Riley, President/CEO |
"Change Starts When Someone Sees the Next Step" – William Drayton
 Some say “We love progress but hate change.” Others say “If we want things to stay the same, things will have to change.” With these contradictions in mind, I write this issue’s column.
The pursuit of excellence requires growth. Growth requires change. Change can bring about continuous improvement. These are internal principles that I have used for a very long time (almost 25 years!) as we have served, and continue to serve, our customers, suppliers, employees, stakeholders and our neighbors. With a new look at the ever-changing business climate, I felt we could rearrange the services we offer externally to more adequately satisfy our customers’ needs. This restructuring will allow our collection of companies to better connect to our client-partners, in order to achieve sustainability for all. I believe we can provide a template that can be used for many endeavors, be they in business, in government, or in community organizations. By organizing our resources effectively, we ensure they are leveraged for the benefit of everyone involved.  Riverhead Resources – Through my experiences, and in talking to many companies about their challenges, I determined a solution - a collection of management skill sets that addresses our common concerns and can be shared with many. Thus the  2010 launch of Riverhead Resources, which offers key business services and products to help entrepreneurial companies grow and capture value inside their businesses. Riverhead’s team of experts provide tools such as strategy development, business improvement systems, marketing support, human resource services, accounting/finance, research and development, laboratory services and more.
 FEC Solutions – Feed Energy works to have a robust supply chain management system, to insure a steady flow of materials to its customers. FEC  Solutions is a component of this supply chain. I formed this company in 2006 to keep the supply steady, and also to iron out the pricing peaks and valleys that come with a new market. FEC Solutions markets corn oil for ethanol plants to help them capture market value for their oil products. FEC Solutions provides corn oil to Feed Energy and to the biodiesel markets, export, and special use customers.
 Decision Innovation Solutions – DIS is helping us see the future, and can do the same for you. The company offers stochastic modeling, data analysis, and economic research such as critical farm and land use data analysis. Their reports provide companies and government entities significant confidence in making policy, business and investment decisions.
 Feed Energy Company – Since 1986 our foundation has been to provide the highest quality and safest livestock and poultry feed available in the market today. We believe our longevity is a  result of our commitment to customers, suppliers, employees and friends. Our synergy with Riverhead Resources, FEC Solutions and DIS will allow us to continue providing a superior level of products and customer service every step of the way.
I am and will remain very actively involved as a leader and participant with each of these exciting initiatives. My focus on financial, environmental, and social sustainability excites me more every day. As I continue to direct new ideas, knowledge and experiences into our collection of companies, it is with a vision of bringing solutions and value to all the communities in which we work and live. |
| Dr. Kevin Roberson – What’s a Nice Guy Like This Doing in Wakefield, Nebraska? |
| Well, you could say that he’s doing what he’s wanted to do since he was a youngster growing up in Hermitage, TN, about 15 miles east of Nashville. When we caught up with Kevin, which is not easy to do as he oversees the feeding of roughly 9-10 million layers over the course of a year, we asked him how he got involved in the animal nutrition business. Kevin’s answer gives you an idea of how positive experiences can have a life-long influence on children. “I was not raised on a farm, although I really enjoyed animals and dogs in particular. I also enjoyed animal science and working in the lab, so you could say that I am just continuing the work I started as a youngster,” he states.
When you speak with Kevin you get the distinct impression that there really isn’t anything he would rather be doing than what he is doing right now. He seems to bring a real passion for his work at Michael Foods. “I chose Michael Foods because I really wanted to work with layers. The egg industry  is very exciting right now with lots of avenues for the product and I really jumped at the opportunity. I’ve also found that I really enjoy working with the layers because of their longevity as well as the process of setting, maintaining and monitoring the feeding cycle.”
“I also enjoy working and interacting with the breeders such as Hy-Line and Centurion Poultry,” he comments. “They are able to take the traits we desire and basically ‘build’ a bird for us and our needs.” As we do with the other professionals we interview for this newsletter, we like to pick their brains a little about issues and trends, and we did not miss the opportunity with Kevin. When we asked about industry issues Kevin gave us both an internal and external view. Issues Internal – “Because we don’t molt the layers (average life of a layer is 80 weeks unless a molt is induced which extends the life to 110 weeks), shell quality becomes an issue. We have to be able to get the eggs from the layer house to the breaker without damage. This means we need to add nutrients such as Zinc, Vitamin D or Magnesium to give the shells resistance to breakage.” External – “Animal welfare has become a huge issue for all of us involved in animal agriculture,” states Kevin. “Because it is the right thing to do, we train our people in how to give proper care as well as maintain comprehensive records using the guidelines established by the United Egg Producers. Some states are going the legislation route to get bills passed that regulate animal welfare. The issue is being taken on at the state level because the people involved are really better informed than they are at the local level.” Trends We also asked Kevin about trends he is observing or experiencing and he shared some of that information with us. “We are seeing that the birds today seem to need more 'energy' in order to maintain production levels. This is in line with what we’ve been taught which is that we will get better production with higher levels of energy inputs. Energy enzymes have helped some, but we see a real benefit to having fat in the rations. As a matter of fact, Feed Energy helped us develop our own animal/vegetable fat blend to meet our requirements. We enjoy and value the great service we get from Feed Energy." Kevin also mentioned one additional trend and that has to do with the Clean Air Act and how the government will interface on air quality. Michaels is working on amino acid levels to get a handle on this issue. They also dry their own manure and sell it to area farmers which is certainly a great environmental strategy. So now you know what a nice guy like Kevin is doing in Wakefield, Nebraska! |
| Meet Sam Scheidler … Executive Director, Feed Energy Company |
 Sam Scheidler was named Executive Director of Feed Energy in 2009, but he is certainly no stranger to the company. Sam has been a Feed Energy Board Member since 1986.
“When I purchased Feed Energy in ‘86, I knew getting experts on the Board was important,” says Feed Energy CEO Bob Riley. “I respected Sam’s advice during my early days in the industry at National By-Products and that respect continues today. His broad experiences and common sense approach have been assets to the company.” That respect led Bob to recruit and hire Sam in 2003 as Chief Operating Officer. Today, Sam oversees the operations and performance of Feed Energy Company. He is also a member of the corporate Strategic Leadership Team, which has a critical role in developing new business activities. Prior to joining Feed Energy, Sam held positions with National By-Products in Arkansas, and the Gamble Law Firm in Des Moines. Most recently, he was President of Monsanto subsidiaries’ Corn States Hybrid Service and Holden’s Foundation Seeds. Sam is former Director of both the Iowa Seed Association and the U.S. Grains Council and is a member of the Iowa State Bar Association . Sam grew up in Avoca, Iowa, and now he and his wife live in Urbandale, Iowa. Sam enjoys golfing, reading, traveling, and spending time with his grandchildren. |
| Troy Shoen Named Director of Marketing |
 Feed Energy is pleased to announce that Troy Shoen joined the company in December as Director of Marketing. Troy has more than eight years of experience in marketing, branding, research, and market/product development in the food service, food ingredient and consumer durables industries. He most recently worked for ACH Food Companies as a marketing manager and received his masters in business administration from the University of Iowa’s Henry B. Tippie School of Business.
“Troy’s experience will allow us to take a very aggressive approach to new product and market development as well as working to become more knowledgeable about the markets we currently serve,” states Bob Riley, President and CEO. Troy will also head marketing initiatives for FEC Solutions, Riverhead Resources, and Decision Innovation Solutions. In 2010 Troy completed Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) Implementer training and is now one of just seventeen trained EOS implementers in the US. EOS helps small businesses crystallize their vision, gain traction and create healthy, functional and cohesive leadership teams. |
| Good News About the Good Egg People at Rose Acre Farms |
 We love these kinds of stories because they clearly demonstrate the true American spirit we and our customers embrace here in the Midwest. Rose Acre Farms is a long-time Feed Energy customer. Enjoy this story that recently appeared in the Guthrie Center Times.
It all started as a national news story in Michigan last week and ended Tuesday at Rose Acre Farms in Guthrie Center. Last Thursday, 80 family farmers in Michigan donated 620,000 eggs to help feed the needy in Haiti. The eggs were cracked and pumped in liquid form into a tanker truck from Herbruck's Poultry Ranch near Ionia, Michigan. The 49,480 lbs. of liquid eggs arrived at Rose Acre Farms Monday for dehydration. Not only were all the eggs donated, but so was all the labor and processing provided by Rose Acre Farms, according to Guthrie Center complex manager Mike Clayton. Clayton explained the dehydration process. "This morning we pumped the eggs from the tanker into our cooling tanks. We have to pasteurize them, just the same as milk products. We can pasteurize 30,000 lbs. of eggs per hour, so this process took an hour and a half." "From there the eggs go to our drier. In the drying operation, the liquid eggs are pressurized to 3,000 p.s.i., and then sprayed through nozzles into the drier, which is heated to 430 degrees Fahrenheit. Within six seconds of leaving the nozzle, the eggs are dried. It will take us 15 hours to dry all 49,000 lbs. When completed, the dried eggs will weigh nearly 12,000 lbs. Then we bag them and put them in 50 lbs. boxes." Clayton grabbed a calculator and said, "That's 240 boxes, the equivalent of 216,000 meals. According to the Grand Rapids Press, the value of the donated eggs, processing, and transportation to Haiti is valued at $100,000. The dried eggs will be distributed from the American Egg Board's "Good Egg Project" to USAID "Food for the Poor." |
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