Letters from Lisa

What Did 2023 Mean to Me? 

As we enter a new year, I always like to reflect on the past. 2023 was a year of recovery in many ways. To be honest, for me, 2022 went by without any real intention, but more so I was merely trying to make it from one day to the next. Grief is a funny thing; it sneaks up on you and doesn’t really care what you need or where you are trying to go. 

I was quite happy and relieved when I made it to 2023, hoping things would at least start moving week to week, not only day to day. And as He always does, God delivered. BioZyme has taken advantage of this time and accomplished many items that will have a significant impact on our very bright future. They include: 

  1. Tripling our fermentation and downstream capacity and ensuring that capacity allows for the most complex and impactful fermentation possible. This will ensure we can continue using fermentation and the knowledge we receive from it to develop passionate solutions for undeniable impact. 
  1. Restructuring the company governance to have a dynamic, experienced board of directors that represents all the opportunities and challenges BioZyme faces – industry, science, use of funds and historical perspective. 
  1. Expanding the manufacturing and sales teams so we have the mental and physical recourses to not be reactive but proactive and working to be amazingly predictive. 
  1. Getting our market channels better defined so we can help animals through all of our abilities, including nutrition, health, additive technologies and manufacturing expertise.  This has resulted in two new divisions: animal health and toll manufacturing (pelleting, minerals, fermentation/DSP, liquids and gels) both of which have a very bright future. 
  1. Expanding our operation to have an equine-safe line. This separate line allows us to manufacture in a 100% safe environment from a horse’s perspective. This also allowed all our manufacturing, outside of the tubs, to be in-house. This accomplished goal is one we have had for a few years. 
  1. Always looking ahead with intention, to ensure we don’t miss a chance to grow as humans in providing care that comes full circle in all that we do. 

In 2024, we’ll set our sights up high,  

With dreams as vast as the endless sky.  

The future opportunities, we can’t deny,  

A world of success will be nigh. 

In every heart, a burning desire, 

To reach higher, to aspire.  

In this year, we won’t tire,  

For hard work is what we require. 

We’ll innovate, create and explore,  

To open new pathways and unlock the door.  

Challenges faced, we’ll conquer and more, 

The future’s success, we’ll surely implore. 

With diligence, hard work, and funation,  

We’ll build a cool but thankful foundation.  

In 2024, a global celebration,  

Of progress, growth and realization. 

In our strategies, willingness to change and graphic arts,  

We’ll make our mark, playing our parts.  

While innovation will set us apart,  

Always working toward a brighter future and a fresh start. 

So let us march into this year, with hope and purpose, without fear.  

In 2024, success will be clear. 

Innovating Animal Health: The Journey Beyond Nutrition

If you know much about BioZyme®, chances are you might have heard of Larry Ehlert. Ehlert, a former feed salesman founded BioZyme in the 1950s across the street from the Saint Joseph, Missouri Stockyards. He subsequently purchased a patent and marketing rights to an unheard-of direct fed microbial produced from a fungus called Aspergillus oryzae, the basis of Amaferm, or what today we call AO-Biotics® Amaferm.

Ehlert was a visionary. He started producing and selling supplements with Amaferm in them, one of the first was VitaFerm®, which still exists today. But he knew producers didn’t know about direct fed microbials and wanted to get them exposed to the emerging technology. He knew the best way to educate cattle producers about Amaferm was through the animal health sector. Who did they trust for advice in the 1970s? Their veterinarians.

“Larry’s instinct was to work with vets because they understood the stress that livestock endured at specific time periods of life. If Larry could bring Amaferm to the animal health business through veterinarians, their clients could see how fast it works in times of stress, and Larry would have the buy-in of the vet. Then, the producers might better understand what Amaferm could do in a mineral program,” explained Kevin Glaubius, long-time BioZyme employee and Area Sales Manager in Nebraska.

After establishing a mineral program, BioZyme later began introducing animal health or small pack products that helped manage the side effects of stress in situations like weaning, hauling, processing, illness, diet changes or environmental changes. These products were originally sold as powders and boluses made for all species and formed the basis for BioZyme’s Vita Charge® Technology.

“Vets didn’t always have the time or space to sell 50-pound bags of mineral. But they could recommend these smaller products that worked fast and helped build immunity or got calves to the bunk or water tank faster,” Glaubius said.

The Evolution of Vita Charge Technology

With Ehlert’s foresight, the Vita Charge products of the 1970s grew and evolved. Livestock and pet enthusiasts appreciated the rapid response of these products, and Vita Charge increased in popularity. As time and technology evolved, so did the product offering.

Powders and boluses transitioned to pastes, liquids and tubs. The pastes eventually evolved to easier to use water-based gels in 2018 when BioZyme purchased Cogent Solutions Group in Lexington, Kentucky.

This proved to be a pivotal point in the evolution of all Vita Charge products. Cogent, a trailblazer in the research, development and production of liquid and gel products in the human and equine industries, brought a wealth of manufacturing knowledge to BioZyme.

With the purchase of Cogent, BioZyme could now make all Vita Charge products, with the exception of tubs, “in house,” utilizing cutting edge technology and automation.

What is the Vita Charge Technology?

According to Ignacio Ipharraguerre, Ph.D., Director of Research and Innovation, the primary focus in developing the Vita Charge Technology was to rapidly safeguard the gut from potential harm. The gut serves various vital functions, including a crucial role in maintaining animals in optimal health and well-being.

“Unfortunately, the inner layer of the gut, known as the mucosa, undergoes rapid renewal, rendering it highly susceptible to the impacts of stressful events. Simply put, any type of stress, even psychological stress, affects the gut mucosa, diminishing its protective barrier function. This protective function is crucial to prevent harmful inflammation and preserve the animal’s ability to digest and absorb nutrients,” he said.

The gut can become dysfunctional within minutes following exposure to stressful situations such as transportation, vaccination or negative interactions with other animals or caregivers. Although these adverse effects may be brief, they undoubtedly create a gateway for significant issues to arise. Consequently, Ipharraguerre and his team worked to create a rapid and effective solution to safeguard animal performance, health and overall well-being during and after stressful periods.

“This foundational work, which extended over several years, involved in-depth research and analysis to understand the intricate ways in which Amaferm and MOS interact with biological processes. The result is a comprehensive understanding of their synergistic effects, ensuring that Vita Charge is not just a product of development but a culmination of years of dedicated investigation and knowledge-building,” Ipharraguerre explains.

Stress also tends to deplete certain nutrients more than others. This is largely due to the “fight or flight” response prioritizing the support of the heart, lungs and muscles. During this physiological survival mode, the digestive process also ceases to be of high priority. The body will either immediately try to get rid of any undigested food (causing diarrhea) or will simply slow down.

The Vita Charge Technology is comprised of a unique blend of ingredients to help support animal health before, during or after the stress response. Every product with Vita Charge Technology contains an exact amount of B vitamins, vitamin E, potassium, zinc, MOS and Amaferm. In addition, a precisely defined salt to sugar ratio was developed and incorporated into the technology to support hydration. This combination provides undeniable impact to livestock under stress, embodying BioZyme’s overall purpose to provide “care that comes full circle.”

Vita Charge Technology in 2024 and Beyond

Although Ehlert had the foresight to position BioZyme as an animal health company nearly half a century ago, BioZyme has long been known for the many nutritional supplements found within the BioZyme family of brands. Brands like VitaFerm®, Sure Champ®, DuraFerm®, Gain Smart® and Vitalize® are becoming more familiar with livestock producers and equine enthusiasts.

In 2024, BioZyme will integrate the Vita Charge products into two of BioZyme’s more popular brand lines. The production cattle products like Stress Tubs and five-liter Cattle Drench will be marketed under the VitaFerm label. All gels, Liquid Boost® and the 32-ounce Cattle Drench will be marketed under the Sure Champ label.

“Both of the Sure Champ and VitaFerm names are really well-known brands within our industry. We feel that this transition will be a simple one with some good education, and perhaps less confusion with an extra brand,” said Lori Lawrence, Senior Manager of Commercial Marketing. “We have spent months working on this project, and we know we will continue to provide an undeniable impact to the livestock industry with our Vita Charge Technology, now found in our customer’s favorite BioZyme brands.”

All formulas will remain the same, only brand names will be slightly different, but the products will be marketed “with Vita Charge Technology” to help eliminate any confusion. For example, Liquid Boost will become Sure Champ Liquid Boost with Vita Charge technology. Same formula, same great results.

One product name will change. The Vita Charge Gel will become Sure Champ Appetite Plus®, indicating more of its direct impact to the animal.

Glaubius encourages livestock producers who haven’t used the products to find a dealer near them and try the products with Vita Charge Technology. He reminds users that the unique formulas work to support animals against a broad spectrum of unintended side effects from stress, something we often cannot control.

“The carefully crafted combination of Amaferm, MOS, B vitamins and other ingredients by BioZyme’s team of research scientists and nutritionists have been proven time and time again to help animals before, during and after stressful situations,” Glaubius said.

To learn more about the full range of products, visit VitaFerm or Sure Champ.

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Changes Coming in January

VITA CHARGE® TECHNOLOGY MOVES TO FLAGSHIP BRANDS

Starting in January, dealers and end-users will start to see some familiar products in the VitaFerm® and Sure Champ® brands. Although the products might have new names and labels, they are not necessarily new to the BioZyme family of brands. BioZyme is repositioning the Vita Charge products into either VitaFerm or Sure Champ to continue to provide undeniable impact to our customers.

The change comes after months of market and sales research, in an attempt to help increase efficiencies across all brands. All products will continue to be marketed “with the Vita Charge technology,” a fast-acting proprietary blend of ingredients that support animals during, before and after times of stress. All products will continue to have the same great formulas that customers have come to know and trust.

The production cattle products like Stress Tubs and 5L Cattle Drench will be marketed under the VitaFerm label.

All gels, Liquid Boost® and the 32 oz. Cattle Drench will be marketed under the Sure Champ label. Traditional Vita Charge Gel is being renamed Sure Champ Appetite Plus® with Vita Charge Technology, to better describe its function.

Both of the HydraBoost® products for swine become available only on special order, and no longer will be on the price list, once current inventory is depleted, much like HydraBoost AVX.

This will be a rolling change, as inventory of currently labeled products is depleted from inventory. Look for more information on the upcoming changes coming soon in the Online Dealer Center, Dealer Facebook Page and in your email.

How Dealers Can Work with ASMs to Plan their Growth

“The nature of life is to grow,” said Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. This famous quote suggests that growth is an inherent characteristic of life itself.

Long-time BioZyme® Area Sales Manager (ASM) Chris Kyle offers some advice when it comes to setting a growth goal for the approaching year. Kyle, who works with dealers in Arkansas, Louisiana and east Texas said he encourages his dealers to start thinking about the budgeting and planning process for the next year at the beginning of Quarter 4 the year prior.

“I usually start putting that reminder out there by the first of October. Then around the end of October or first of November, I like to sit down with my dealers to talk through how they see their sales going for the next year,” he said.

Be Strategic to Grow

Kyle offers advice to dealers as they think through and establish their sales goals for the next year.

First, they look at the current year’s sales. Now, it is time to set the bar a little higher and forecast growth. Kyle said individual dealers’ goals will vary and should align with their action plan and what level of BioZyme dealer they strive to become.

Sales growth can come in a variety of different forms. Revenue can be created by introducing new BioZyme products or brands, obtaining new customers within the same markets serviced in the past or selling more products to existing customers.

The BioZyme family of brands offers ample opportunities to introduce new products into a dealership. In addition, BioZyme’s new product development team works diligently to add new products to its lineup each year, ensuring you always have new opportunities for growth.

These products can be sold to new customers or even existing customers. With the recent Vita Charge® Cattle Drench campaign, several dealers increased sales by offering this product to existing VitaFerm® or Gain Smart® customers.

Finally, consider new business opportunities that you might have. Did you have a new producer move to your sales area? Will you have a producer meeting and invite prospective customers? Kyle’s experience shows that both these help his dealers increase sales, especially in the spring and fall.

Want to grow in 2024? Ask your ASM to schedule a time to help plan your action.

Making The Most of Chick Days: Chicken Products, Sales Strategies and The Value of Planning Ahead

As any seasoned dealer can tell you, Chick Days is more than a routine—it’s a boom or bust moment for any vendor in the world of chicken products. As a dealer or feed store owner, you’re not just witnessing a surge in demand; you’re at the forefront of a thriving market. That means there’s genuine opportunity there that you might not initially realize. 

Chick Days isn’t just a blip on the calendar; it’s an opportunity for those well-versed in the nuances of poultry commerce and products. In this blog, the BioZyme team is diving into the intricate dance of supply, demand and consumer behavior during this pivotal period. Let’s be frank: as dealers, you are the experts in what your consumers want. You know your community better than we do. That’s why we aim to provide insights that resonate with the seasoned dealer. Our goal is to offer strategies to fine-tune your approach and extract the maximum value from Chick Days. 

And if you’re new to Chick Days and are looking to get an insight into how to best set up your operation for success, we’ve got you covered. This guide is not only intended to be practical but a tool for everyone. Let’s navigate this season together, leveraging your industry acumen to make Chick Days not just profitable but a standout chapter in your business story. 

What’s So Special About Chick Days? 

Chick Days are a period marked by increased interest in chicken products—typically involving the sale of live chicks to enthusiasts and farmers. 

But it’s more than just about buying chicks. This tradition, rooted in the agricultural calendar, serves as a bridge between winter and spring. It signals not only a practical approach to poultry farming but also a cultural celebration of renewal and growth. It’s more than a fun seasonal event—it’s an annual agricultural milestone. It’s also a dynamic sales period. 

Seasonal trends vary based on factors like geographical location and evolving consumer preferences. Understanding these fluctuations is essential. Are backyard enthusiasts looking for specific breeds? Is there an uptick in demand for organic feeds? By deciphering these nuances, businesses can tailor their offerings, aligning with the pulse of consumer behavior during Chick Days. 

Planning for Chick Days 

For the seasoned dealer or feed store owner, Chick Days necessitates a strategic approach. Anticipating the ebb and flow of demand, optimizing inventory and crafting targeted promotions are imperative for success during this critical season. Strategic planning ensures businesses don’t merely navigate Chick Days; they thrive. 

Check out our Starter Guide for Baby Chicks

Our Tips for Ensuring Successful Chick Days for Your Business 

Tip #1: Consider Your Customers 

Identifying your target customers during Chick Days is pivotal. Are they seasoned farmers, backyard hobbyists or first-time enthusiasts venturing into the world of chicken products? These customers are looking for different things from their dealers, and you can service all of them if you’re strategic. 

Customer Preferences for Chicken Products 

This may sound like a lot of work, especially if you’ve run Chick Days in the past, but where there’s products to sell, there’s more money to be made. With that in mind, it’s important to think about what different types of customers may be looking for. Experienced farmers may gravitate towards heritage breeds, valuing their resilience and self-sufficiency. Hobbyists or first-time buyers are likely to prioritize organic or high-end feeds, as they want to guarantee success and don’t know all the ins and outs of caring for chicks. 

It also doesn’t hurt to take some time to examine accessory trends. For instance—novel coop designs, automated feeding systems or eco-friendly bedding options. While not all of these will be right for all your customers, they can be a great source of additional profit. That being said, don’t make investments that don’t match your community’s needs. If your customer-base is exclusively long-standing chicken producers, you don’t need to go all-in on chicken products for first timers. 

It’s important to make these considerations to ensure you’re pre-empting demand. 

Tip #2: Create A Stellar Lineup of Chicken Products 

Beyond live birds, dealers can enhance their product lineup with a comprehensive array of essential supplies and accessories. This encompasses coops, nesting boxes, bedding and other coop management essentials. Creating an all-in-one shopping destination ensures customers have convenient access to all chicken products required for a successful poultry-raising experience. 

The Value of Nutritional Supplements and Feeds 

The nutritional well-being of poultry is a top priority for backyard enthusiasts and farmers alike. Dealers can elevate their offerings by including a range of nutritional supplements and feeds. This includes specialized feeds for different life stages, ensuring optimal growth and egg production. Nutritional supplements, such as those promoting digestive health and immune support, add a layer of care to the product lineup, providing customers with comprehensive solutions. 

BioZyme offers a variety of excellent supplement products through our Backyard Boost brand that you can steer customers toward! 

Backyard Boost Products Include… 

Backyard Boost® Defense 

A liquid supplement for poultry designed to support digestion and a healthy immune response. Backyard Boost Defense contains AO-Biotics® Amaferm®, a prebiotic research-proven to enhance digestibility and provides nutrients needed in times of stress. By adding this green liquid to their fresh water daily, you will promote water intake and hydration. 

Backyard Boost® Daily Essentials 

A pelleted protein supplement for poultry designed to maximize digestibility and egg production. Backyard Boost Daily Essentials also contains Amaferm. Additionally, it contains AO-Biotics® EQE, a postbiotic research proven to enhance egg quality and production. This supplement also provides nutrients needed for overall well-being. 

Backyard Boost® Busy Balls 

A prebiotic treat to help bounce boredom, we designed Backyard Bost Busy Balls to maximize engagement among backyard chickens and improve overall quality of life. Busy Balls also contain Amaferm, making them a powerful tool to supplement nutritional deficiencies and improve overall quality of life for a coop. 

Tip #3: Merchandising for Brick-&-Mortar Stores 

Now this is a subject that the BioZyme marketing team has A LOT to say about. Not just because we’re a big fan of our own work, but because it genuinely improves results for dealers at the checkout counter. And we believe that’s what you deserve. 

If you’re looking to make a killing on chicken products during Chick Days, effective merchandising is more than arranging shelves. It’s all about creating an immersive experience. A well-merchandised store isn’t just a place to buy supplies—it’s a hub engaged customers will want to spend money and acquire information. How do you make that happen? 

Eye-catching Displays and Signage 

Transform your store into a shopping destination with displays. Eye-catching arrangements draw customers in, highlighting the diverse array of chicken products you have available. They also make your store look better and more reputable across the board. You can even be strategic about how you place signage, subtly guiding your customers through the available offerings you carry. 

Create Themed Sections for Ease-of-Access 

In particular, many dealers have success organizing their store with themed sections that mirror the journey of raising chickens. This not only simplifies the shopping experience for customers, it makes it easier for you to keep track of what you’re selling the most of. 

Educate Customers About Products In-Store 

Knowledge is key—empower your customers with information about each product. Engage them through interactive displays and informative signage. We also encourage staying up to date on product details so you can have informed conversations with them! An educated customer is a confident customer, more likely to make purchases that ensure the success of both their flock and your business. 

Check out this blog for additional retail merchandising tips

Tip #5: Think Digitally 

We’re more than willing to recognize that this tip is easier said than done for a small operation. Especially if your customer base is older and less likely to use the internet to keep current on deals, seasonal events and purchasing information. But learning to take advantage of e-commerce platforms or social media to announce available chicken products during Chick Days can be a real boon to your business. 

You can consider running special deals on certain chicken products or allow customers to reserve purchases ahead-of-time online. You could even create social posts highlighting your store to potential users looking to partake in Chick Days. Being easier to find and engage with online will almost always help your sales numbers. 

Advice from an Expert… 

To provide you all with a little more usable information, we consulted with Content and Digital Strategy Manager John Sprong, our resident web marketing expert. 

“If you’re a small dealer servicing a smaller community, it’s important to recognize your ability to reach new people online is going to be modest. It might not be worth the man hours necessary to execute a small campaign for your business. But if there’s a real chance you can reach a larger, untapped audience, make sure your investment is meaningful. Link back to your business’ website, run a countdown ‘til the start of Chick Days, send reminder emails. You might even consider creating a special promotion for the event, and reposting your store’s address to help new folks find you.” 

“I recognize this isn’t going to be practical advice for everyone, but if you have a website, you want to create as many opportunities for your customers to engage with you digitally as possible. This can be through exclusive online deals, eblasts to loyal customers, or Facebook posts that you send out prior to the start of Chick Days. You want to highlight your chicken products, and why consumers should turn to YOU.” 

As Sprong stated rather succinctly, “what matters is planning ahead and following through on that strategy.”   

Tip #6: Encourage Customer Engagement 

As most dealers already know, engaged customers are the heartbeat of a successful business. That’s why great dealers don’t only focus on transactions. They create passionate consumers. This may sound a little hokey, we know, but it’s worth thinking of your business as a community in-and-of itself. This can transform chicken product sales during Chick Days into sustainable, year-round revenue. But how do you do that? 

Build a Community Around Chick Days 

Transforming Chick Days from a transactional event to a community celebration is an investment in the longevity of your business. We have found that small dealers thrive by fostering connections, creating spaces where enthusiasts can share experiences, tips, and the joy of raising chickens. So, what does that look like? 

Involve Your Customers 

Empower your customers to share their Chick Days journey. This can be powerful online, or even in the store. Everything from posting testimonials, leaving business reviews or sharing photos, videos and posts about their journey raising chickens. If you care about their experience, they’ll come back to keep buying from you. It can also do wonders to help encourage other people online to pay you a visit and spend money with you. There’s no better advertising than an enthusiastic customer! 

Think About a Customer Loyalty Program 

Loyalty is a two-way street. Implementing a customer loyalty program not only rewards purchases but also acknowledges engagement. From exclusive Chick Days previews to special discounts, valuable incentives can be a key driver in new business. Who wouldn’t want to be a dedicated customer with a dealer that values them? 

Tip #7: Encourage Feedback 

If you’re a small operation looking to make the most of this Chick Days and improve in the years to come, there’s no better compass than your customers. This holds true for larger dealers and feed stores, too. Nobody knows whether your customers are getting what they want better than your customers. 

That’s why if Chick Days come to a close, and you’re wanting to take stock of what worked and what didn’t, turn to your customers. It’s possible their feedback doesn’t give you much direction. Lots of folks might not be comfortable sharing their unfiltered opinion. But there’s real value in asking for honest feedback. 

Maybe you didn’t have the chicken products they were looking for, or the layout of your store could use a little bit of fine-tuning. All of that is useful information. But also, it lets your customers know that you care about their experience. More than that, it showcases that you want to serve them better in the future. So, even if you get nothing but glowing reviews, checking in with the people you serve can be a great way to ensure you get repeat customers next Chick Days. 

BioZyme Can Help Make the Most of Chick Days 

If you’ve read this blog and are feeling overwhelmed about prepping for Chick Days, don’t worry. BioZyme is here to help. Most standardized retail merchandising supplies can be requested through the Online Dealer Center or through your Area Sales Manager. There are exceptions. 

To request Backyard Boost display boxes, email Sam Albers at salbers@biozymeinc.com, with your dealership name, the type needed (Backyard Bird or Songbird) and quantity needed. These will be delivered to you by your ASM, preassembled. 

Have an idea for something you’d like to see? Submit a Marketing Request or watch the Dealer Facebook page and VISION newsletter for more merchandising material in the future or to ask for help. 

BioZyme Holiday Hours

The BioZyme offices will be closed Friday & Monday, December 22-25 for the Christmas holiday. There will be customer pick-ups until noon,  and no LTL/shipping, on Thursday, December 21. We will resume normal office hours on Tuesday, December 26.

We will also be closed on January 1, for New Year’s Day. There will be customer pick-ups until noon and no LTL/Shipping, on Friday, December 29. We will resume normal office hours Tuesday, January 2.

We wish each and every one of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Planning is Vital to Tracking Today’s Livestock Show Schedule 

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. . .yes, people are gearing up for the holidays. But in the show livestock world, they are also preparing for livestock shows.  

Yes, jackpots are now basically year-round, and the winter majors are happening soon. The livestock show schedule is a crazy, never-ending loop. So, how do breeders and exhibitors prepare? It all comes down to planning. 

Regional Livestock Show Schedules 

Livestock show schedules happen on a somewhat regional basis. In many parts of the U.S., including the Midwest, plains states and coasts, county and state fairs happen in the summer through the fall. This allows young people to take advantage of the summer months, when they are not in school, to work with their animals and attend weeklong county fairs and junior nationals. 

However, in Texas, the leading state for livestock shows based on number of animals shown, the well-known “Texas Majors” happen in the winter through spring. The Southwestern Livestock Exposition, commonly known as Fort Worth kicks off this string of multi-species major livestock competitions in January. 

Other southern states like Georgia, for example, start showing new projects just like they do in Texas in November and December. These first-time projects are getting their start now and will wrap up in late spring. 

Check out our list of shows at the end of this blog HERE.

Impact on Breeders 

Regionalized livestock show schedules allow for some breeders to have year-round marketing outlets. For instance, those who raise show pigs can breed for and farrow summer pigs for those in the south who need pigs that will finish in the winter and spring. Since sows have a shorter gestation length than a cow, they can have on average 2.57 litters per year. Thus, realistically a sow will have two litters of pigs, which means show pig breeders will have the opportunity to market to two different sets of clientele.  

Of course, cattle breeders don’t have that luxury; but cow-calf producers either fall or spring calve, and there are always options available for exhibitors. 

Livestock Show Schedules Run on Exhibitor Ages 

For most breed associations and youth programs like 4-H and FFA, there are age minimums and maximums for the participant. Depending on the organization and the location, most of the ages are by January 1. However, some of them are set by the actual show date or another date, like September 1. Always be sure to read and know the particular show guidelines set forth by the show or organization.  

You don’t want to get to a show and realize that your son or daughter is not the correct age to show, after you have invested the expense and time into a show project. Read and reread the rules carefully and keep them with you in case you have any questions or concerns. 

How Can Dealers Help Exhibitors Power Champions? 

It is important for dealers to help their customers power champions by keeping a full line of Sure Champ® products stocked during your particular show season. If you live in an area where shows happen year-round, you want to keep the staples like Liquid Boost®, Sure Champ® Joint Juice, Sure Champ® Cattle and the gel products on hand.  

If you have shows in primarily the summer months or live in a warmer, southern climate be sure to have Sure Champ® Extreme with ClariFly® stocked, as that multi-specie product is a crowd favorite in the heat when flies become a challenge. 

Take Advantage of Tools For Success 

Need help promoting these Sure Champ products? We have got you covered there too! Visit the SAMM Center to request all your marketing materials and literature. 

Do you use Promoboxx? Promoboxx is free to our dealers, and we have social media posts already created for these products. Use these to your advantage! If you don’t have Promoboxx, sign up today. It simplifies your social marketing and offers you posts across all of the BioZyme family of brands. You can find more information about Promoboxx under the Marketing Tab in the Online Dealer Center

Tracking livestock show schedules in your area can be a challenge. However, with proper planning you can help your customers power their champions by providing the products they need from Sure Champ. You can also provide a list of upcoming shows. Nearly every show has a social media site, so follow or like the show on Facebook or Instagram so you can keep up with deadlines and dates, and perhaps post those dates on your own social media as a service to your customers. Although many states have a show of some kind on every weekend, we have provided a list of national shows for you to have handy for you to track.  

Changes Coming in December

SAMM CENTER NOW REQUIRES PRE-PAYMENT

Starting December 1, we will now require customers to prepay for all orders for marketing materials ordered through the SAMM Center using a credit card. All regular product orders will be invoiced based on the customers’ preset terms. Marketing materials and apparel purchased through the SAMM Center will be the items that require prepayment.

WATCH ONLINE DEALER CENTER FOR HOLIDAY SHIPPING/PICK-UP HOURS

The BioZyme offices will be closed December 22-25 to allow our BioZyme family the time to celebrate Christmas with their families. Please watch for email and text communication or watch the Online Dealer Center for more details about deliveries and pick-ups the week of December 18.

Dealer Spotlight

Missy Hess married into the BioZyme® business. Arnold Hess had been a BioZyme dealer since the early 1970s, and he loved the products for his cowherd. He had already been a dealer for 25 years when he and Missy married; it was a package deal.

Arnold passed away in 2021, but Missy’s love for Arnold and the products kept her on track with her business. At the 2023 Dealer Retreat, she was recognized for 52 years as a BioZyme dealer.

“I have friends and family to sell to and am always working to find new customers since there is no feedstore nearby. We have always helped the feeders and other cow-calf operators in the area. I knew it is what Arnold would want me to do,” Missy said.

Missy has always had a passion for livestock and the people who raise them. She was the first female to compete on the Louisiana State University Livestock Judging Team. That was in 1975. She recounts a recent story about her flight home from the Dealer Retreat when she met a group of young livestock judgers from Florida. They were thrilled to meet the first lady judger from LSU, and asked Missy for a group photo in the Atlanta airport –at Midnight. One of those young people even looked Missy up at the All-American Junior Brahman Show in Texarkana, Arkansas, where Missy’s granddaughter was competing.

She said the biggest benefit of being a BioZyme dealer is meeting new people.

“I like having people call me and getting to promote the products,” she said. “The mineral has definitely helped our operation.”

Missy currently runs F1 cattle that she breeds to Angus bulls to get calves that are one-quarterBrahman. She said her cattle receive Amaferm® in their entire time on her ranch, either through theVitaFerm® or Gain Smart® mineral. She also runs an Angus herd.

Missy easily epitomizes care that comes full circle. Congratulations, and thank you, for a great 52 years!

Featured BioZyme Team – Cogent Solutions Group

Cogent Solutions Group was founded in 2005 in Lexington, Kentucky, with its early focus on the equine industry. From the very onset, Cogent has developed products with proven efficacy. The company’s focus is unique in that during the product development process, it emphasizes focus on addressing the underlying issues of challenges that humans and animal face – rather than just relieving symptoms. Ultimately, its corporate goal is to improve the quality of life of its customers and their animals by upholding the “care that comes full circle” model. BioZyme acquired Cogent in the summer of 2018. Both companies are founded upon proprietary fermentation-based ingredients. Both uphold the highest quality standards, aiming for safe, accurate products ALWAYS. And both believe in only putting forth products and ingredients that are backed by research that do what they say they will do.

At Cogent, a large percentage of its business is dedicated to contract manufacturing relationships. Cogent’s expertise lies in its ability to take an idea, formulate it, test it, scale it up and adapt its production to suit the needs of its vendor.

Currently, Cogent focuses primarily on manufacturing liquids of varying viscosities from the consistency of water up to a thick gel. They are able to adapt to filling multiple container types and sizes, based upon the vendors’ needs and wishes. In the summer of 2018, Cogent worked to transition all existing BioZyme paste products to water-based gel formulas. That conversion improved:

  • Product consistency across different environments (extreme temperature doesn’t affect the consistency of gels like it does paste)
  • Ease of administration (no more getting stuck in the tubes)
  • Homogeneity & dosing accuracy of the full spectrum of ingredients
  • Product texture (animals seem to prefer the smoothness of the gel over the paste)

Cogent Solutions Group manufactures a unique high-molecular weight hyaluronic acid formula calledMHB3®Hyaluronan. MHB3 is a high molecular weight hyaluronic acid patented & proven for the support of GI tissue integrity, joint, and bone health. It has eight U.S. patents for joint health support (osteoarthritis, bone spurs & more).

Several BioZyme products are powered by MHB3, including:

  • Vitalize®Alimend®
  • Vitalize® Hyaluronex®
  • Sure Champ®Joint Juice
  • Vitalize®Trixsyn®Canine & Trixsyn®Canine Performance
  • Vitalize®Trixsyn®Feline

Cogent also sells and manufactures products for humans, including HyaGlo®, a skincare line, andBaxyl®, supplements for joints and digestive health. To learn more about these products, visit baxyl.com and hyaglo.com

Do you want to carry Baxyl or HyaGlo in your dealership? To get signed up as a wholesaler call (816)238-3326 or visitcogentsolutionsgroup.com/bz-dealer