Colby Dennis, Saint Joseph, Missouri, was recognized as an outstanding young leader in the feed industry at a recent conference. Dennis is the Cost Accounting Administrator at BioZyme® Inc., where he has worked since 2021.
“The goal of the IPPE Young Leaders Under 30 Award is to celebrate, engage and invest in the next generation of young professionals, and their status as up and coming leaders in their companies. BioZyme believes the future of our company and our industry rests on the shoulders of these young people. Nominating Colby Dennis for this recognition was a no-brainer as he is and will continue to be an up-and-coming leader in our company and industry. He deserves recognition for the amazing work he has done and will continue to do inside our company,” said Lisa Norton, BioZyme President and CEO.
The International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE), produced by the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA), the Meat Institute and the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY), is in its 12th year of recognizing the IPPE Young Leaders Under 30 Award. The program exposes these young leaders to the latest industry technology, and also allows them to attend valuable educational programs to assist in their leadership development. Dennis attended the IPPE event and received recognition during a special ceremony the last week of January.
Dennis is in his final semester of earning his bachelor’s degree in Finance at Missouri Western State University. He said he enjoyed math and numbers in high school and knew he wanted to study finance with perhaps the goal of becoming a financial advisor. However, he was also involved in FFA and competed in contests at the state level each year of high school, including ag knowledge, entomology, forestry and ag mechanics. He was also his FFA chapter’s chaplain in his junior year. He received his State Degree his senior year.
Dennis became acquainted with Norton and her late husband and former BioZyme CEO, Bob Norton, six years ago. His work ethic and dedication impressed them. His shared passion with Lisa for numbers prompted her to offer him an internship his freshman year of college.
“My position at BioZyme is the perfect blend of both my love of finances and my agricultural background. I am truly thankful for the opportunity to receive this honor. I can tell you I’ve learned a lot more working at BioZyme in tandem with my classes than I would just in class,” Dennis said.
“Colby has led a myriad of projects in documenting and determining the costs of our manufacturing processes. These projects were much needed, and he did a great job figuring them out and enhancing the way we think about both the processes and their costs,” Norton said.
Dennis is the second current BioZyme employee to earn this prestigious honor. Lynsey Whitacre, Ph.D., Director of Smarketing and Product Development, received the honor in 2020.
BioZyme, with headquarters in Saint Joseph, Missouri, is a global leader in fermentation. It uses its proprietary strain of Aspergillus oryzae to develop pre- and post-biotics under the brand AO-Biotics®. In addition, BioZyme offers supplements and animal health products for a variety of animals including cattle, swine, poultry, sheep, goats, horses and dogs. The BioZyme Family of Brands includes AO-Biotics®, VitaFerm®, Gain Smart®, Sure Champ®, Vitalize®, DuraFerm® and Backyard Boost®. BioZyme reaches a global market of customers throughout the U.S., Canada, South America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.