Dealer Spotlight: Roy Umbarger and Sons

Focus on Quality, Family Priorities for Show Feed Manufacturer

Jackson Umbarger is the fourth generation to own and work at Umbarger Show Feeds in central Indiana. Although this family-owned-and-operated feed business has remained in the family for more than 80 years, he said it isn’t just blood that is considered family. The employees, the dealers and the customers are all considered part of the Umbarger family.

“We strive to have that feeling of family. We really do care about your kids and their show livestock. Our company has a family feel and our employee retention rate is high, with a lot of our people having been here 15 plus years. That’s how its always been, and that’s how we like it,” Jackson said.

Jackson oversees the daily operation of the feed company that places its sole focus on show feed manufacturing. A new state-of the-art mill was completed in November to better ensure a consistent, accurate product. All Umbarger feed is manufactured on-site and shipped to its dealer network on a regular basis to deliver accurate, fresh product. For dealers within a two-day driving range, the company uses its own dedicated truck line to deliver to customers. They work efficiently in their dealers’ favor since they are so specialized with low seasonal minimum orders, like this time of year for example. They will also mix products within a pallet.

One of the customer services that Jackson takes great pride in is partnering with like-minded high-quality companies with a show focus whose products they can also distribute to Umbarger dealers. That is one of the reasons their partnership works so well with BioZyme®.

“The BioZyme product line compliments ours. It matches what we believe in. We also put Amaferm® in a lot of our feeds,” he said. Umbarger Show Feeds also distributes Weaver show supplies to its dealers at no additional freight fee – another service to assist its dealers. As Jackson said, if an exhibitor is looking for a big item like a showbox or fitting chute, and his or her local Umbarger dealer can get that item for that person, that person is more likely to build loyalty to that feed dealer instead of taking his or her supply and feed business to a competitor.

One area that Jackson said he would like to focus more on is marketing; however, providing apparel that is trendy and recognizes winners has been effective over time. When he assumed a leadership role in 2008, the company awarded about 40 winners’ jackets that were personalized with the exhibitor name, show name and the Umbarger logo. In 2020, more than 1,500 jackets were awarded, showing the growth of the company and creating even more walking billboards.

Family. Quality. Customer service. For a company whose logo is “we feed champions,” it’s no wonder that they also provide “care that comes full circle.” A partnership like that is just one reason BioZyme values a customer like Roy Umbarger & Sons.

Mark Holmen Joins BioZyme® Inc. Team

Mark Holmen

Mark Holmen, Lanesboro, Minnesota, has joined the sales force at BioZyme® Inc., as an Area Sales Manager. In his new role, he will represent BioZyme working with dealers, potential dealers and end-users in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Holmen has an extensive background in the livestock industry. He was the fifth generation to be raised on his family’s farm and is currently raising the sixth generation, his two sons on that same farm, where they raise Angus and Red Angus cattle and show pig prospects. He has worked the past six years in the beef genetics business. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota – Saint Paul and was a member of its livestock judging team.

“Mark brings a positive attitude and a strong work ethic to this position, as well as a diverse understanding of the beef and dairy businesses. These traits combined with his eagerness to help all producers and dealers succeed will make him a tremendous asset to BioZyme in Wisconsin and Minnesota,” said Mike Wadle, BioZyme Director of National Sales.

As an Area Sales Manager, Holmen will continue to offer dealer support and grow business within his territory through education and promotion of the BioZyme product lines. He will help conduct meetings and represent the company at trade shows while helping end-users meet their goals.

“It doesn’t matter how good producers’ genetics are, if their nutrition is lacking, they are going to have challenges. I’m looking forward to using my diverse background in production, reproduction and nutrition to help them identify different problems on their farms and help them find success in their programs,” Holmen said.

Holmen and his wife, Becky, have two sons, Ryan a high school senior, and Carter a high school freshman. They have recently refurbished a 150-year-old home on their family farm, where they enjoy raising livestock. Holmen enjoys community involvement and was recently elected to his local school board. BioZyme is known for its supplement brands VitaFerm, Sure Champ®, Vita Charge, DuraFerm® and Vitalize®. The company also manufactures and markets Amaferm®, the key additive in all its supplements. For a list of BioZyme Area Sales Managers, visit https://biozymeinc.com/our-staff.

Protect and Recover on the Road with Vita Charge and Prep to Win with Sure Champ!

Vita Charge:

A new year means a new winter show season. Although some of our old favorite stock shows have been cancelled, both on the national and state levels, it seems for each one that is cancelled, at least one new show is planned. Stock show exhibitors are passionate. They are resilient, and the animals they haul need to be resilient to change too. With products from Vita Charge®, those animals will be sure to make the haul and be prepared for any show in any climate at any time.

Vita Charge is a fast-acting, multi-specie livestock supplement for use during stressful times like hauling, changing environments and the added stress of competition, when livestock need protection or assistance in recovery. The Vita Charge line offers versatility in many forms, including liquid, gels and a tub, making application easy depending on what is best for your animal.

Regardless if you are hauling your animal 30 miles to a jackpot or 13 hours to a big-name stock show, you want your animal to look and feel its best. Keep it eating, drinking and performing with the Amaferm® advantage found in Vita Charge products.

Sure Champ:

The Combination of Sure Champ® and Vita Charge in your show barn and on the road is a winning combination to keep your animals healthy and performing. Sure Champ is line a of livestock show supplements that proactively work to assist with the challenges created by the show environment.

Products like Sure Champ Extreme are vital during the heat of the summer, but keep in mind that Sure Champ Extreme is also effective during the extreme cold temperatures, too. And, don’t forget about the new Sure Champ Joint Juice, powered by MHB3® Hyaluronan, the most highly researched and proven hyaluronic acid available. Joint Juice is carefully crafted to naturally support, promote and enhance joint and soft tissue health.

Your Inventory Calendar Can Help Create A Marketing Plan

Developing an inventory calendar can be useful for more than just inventory management. It can serve as the framework and guide for your marketing schedule as well. It makes sense to align marketing and promotion with the inventory you’re housing at the time and to be prepared to turn seasonal stock as quickly as possible.

You know you have the inventory, so why do you need the marketing plan? You surely don’t want to set on the inventory you have for long, and you don’t want to be short on inventory for specific seasons of high demand like breeding, weaning or calving, for example. That is why it is vital to have a marketing plan, which often is synergistic with the inventory you maintain.

Create a Marketing Strategy
Before you create a marketing calendar, it’s important to decide on an overall marketing strategy. Some questions to ask yourself include:

• What is your estimated marketing budget for the entire year?

• Who is your target audience?

• How frequently will you promote your company?

• When is your peak demand? Factor in different times of the year, such as weaning, calving or fairs.

• What kind of media will you use? See the list below.

Once you have answered some of the above questions and have started thinking about your strategy, you can star planning your marketing calendar. Consistency is often one of the biggest struggles for dealers and establishing a marketing plan can give you a guide to follow to help you stay on course and in front of your customers in the most effective way possible.

First, establish the list of marketing tools you plan to use to reach your customers. That list may look something like this:

• Radio Ads

• Social Media – Promoboxx, Facebook, Twitter

• Email Marketing

• BioZyme Quarterly Mailers

• Print advertisements

Next, reference your inventory calendar to know what items you should be promoting for that respective month. Promotions need to be done in advance of your selling season to prepare customers, so it’s always good to set your marketing plans in advance. A general rule of thumb is to begin talking about products six weeks to a month before that buying season really starts to take off. Your customers and prospective customers are studying and researching the next product they’re going to use well in advance of making a purchase.

An inventory calendar will help paint a visual picture of the opportunities you have to focus on, what promotional efforts could be combined or if it is necessary to run multiple campaigns simultaneously. Obviously, margin and/or volume will factor into your focus each month, but don’t leave out ‘door-opener’ products that could generate traffic or interest as well. And don’t forget to have inventory for any cross promotion or upselling opportunities that you plan to promote.

Once you’ve established your product focus for the month, detail your marketing plan to include specific tactics, contacts you need to reach out to, deadlines, etc. If you haven’t, be sure to sign up for Promoboxx to get the most updated BioZyme content. In addition, coordinate with your ASM to have any custom materials designed to help you spread your specific message.

At the end of the month, you should revisit each marketing medium used and analyze its effectiveness so you can make any necessary adjustments for coming months. As you review your marketing calendar, be sure to also revisit your inventory schedule to make sure you have everything on hand so you can meet the demands of your future marketing plans.

The Importance of Keeping and Tracking Inventory

You Can’t Sell What You Don’t Measure (Or Have)

Inventory management is an art that can elevate your business to new heights, if done well. It is highly variable, and the optimal system is different for each dealer. There are many tools that can be implemented to improve your inventory management, which will ultimately help you grow your bottom line.

Let’s explore five reasons why it is vital to your business to have a good inventory management system in place.

Improve the Accuracy of your Orders
Proper inventory management helps you figure out exactly how much inventory you need to have on-hand. This helps prevent product shortages and allows you to keep just enough inventory without having too much in the warehouse.

Successful inventory management involves balancing the costs of inventory with the benefits of inventory. Many dealers fail to fully appreciate the true costs of carrying inventory, which includes not only direct costs of storage, insurance and taxes, but also the cost of money tied up in inventory. This fine line between keeping too much inventory and not enough is not the only concern. Others include:

• Maintaining a wide assortment of stock — but not spreading the rapidly moving ones too thin;

• Increasing inventory turnover — but not sacrificing the service level;

• Keeping stock low — but not sacrificing service or performance;

• Obtaining lower prices by making volume purchases — but not ending up with slow-moving inventory; and

• Having an adequate inventory on hand — but not getting caught with obsolete items.

Organize Your Warehouse
An organized warehouse makes your business life simplified, and a good inventory management approach supports an organized warehouse.

If your warehouse is unorganized, you will be challenged in managing your inventory. Many companies choose to optimize their warehouses by putting the highest selling products together and in easily accessible places in the warehouse. This helps speed up the order fulfillment process and keeps customers happy.

Save Time and Money
By keeping track of which products you have on-hand or ordered, you save yourself the effort of having to conduct regular inventory recounts to ensure your records are accurate. A good inventory strategy also helps you save money that might otherwise be wasted on slower selling products.

Increases Efficiency and Productivity
Inventory management devices like barcode scanners and inventory management software, can help improve your efficiency and productivity. These devices will eliminate manual processes so your employees can focus their time on other areas of the business. All BioZyme products come with a preassigned SKU to assist in inventory control.

Forecasting will also help you increase efficiency in your business. A huge part of good inventory management comes down to accurately predicting demand. Make no mistake, this is incredibly hard to do. There are so many variables involved and you’ll never know for sure exactly what’s coming, but you can get pretty close. Here are a few things to look at when projecting your future sales:

• Trends in the market

• Last year’s sales during the same week/month

• This year’s growth rate

• Guaranteed sales from contracts

• Seasonality and the overall economy

• Upcoming promotions

• Planned ad spending

If there’s something else that will help you create a more accurate forecast, be sure to include it. A helpful planning tool would be to graph product sales from last year by month, so you have a picture that serves as a rough forecasting tool to help stay ahead of ordering and marketing.

Build a Repeat Customer Base
It’s a fact that good inventory management leads to what you should be constantly striving for—repeat customers. If you want your hard-earned customers to come back for your products and services, you need to be able to meet customer demand quickly. Inventory management helps you meet this demand by allowing you to have the right products available when your customers need them.

Accurate inventory management incorporates what you know about customer and product demand from the past and present to (ideally) predict your best course of action in the future. Optimize the value of such information by coupling your inventory management and marketing promotions to work together. For example, such insights can reveal potential opportunities to leverage quantity-based pricing suppliers may offer, while at the same time empowering you to offset times of lower demand with promotions or ‘packaged’ deals that strategically drive sales.

It is always a best practice to ensure you have product on the floor at least 2 weeks prior to the beginning of selling season for each product and then use the forecasting tools above to prepare for restocking throughout the season.

Inventory management is a good practice for your sanity and for your customer satisfaction. You can’t sell what you don’t have. So, stock accordingly, and watch your business grow.

Marketing Trends for 2021

Trends come and trends go. But one action that will always be trendy is to have a marketing plan in place as you roll into a new year. The BioZyme® Marketing Team recently attended the virtual Brand Manage Camp to freshen up their skills and learn how to better increase market share while helping dealers market their product lines.

In the final presentation of the three-day seminar, Michael Brenner, CEO of the Marketing Insider Group and best-selling author, reminded everyone that marketing has two key purposes: to create leads and to generate a return on investment (ROI). He said the best ways to accomplish marketing are through story telling and reaching for emotion.

The team at BioZyme is always here to help its dealers with their marketing. The Marketing Team offers a variety of services from print and radio advertising, social media, email marketing, custom in-store displays, custom signage and other custom designed pieces.

“I encourage each dealer to take a look at what we offer, have a conversation with their ASM and decide what works best for them. Each business differs based on brands, target audience, geographic location and time of year, so make sure you’re not just marketing to say you’re marketing, but that you’re doing what’s most beneficial to your goals and customers that you serve or desire to serve. Meet your customers where they are,” said Ashley Fitzsimmons, BioZyme Regional Marketing Manager.

Brenner offered three trends he predicts will continue to be popular for businesses to use in their marketing approach as we enter 2021. Explore how those trends will synergize with what the Marketing Team offers.

  1. Build your Business Case
    Be sure when you create marketing materials you are creating content that your customers want and need. Use key words to help get engagement, reach the customers you are looking to get to come into your business and retain those customers. One way that BioZyme can help you with the content that will resonate with your customers is by engaging on Promoboxx or sharing national marketing content from the BioZyme brands on social media that are most applicable to your business.
  2. Increase Traffic and Conversions with more Regularity
    The adage out of sight, out of mind is key in marketing. If you are not making regular impressions with your customers, they might just forget that you exist. In an effort to engage with dealers as part of our “care that comes full circle,” Fitzsimmons created an easy opt-in quarterly mailer program in 2019. This is a simple and effective action for dealers to help prospect for new and retain current customers by staying in from of them on a regular basis.

“Each quarter our marketing team will create a timely mailer that we can customize with your dealership information. We will send this out to your customer/prospect lists. All you have to do is opt in! Each quarter dealers get an email blast two weeks before the next mailer goes out asking them to opt in. Dealers may also opt in one time for the whole year beginning in the first quarter,” Fitzsimmons explained.

The quarterly mailers are available to all dealers. The only thing BioZyme needs from you is your complete mailing list, which you can update as many times as you need throughout the year. This is a fantastic way to get a concise message to your customers and potential customers on a regular basis. All you need to do is opt in; send your mailing list to Fitzsimmons, and the mailers will be printed and sent for you.

  1. You Must Answer Customer Questions
    Customers rely on their nutrition suppliers to answer a multitude of questions. You are their resource. Regardless if it is a question they pose on your social media or a question they ask over the phone or in person, be sure to provide them a timely and accurate answer. No one likes waiting for an answer, and if they wait too long, they might take their business elsewhere. Not sure of the answer? Let them know that you are doing a little research and will be glad to get them an answer as soon as you can.

Marketing is never going to go out of style. As long as you have a product or service to sell, you will need a way to present those goods and services to your customers and prospective customers. Stay in the know with their needs, stay in front of them, and provide solutions to their answers.

Letters From Lisa – December 2020

At one second past midnight on January 1, 2021, the day will change from Thursday to Friday, usually a transition of no special significance. But this specific change, ending one year and beginning the next, is different. This unique tick of the clock prompts us to celebrate and to reflect.

The end of the year is a good time to celebrate.

If you skip the celebration, you’ll be hard pressed to realize your success, notice the progress you’re making and pivot on challenges in the future. You may always “woohoo” at your own discretion, but do not miss the opportunity to do so at the end of the year.

The end of the year is a good time to reflect.

Reflect on your personal progress AND your business’ progress. “Reflection is looking back so that the view looking forward is even clearer.” – Unknown

After reflecting on the past year, it’s time to plan how you want to develop in the year ahead. Think of the planning as your “business” resolutions. I know, sadly, only about 8% of the 60% of us who make resolutions, achieve them. Let’s be stat stoppers. Let’s achieve the following business resolutions together so we beat those odds:

  1. Promote Your Business Regularly and Consistently
    Too often the task of promoting our business slips to the bottom of the to-do list, crowded out by urgent tasks. But if you want to attract new customers, you have to make promotion a priority.
  2. Make Business Planning a Weekly Event
    Planning is vital if you want a healthy, growing business. Planning lets you assess what worked and what didn’t work, and helps you set new directions or adjust old goals. So why plan just once a year? Set aside time each week to review, adjust and look ahead.
  3. Learn Something New
    What you choose to learn may be directly related or completely unrelated to your business. Learning something new will add to your skills and add a new dimension to your life. Depending on how you choose to learn, you may meet new and interesting people, who may become customers, colleagues or friends.
  4. Set Realistic Goals
    Goal setting is a valuable habit—if the goals lead to success rather than distress. Resolve that the goals you set will be achievable and not so far out of reach that they only lead to frustration.
  5. Don’t Just Make Do
    Is there a piece of equipment in your office that’s interfering with your success? Is there something that you lack that’s making your work life harder? Whether it’s an old computer that’s a pain to use or the need for a new employee to lighten your workload, stop putting off getting what you need.

To a Great Year

If we apply these resolutions throughout the year, we’ll have more energy to put into our business and make it the success we’ve always dreamed it to be. Here’s to a great 2021!

CHANGES COMING IN DECEMBER 2020

HOLIDAY HOURS

  • The BioZyme® offices will be closed December 25, 2020, in observance of Christmas. BioZyme will resume normal business hours on December 28, 2020.
  • PLEASE NOTE: Freight companies will not be picking up any freight on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2020, or New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2020.

NEW PRODUCTS

  • Starting December 1, 2020, Vita Charge® HydraBoost™ RTU will be available as a ready to use formula in a 2.5 gallon jug.
  • Cogent Solutions Group has launched Baxyl®GI – the first human product that contains Amaferm®! BaxylGI is a liquid product formulated for maximum absorption, gastric support, and stomach comfort – containing two of the most research-proven, proprietary ingredients on the market: Amaferm & MHB3 Hyaluronan. For more information or to order, contact Courtney Keller at (859) 259-0300.

PRODUCT UPDATES

  • In December, the sewn in tag will be changed to a printed label for all non-pelleted products.
  • Special Until Christmas: The Vitalize® Horse Treats are being packaged in a Christmas gift bag, making them a perfect stocking stuffer for your customers’ four-legged friends.
  • The Vita Charge Stress Tub (50 lb and 200 lb) and Vita Charge Stress Tub HEAT have been upgraded to a new and improved formula that now includes a temperature tolerant probiotic to work synergistically with Amaferm® to replenish and stimulate gut bacteria.

MANUFACTURING UPDATES

  • At BioZyme we take great pride in our manufacturing facility and the products we produce. As with any manufacturing facility, maintenance occurs all the time and from time to time repair projects are needed. When you experience growth and a desire for continuous quality improvement, more intensive upgrades need to occur. It is in that vein that we share the news that BioZyme will be undertaking a significant plant improvement project. The project will run from November 16, 2020 through December 4, 2020.

PRICING UPDATES

  • On August 1, 2020, BioZyme® implemented a manufacturer’s minimum advertised pricing (MAP) policy around all of the small package animal products sold by BioZyme and our sister company Cogent Solutions Group. In order to purchase small pack products, you must acknowledge receipt of the policy. Click Here to fill out the Acknowledgement Form
  • The MAP column on the big pack products (page 1 of the price list) has been renamed Sugg Retail as it is how it is referred to in the Dealer Agreement as the price at which a Dealer is to use to resell BioZyme products.

CHANGES COMING IN JANUARY 2021

HOLIDAY HOURS

  • The BioZyme® offices will be closed January 1, 2021, in observance of New Year’s Day. BioZyme will resume normal business hours on January 4, 2021.
  • PLEASE NOTE: Freight companies will not be picking up any freight on New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2020.

PRODUCT UPDATE

  • On January 1, 2021, we will be changing from Altosid (1-fly claim) to Clarify (4-fly claim) in all of our IGR products. The registration process of the new ingredient requires product name changes to several products:
    • VitaFerm® Concept•Aid® 5/S IGR will now be VitaFerm® Concept•Aid® 5/S with Clarifly®
    • VitaFerm® HEAT® IGR will now be VitaFerm® HEAT® with Clarifly®
    • VitaFerm® Concept•Aid® 5/S CTC 3G IGR will now be VitaFerm® Concept•Aid® 5/S CTC 3G with Clarifly®
    • To prepare for this transition, we will not be manufacturing IGR products in December 2020 or January 2021 but will have product on the floor on a first come, first served basis.

DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS

  • On January 1, 2021, VitaFerm® Cattleman’s Blend™ AUREO 3G and VitaFerm® Cattleman’s Blend™ AUREO 3G IGR will be discontinued due to declining sales.

CHANGES COMING IN FEBRUARY 2021

NEW PRODUCTS

  • Stay tuned for our soon to be launched Backyard Chicken products. The timing on these is great as Lebanon, MO, Cackle Hatchery owner Nancy Smith describing the spike in her business since COVID-19 says, “We’ve never seen anything like this, and I have been here since 1964.”