“No man will make a great business who wants to do it all himself, or to get all the credit of doing it.” Those are the words of American industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie eloquently described, before his time, the Leadership Team, that is guiding BioZyme® Inc., in 2023 and beyond.
Although each company faces challenges, the BioZyme Leadership Team leads each individual team to pivot those challenges into opportunities on a regular basis. Let’s look back at 2023, and review some of the big wins, according to our leaders.
PRESIDENT & CEO
LISA NORTON
Defining wins in 2023 is subjective and depends on individual experiences, goals and perspectives. However, from my seat on the bus, I would define 2023 wins by reflecting on the following.
Personal Achievements: If you accomplish significant personal goals, 2023 was a win. With the use of the Culture Index (work traits analytics) in almost every facet of our business, I think we have had a win here. People understand themselves better so they can work with others to accomplish personal achievements.
Relationships: If you build strong and meaningful relationships it makes for an incredible win. This for sure happened in 2023; we had more meetings and offers to be partners with our vendors, customers and potential customers than we have ever had in the history of the company. Just to name a few, our bagging supplier, our phosphorus supplier, Zinpro, Furst-McNess and Trait Bio.
Health and Well-Being: BioZyme continues to be in a strong financial position. That is always a win in a forprofit business.
Positive Change: Getting our corporate governance and board of directors in place was a huge win in 2023. We now have a dynamic, experienced board of directors who represent all the opportunities and challenges BioZyme faces – industry, science, use of funds and historical perspective.
Happiness: Thanks to all our team members (YOU), most days we experienced and supported each other’s happiness which made the atmosphere at BioZyme happy. For me, that is always a win. Sure, we all make mistakes occasionally, but in totality I think we did a great job in 2023 at being happy, despite a lot of stress from capital projects and slow sales.
Learning and Growth: If you learn, grow and develop new skills or knowledge during a year, it is a huge win. I saw lots of this going on in 2023. Some learning was intentional (all manufacturing team becoming PCQI) and much came from the experiences of each day. In any case, it is a win.
Overcoming Challenges: Successfully overcoming challenges, adversity or obstacles is always a win as it demonstrates resilience and personal growth. In my opinion, we have done a lot of this over the last two years. We have done it by sticking together, not giving up and looking forward instead of backward. Ultimately, what makes a win in a company is a whole bunch of personal wins throughout each individual team member’s work. I think we had a lot of that in 2023, and for that I am very grateful!
DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
VOLKER ALTENBOKUM
This was a very busy, but successful year. Our focus was the launching effort for AO Biotics® EQE. The product is now already actively sold in eight different countries, and we are continuously registering it in more countries. Validation studies were done with many egg producers in different countries, and our research is confirmed constantly.
Another focus was the signing of distribution agreements in interesting countries that have a good potential for our portfolio. We appointed new distribution partners for the GCC countries, Egypt and Slovenia. Continuous training of Product Managers and Salespeople of our distribution partners was a very important part of our work. This is the base for continued growth we are expecting for 2024 and beyond.
DIRECTOR OF ANIMAL HEALTH & COGENT
KEN FORD
One of our biggest achievements from a marketing perspective has been positioning the BioZyme family of brands from a silo of individual brands to a family this year. This lets our customers know that we offer multiple products across species and that we can help more than just one kind of animal at a time.
We have also been building new teams and introducing new people to BioZyme, while overall getting better at knowledge transfer. We can never stop learning and growing, and this knowledge we learned in 2023 will help take us further in 2024.
The sales and marketing teams stepped up their retail merchandising and display activation. Thanks to you, the dealers, we now have more signage and presence each quarter, and this will continue into the next year.
In Animal Health, we continue to support our distributors and have eight additional salespeople working in the field servicing wholesale partners as they promote our products to the retail channel. In addition, Ali Brunner has transferred from ASM to Animal Health Sales Manager.
We have heard from our partners through the surveys and through that feedback the team is working to identify gaps in our product range so that we are able to introduce new products in 2024.
On the human health side, we were excited to focus complete attention on Baxyl® and HyaGlo® with the transition of all equine and companion animal products from Cogent to the Vitalize® line. We rebranded Baxyl and have built a new team while developing a new web-based platform for these products.
DIRECTOR OF QUALITY & REGULATORY
JILL VANOVER
This year, the quality and regulatory teams worked diligently to show just how WOWING BioZyme can be as we strive to live and breathe quality and compliance each day. Some of our 2023 wins are highlighted below.
BioZyme rocked our 2023 quality certification audits:
• Stockyards FAMI-QS – 99%
• Stockyards Safe Feed, Safe Food – 100%
• Easton FAMI-QS – 100%
• Cogent GMP – 100%
• Surprise EPA inspection at Stockyards – no findings
• Surprise FDA audit at Stockyards – no findings
• Surprise Eurofins FAMI-QS audit at Stockyards and Easton – no findings
We increased awareness of food safety and safe, accurate product through education:
• PCQI training for all of operations, quality, laboratory employees
• FAMI-QS training for regulatory personnel
We updated and implemented a more robust sampling and testing plan for finished products and raw materials:
• Updated Amaferm testing plan
• Implemented EQE testing plan
• Implemented Amaferm ECO testing plan
• Implemented a test-and-hold program for all international orders
• Created and implemented a sampling calendar for communication on testing needs and deadlines
We prioritized and expanded the scope of laboratory testing, monitoring, and documentation:
• In-house copper testing with one-day turnaround
• In-house non-protein nitrogen
• In-house acid insoluble ash
• In-house liquid fiber analysis
• Increased aseptic technique in Microbiology lab
• Implemented in-process environmental monitoring
• Implemented daily sterility checks for every AO batch
• Generated SOPs for Analytical and Microbiology labs
As we close out the year, we look back on all we’ve learned and the new relationships that have been solidified. I am especially thankful to be part of a work family where colleagues support and encourage each other and excellence is expected. I am most grateful that despite all the challenges we faced in 2023, our team has stayed the course and is fully dedicated to a bigger and brighter 2024!
DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH & INNOVATION
IGNACIO IPHARRAGUERRE
In the dynamic landscape of 2023, BioZyme’s Research & Innovation battalion experienced a pivotal year defined by strategic initiatives and groundbreaking accomplishments. Noteworthy was the company’s significant investment in state-of-the-art fermentation and drying technologies, laying a robust foundation for advancements in biotechnology.
This dedication also manifested in the expansion of our research portfolio, exemplifying our commitment to staying at the forefront of scientific innovation. Our team successfully devised and implemented a strategic innovation system finely attuned to both business development objectives and the evolving needs of our diverse customer base.
A highlight of the year was the team’s instrumental role in fortifying the AO-Biotics® brand, achieved through the strategic launch of a specialized postbiotic tailored for laying hens. This targeted product not only bolstered our market presence but also showcased our dedication to addressing specific challenges within the poultry industry.
Moreover, BioZyme actively contributed to advancing scientific knowledge in the field of postbiotics, with research findings garnering recognition from esteemed peers, including the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP). These accolades underscore our commitment to scientific excellence and further solidify our standing as industry leaders.
Importantly, the team continued to deepen its understanding of the impact of Amaferm, BioZyme’s flagship additive, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to excellence in animal nutrition. Efforts to expand our additive portfolio reflect a forward-thinking approach, aimed at addressing major challenges in animal nutrition and health. This comprehensive approach to innovation, coupled with a steadfast dedication to scientific inquiry, positions BioZyme as a trailblazer in the field, ensuring sustained growth and impact in the years to come.