Category: Business Topics

Dealer Spotlight: Share What’s On Your Heart

Albert Einstein once said, “The only source of knowledge is experience.” While experience is usually a good teacher, BioZyme® Inc., wants its dealer network to have resources readily available to them to help them learn along the way.

The staff at BioZyme works to offer educational tools that will fit the needs and learning styles of its diverse group of dealers. We know that everyone is busy, and everyone absorbs information differently. That is why we offer resources like printed materials, the Online Dealer Center, webinars, the Facebook group, Area Sales Managers and office staff to assist you when it comes time to learn about products.

During the recent Dealer Retreat, dealers had the opportunity to share with each other and some of the BioZyme staff what educational tools they found most helpful and how they would like to be further assisted during a “Dealers to Dealers” session led by National Sales Director Alan Lee and Outreach Support Center Director Jennifer Miller. Survey questions were answered anonymously through a texting app that let dealers respond from their own phones and led to open discussion.

A majority of dealers did indicate that they use at least one or more of the primary forms of education available to them: their ASM, printed literature, the Online Dealer Center and BioZyme Office Support. Most ASMs do cover a large geographic area or represent a great number of dealers. In an effort to provide even more support, a dedicated call center is being rolled out this month, to help the company stay in contact with its dealers and sub dealers. Regular calls and emails will be going out to the network to ensure that the dealers have all the resources they need. Miller is heading up these efforts.

One of the best ways dealers can learn from one another is through exchange on the Message Board in the Online Dealer Center. The Message Board is an outlet to post your questions, share what has worked for you, and receive input from others in the same business.

It was agreed upon that customer testimonials and results from research trials were both useful information when sharing products with potential customers. Dealers in the sessions would like to see more region-specific testimonials. If you have a customer success stories that you would like to share with the marketing department, please contact your ASM with those success stories so they can relay information to the Marketing Team. Also, if you need specific research on a topic, check with your ASM, as he or she is a great resource.

Finally, don’t be afraid to share what has worked for you as a dealer. Share your thoughts on the BioZyme Dealer Facebook page or let us feature you in the Dealer Spotlight in VISION. Share what’s on your heart. Chances are, there is another dealer in this big network looking for a solution that you’ve already discovered. Or, if you are one of those dealers facing a challenge, reach out to another dealer. We’re in this together.

Your Marketing Journey Made Simple

As you journey down the Yellow Brick Road to Success, you’ll find many curves, paths and forks in the road. But when it comes to marketing, you’ll likely take the shortcut. Time and money – two resources that many are short on – often put marketing lower on the list of priorities. But, don’t take that shorter path just yet.

In 2017, the BioZyme® Marketing Team compared web site traffic analytics to product sales and found there is a direct correlation between web traffic and product sales. Further, they discovered that getting customers to the Dealer Locator meant more business for you, our dealers. With those findings, the Marketing Team has developed a way to simplify your social media marketing journey, saving you both time and energy, and hopefully driving your sales. Let’s take a short journey down the Promoboxx path.

The Promoboxx Social Media platform is one tool that BioZyme has started using recently to offer dealers exclusive digital content for all brands to drive awareness and sales locally, at no cost to the dealer. Because of the agreement between Promoboxx and BioZyme, only a limited amount of “partners” are allowed, so BioZyme is offering this service to VIP Dealers and Master Dealers.

Promoboxx is an application that allows BioZyme to make its content readily available for its dealer partners. Once the content is created, the partner/dealer can go into Promoboxx and schedule the content onto his or her own

social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) or post it to his or her web site. The social content will have a “local” feel, providing more relevancy to the audience. Anyone who clicks through, will go to a co-branded landing page, keeping your customers tied to you, but providing the look and feel of BioZyme’s national message.

One South Dakota dealer took what he learned during the hands-on session at Dealer Retreat and applied it immediately, sharing a Promoboxx post about Sure Champ Extreme. That same evening he had a call and an order from a new customer, all because he invested a small amount of time learning about this platform and its benefits.

“Our brands have a strong national message and it is important that when customers come into the store they are seeing that same message, so it is a seamless transition from online promotions to in-store knowledge,” said Kristi Stevens, Marketing Project Manager about the relationship with the dealer network. “It is a partnership – we know that when dealers spend time with the customer, they can provide the one-of-a-kind customer service that we can never fully achieve online.”

Sometimes, the shorter path is the more direct route, especially when you have national marketing partners that have helped you save both time and money. When you have partners in marketing that have invested time and effort into creative, why would you travel down that road again? With Promoboxx, your marketing journey just got smoother. To learn more about the benefits of Promoboxx and the eligibility requirements, contact Kristi Stevens at kstevens@biozymeinc.com or (816) 596-8795.

Don’t Let Profitability Be Wicked

As business owners, you have many goals. But your number one goal should be to be profitable. Nearly 95% of all small businesses fail in their first five years because of the lack of profit – now that is a wicked statistic.

Turning a profit doesn’t have to be wicked. With proper planning, studying the past and the willingness to make changes when needed, your business can be profitable and successful. BioZyme President, Lisa Norton, shared several key strategies for profitability during a breakout session at the Dealer Retreat.

“Profitability should be the primary goal of all businesses,” Norton said. “Measuring current and past profitability and projecting future profitability is very important.”

Before reaching profitability, a business owner must first understand profitability. Profitability is more than the income or money that comes into your business. Cash can come into the business for many reasons like money due from past invoices, services, pre-payments or financing. But pure profit is a simple calculation:

Sales, Revenue OR Income – Expenses OR Costs = PROFIT.

The five “not-so-wicked” tips Norton offered include:

1. Figure out gross profit margin

Your gross profit margin can be deceiving. Remember it is the difference of all income for goods and services and the total cost of goods sold (C.O.G.S.). Be sure to include not only the cost of the products, but packaging, labor to make the products and other costs associated with the production of the product.

2. Analyze the gross profit margin on each and everything

By analyzing every profit margin for each product, you will have a deeper understanding of the products that you sell that generate the most profit, and the ones that generate little profit or even worse, lose you money. It is best for your business to stop selling anything that is losing your business money and focus your efforts in promoting and selling the products that create the highest margin.

3. Review all your prices

Do you charge all your customers the same amount? If so, why?

Some customers might not be as price sensitive as others – think government or other bigger businesses that can spread their expenses over more numbers. Don’t feel bad about increasing prices for some of those customers. Be sure to keep up with rising prices from your supplier and to raise prices as your competition does. It’s ok to increase your prices – your business survivability depends on it. Here is an example Norton shared with the group,

“It’s true that you might lose a customer if prices are raised, but if your margin is 50 percent, a 10 percent increase in prices means you can lose 17 percent of your customers and be no worse off,” she posted in one slide. Chances are a slight price increase won’t cause you to lose 17 percent of your customers if you remember to sell the value of your products and your customer service.

4. Use an inventory system

It is vital to know what you have on hand and to use some type of system to track your inventory. If you do have inventory in stock, make sure it is displayed, because if the customers can’t see it, they won’t buy it, and they likely will move on to your competitors for another product. When getting in new inventory, remember to rotate your stock and use the FIFO system – first in, first out – because no one wants to buy an old product.

5. Think about the best way to cut up money

Now, you might think tips about profitability shouldn’t mention “cutting” money, but Norton used a great visual with play money to demonstrate how to “cut” expenses from your profit equation. Each person in the room had one dollar to spend, and they had to decide how to spend their dollar on marketing, by cutting it into sections. Would you spend half your dollar on print advertising? Cut it in half, and you have half a dollar to spend on digital efforts, radio, creative design, research, boosting social media posts. How far will that half-dollar go? Because once you spent that first half, you can’t get it back, and if you are going to be profitable, you can’t ask for another dollar.

It shouldn’t surprise anyone that most people in the room, “cut” their money in different ways. That’s because everyone’s businesses are different, and everyone has different strategies to meet their goals.

Being profitable doesn’t have to be wicked at all. It can be a challenge that you face with courage and resolve. Follow these five simple steps and enjoy your journey to profitability.

Have Courage to Seize Opportunity

Every one of us has a bad day from time to time. The same is true for our livestock and companion animals. Part of being in the animal nutrition business is being able to offer potential solutions for when those bad days happen for our customers’ animals.

That’s why it’s important to keep some of the most unique products BioZyme® offers top-of-mind. The Vita Charge® line and Vitalize® Recovery Gel are some of the company’s fastest growing products and offer the highest profit margins to dealers.  And, they offer a rapid response to animals’ stress, making them a great product to showcase how effective the Amaferm® advantage is.

Due to the quick response rate of the Vita Charge line and the Vitalize Recovery Gel, they build customer confidence and open the door to more conversations about other products, that ultimately lead to bigger sales. As a dealer, you must have the courage to keep these products in stock and even offer a sample to a customer who has an animal in need. That tube of Recovery Gel or bottle of Liquid Boost® might be the best investment you make in marketing, if it leads to a loyal customer who starts buying and using more products on a consistent, year-round basis.

One example of a customer that started with one of these products is Brenton Feedyard at Grimes, Iowa. The feedyard was first exposed to the Amaferm advantage with Vita Charge® Stress Tubs in its receiving pens. The feedyard has been using the Stress Tubs for five years now, and typically puts two of the 200-pound tubs in the larger pens that hold up to 120 calves, and one 200-pound tub in the smaller receiving pens that hold 40 head.

“Some cattle blow through it a little faster, and we think it’s because they need it more. Some hardly go after it at all. It works great for us,” said Devon Keller, manager at Brenton Feedyard. “The Amaferm product has worked really well for us. We started with the tubs and felt like we saw a really big response from them. And now we actually feed the Digest More pellets – we double the rate for the first 30 days when receiving cattle.”

Although the calves only get Amaferm for the first 30 days at the feedyard, Keller said it has helped the calves get started on the right foot. They are overall healthier, and he says they treat on average, 50% fewer calves – a big labor savings for an outfit that feeds 3,000 head, farms 2,000 acres and only has three employees.

“When we get more Amaferm into the gut, we are getting more health into the gut. Some of the cattle are in rough condition when we receive them and just learning to eat. Most cattle that don’t go to the bunk will still go to the tub, and that’s what we like about the Stress Tubs,” Keller said.

Keller is just one example of a customer who learned about Amaferm and keeping the gut healthy, thanks to the Vita Charge Tubs. Now, he is a believer, who keeps ordering more product.

One of the greatest things about Vita Charge, is it can be used across species. The various applications for each production scenario, along with the rapid response make it a great “starter” product or door opener.

Be courageous. Offer a solution for a stressed animal and watch your customer list grow.

June/July 2018 – Letters from Lisa

Courage to Grow

The theme of our recent Dealer Retreat was the Wizard of Oz – Courage to Grow. I know what you are thinking, how can a 1939 movie classic be the business tale of 2018? The answer is found in the five points that are the key take-aways, if you choose to follow the yellow brick road all the way to the Emerald City.

Embrace and value the journey

In the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy and her friends embark on an incredible journey. As a business owner, you are also on an incredible journey. The challenges and victories on the journey are a part of your story, tell it every chance you get. The reason for this is that stories stick with people and have an impact on how they perceive the brand, your culture and whether they want to be a part of your journey.

Realize that things aren’t always what they seem

Dorothy and her friends are stunned when they discover that the Wizard was far from the powerful figure that they had expected him to be. Likewise, the stumbling blocks that your business faces may not be what you think they are. Solutions to business challenges seldom lie in looking at them through the same lens as you have always done. Innovation, creativity, and fundamental changes (yes you might need to change) may be necessary for your business to grow. Those things that seem to be great challenges may not be what they seem when approached in a new way with a fresh perspective.

Don’t be cowardly

Success in business comes from being courageous not cowardly like the lion. One must be courageous enough to search for new opportunities, even if it means a big departure from how you have done business in the past. In business, we are unfortunately, occasionally, subjected to naysayers – people who don’t get us, try to bring our spirit down, and bring us back to “reality.” It isn’t easy to find the courage to overcome all of this, but the alternative is to manage from fear. Fear destroys one’s opportunity for growth. Courage is one of the most important assets to have in a business.

Have a heart

The Tin Man lacked a heart, which is another way of saying that he lacked the energy, emotion and inspiration to lead his life in the way that he wanted. Business is all about energy and it flows down. As a leader, you must find a way to build a culture that engages people with energetic enthusiasm. Employees who feel heard, valued and respected work with much more enthusiasm and energy than those who don’t. They are also more likely to stick around because they love where they work.

Embrace the fact that brainpower matters

Take it from the Scarecrow – it takes work to become smarter. Developing the brains to drive change in your business means committing to continually upgrading your own skills. As a business leader, developing new perspectives, awareness, and resources through coaching, training, and leadership development can help.

So, think yellow brick road, then embrace the journey. Along the path, do not be afraid to challenge yourself to look at your business in new ways. Innovative growth and positive change only come to those who have the skills, energy, and courage to improve themselves and do things differently. As business owners we are constantly going through peaks and valleys – having our good days and bad ones. And with every one of these, there’s a new witch along the road. Decide if you will let the witch be wicked or be Glinda the witch of opportunity.

Dealer Spotlight: Taylor Goering

Taylor Goering has Ambitious Goals

Ambitious. Webster defines it as “having a desire to be successful, powerful, or famous; having a desire to achieve a particular goal; aspiring.” These are words that best describe Taylor Goering of McPherson, Kan. The 19-year-old is a sophomore at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas. She also manages a boutique three days out of the week, cares for a string of at least half-a-dozen show heifers, helps her parents on their farm and is a BioZyme® dealer.

Taylor has been showing cattle for about 12 years. She shows multiple breeds, and likes to lead anything into the ring, “as long as it’s a good one.” Although, Simmentals are her favorite. She gives her parents Greg and Tammy a lot of credit and appreciation for their support in her show career and her start as a BioZyme dealer.

“My dad always said, ‘I like to get you in the ring as many times as possible.’ Without his support I wouldn’t be where I am today,” Taylor said.

And it was at one of the many junior nationals that the Goering family attends each summer where mom Tammy first learned about Sure Champ®. Tammy was looking through the trade show and came back with Sure Champ information and suggested the family might want to investigate it. The father-daughter duo were busy with cattle. Taylor said her mom went back and bought a bag of Sure Champ, and they have been hooked ever since.

“We noticed a difference in our cattle’s hair coat and appetite right away,” Taylor said. They began their on-farm dealership in 2012.

Taylor has made a personal connection with many of her customers because she is also a cow-calf producer and has traveled the U.S. going to shows and understands what her customers are looking for in a supplement.

“I can relate to a lot of my customers because we are all looking for success in our herds – either the benefits from relieving stress from show calves traveling or increasing fertility/conception rates in their herds. The best part of the products are the results. You can see the results. I really like the personal testimonies because every person has a different product they believe in,” she said.

Although the dealership started as a family affair, Taylor has taken on most of the responsibility since her parents are busy with other endeavors. Much of her customer base has been built from word-of-mouth, and people continue to call and ask about products.

Taylor said the best part of being a young dealer is the satisfaction of succeeding at such a young age and getting a head start on her future. Goerings reached VIP Status in 2015, and Taylor said it is her goal to reach that milestone again in the future. “Dreams don’t work unless you do,” is her motto.

“It’s not scary at all. I love being as young as I am, and having goals set for me within this company. It is rewarding to become a dealer because if you have a question, someone is always there to answer.  You might wonder, will anyone buy from me? But our biggest response to the product has been word-of-mouth. People will drive by our pasture, and see the orange tubs, and want to know where we get those from,” she said.

She added that as a younger person who recently “aged out” of 4-H, it is important to her to give back to the local youth programs. She said she will sponsor awards or shows that help benefit local youth with livestock projects. This is also another great way to share the BioZyme message.

Ultimately, Taylor would like to earn her bachelor’s degree in General Business, expand her dealership to a store front, and achieve the VIP Dealer Status again. Those might seem to be lofty goals to most 19-year-olds. But with the ambition that Taylor has, she knows how to convert goals into accomplishments.

Ways to Support Youth Projects

“The youth is the hope of our future.” – Jose Rizal

More than 6 million youth are involved in 4-H and FFA. And while not all these young people are involved in livestock projects, all of these young people are consumers and do want a safe, nutritious eating experience. That’s why it is important for BioZyme® dealers to support youth projects and events. While the support of the project or event is beneficial to the young people involved, as supporters, we often get to share our story; telling everyone that our products are all-natural and will only continue to help the animals feel good, stay healthy and perform to their upmost potential.

There are many ways to support the youth – or the future – of our industry. Remember, every time we give, we are making an investment.

Show sponsorships.
It is easy to write a check to group or an organization for a show sponsorship. But have you ever considered sponsorship in the form of product? Many shows are looking for “new and exciting” awards or ways to make winning the show seem more appealing. What is more exciting or appealing than winning a bag or bucket of Sure Champ Extreme with Climate Control? Be sure to include your contact information along with a product brochure. Those winners just might be your newest customers.

Educational Workshops.
Giving our time to young people is vital. And in youth projects, there are so many things to learn – feeding, fitting, showing, judging, skin and hair care. As a dealer, you are likely an expert in at least one of these areas or know someone who is. Take the time to host a day or 1/2-day workshop or work with another company to co-host an educational workshop. You don’t have to tackle every subject or every species all at once. And, at the end of the day, have a drawing for a bag or tub of product.

One example of an educational workshop was a roping clinic recently conducted by Vitalize Ambassador Whitney DeSalvo. Each participant received a tube of Vitalize® Equine Recovery Gel and a Vitalize cap. A bag of Vitalize product was rewarded to one of the young participants based on merit. Giving away product might cost you initially, but it might also gain you a lifetime customer, and you will see the ROI mount over time.

Make Stall Cards.
Offer to make stall cards for your customers prior to the county or district fair. Don Bush with Powell Feed & Milling in Arkansas, said Powell makes its own line of show feeds, with the assistance of Dr. Susan Day. Last year, Powell feed provided stall cards to its Powell Show Feed customers to use at the area fairs, to recognize their customers, and help the young people have a more professional and neater looking display at the fair. Bush said the youth appreciated the added gesture, and he anticipates this is a program that Powell’s will continue.

Simply Give Back.
With many stores in many counties, Bush said it was going to be nearly impossible to support each Powell customer. Kirk Powell, the company owner, said he would rather donate back the profit margin from show feeds to all the youth than buy just one kid’s animal. And that is what he did. At the end of the summer, Powell Feeds calculates the profits from its show feed sales and divides it among all the youth who buy feed from their various stores. Then, the kids get a certificate worth a specified amount to use at any of the Powell stores.

“We can buy one animal, spend $3,000 and impact one child, or we can take all the profit from our show feed business and spread it amongst every one of them. And some of those kids who don’t win, it means more to them than the kids who do win,” Bush said.

Remember, youth are the future. They are future leaders, future decision makers and future customers. The decisions you make today to support youth will impact them and your business now and in the future.

Today’s Young People are Future Customers

For years grandpa and dad made all the purchasing decisions around the farm or ranch. They decided which color of tractor to drive, which bulls to breed the cows to and even which minerals to feed. But as the years go by, the next generation of customers – my generation –  is starting to make buying decisions. And as a millennial, I might need you to reach out to me just a little differently than dad and grandpa did.

Being classified as a millennial means I’m in an age group with other 18 to 34-year-olds. That’s a wide age range of potential and future customers, and we make our decisions a little differently than grandpa did. Here are a few pointers on grabbing my attention and converting me from a potential customer to a repeat customer:

Reach out to me early on. As part of the millennial generation, I might already be a customer of yours, especially with show livestock and performance horse product lines such as Sure Champ® and Vitalize®. But just because I’m young, doesn’t mean I’m not interested in other product lines. Keep the lines of communication open, and make sure I know how to reach you when I do need to buy more products for my growing livestock operations. For example, I might be buying Sure Champ for my show animals now, but as I develop my herd or take over my family’s herd, I will want to learn more about the VitaFerm line of products and how they will keep my cattle healthy, performing and help increase profitability.

Show us results. My generation thrives on instant gratification. We like to see results and we like to see them quickly. Share research summaries with us that describe the results we might see with your products. We also like to hear from others who have had great experiences. Providing a sample of a quick-response product like Vita Charge Gel is a good idea, too. These kinds of samples are great door openers to conversations about other products and one of the best investments you can make.

Be innovative and stay connected with us. Our generation has technology at our fingertips. We get news from social platforms like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, and if we are going to learn about your products and services, you’re likely going to have to promote them on social media as well. That connectivity is a two-way street. “Word of mouth” is still the most powerful marketing tool, but instead of us setting around the local feed store or coffee shop, we comment and share on social media. We like to share positive comments on our experiences, so look for those as we engage with you on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook!

Have a conversation with us. Millennials like to be engaged. We don’t want you to give us a sales pitch. We want you to talk to us and include us in the conversation, so we feel like part of the solution. Start the conversation with questions to discover our goals and priorities and give us options.

Be authentic. Because technology is so easily accessible, the ability to find answers to our questions usually is too. We will do our own research and find out in a heartbeat if you have clouded over anything just to make a sale.

Times are changing, but thanks to the foresight and leadership of my dad and grandpa, I’m ready to start making decisions about our operation. Just remember, I make decisions a little bit differently than the generations before me, but keep your conversations real, show me results and work with me, and this potential customer will become your regular customer. Keep connecting with me in innovative ways as technology changes and evolves, and watch your business grow.

Youth Project Opens Doors

For 25 years Don Bush, Powell Feed & Milling, knew Ken Gillig and competed against him in the world of animal nutrition. Gillig, the BioZyme® Key Accounts Manager since 2016, was formerly an ASM, and Bush had been selling Purina through Powell Feed & Milling in various stores in Northern Arkansas.

However, at the 2014 Missouri State Fair, the friendship between Gillig and Bush became even more important when Bush’s daughter’s ram got very sick in the breeding sheep barn. Bush recalls that Gillig told him he had something he wanted him to try.

“Ken brought back a half-dozen Vita Charge® Gel tubes with a note on how to give them to our ram,” Bush said. “I told my daughter, ‘I don’t know what this foo-foo dust is, but it’s better than having a dead ram.’ Two days later he won the open sheep show.”

After that experience with his daughter’s prize-winning sheep projects, Bush knew there was something about the BioZyme products that worked. He helped Gillig get some supplements to producers down around him and told his boss he wanted to introduce the products into the Powell Feed Stores. Skeptical about the price of the products, he agreed. And Powell Feed & Milling has watched its BioZyme product sales grow, all while reaching VIP Dealer status each year.

“I knew it worked for us. I knew it would work for others,” Bush said.

Bush’s situation is a perfect example of why reaching out to young livestock exhibitors and sharing products are effective ways of promoting the products. If Gillig hadn’t shared the Vita Charge products with him, his daughter might have had a dead ram. And furthermore, BioZyme might have one less VIP dealer who has helped the health and performance of many producers in a large part of Northern Arkansas.

Don’t discount the youth exhibitor. They might buy a bag or a bucket of Sure Champ® products. Or maybe a young equestrian uses the Vitalize® products. However, those youth likely have parents who own livestock or a business who could be positively impacted by the BioZyme products as well.

Potential opportunities are everywhere. Ken Gillig seized the opportunity to help a young sheep exhibitor at the Missouri State Fair. But what he ultimately did was help grow business and change the lives of many livestock producers for years into the future.

Dealer Spotlight: Spring Canyon Feeds

Customer service isn’t just a catch phrase for Spring Canyon Feeds. It is a family value passed from one generation to the next. Kari Schultz, along with her brother and dad, Tyson Mann and Bruce Mann, own Spring Canyon Feeds, serving farmers and ranchers in the community surrounding Kirk, Colo., where she grew up.

“We’re not just selling a product. We strive to provide. It’s in our blood,” Kari said. “Even growing up, if we had something pressing to get done today, and a neighbor called and needed help, my dad would stop what he was doing and put everyone else first.”

That is the kind of service that Kari and Spring Canyon has provided and continues to provide since the dealership started in 2014. Kari is engaged with her customers, understands their livelihoods, and works with the resources available to her through BioZyme® to help her customers thrive.

Kari started feeding the VitaFerm® products in 2014, but with no local dealer former ASM Brad Hill convinced her it would be a good little “side business” to go along with her farming and cow-calf enterprise.

About the same time the Spring Canyon dealership started, Megan Douthit-Downey, Saint Francis, Kan., had heard about VitaFerm products from her veterinarian. Although 50 miles away, Kari was still the closest dealer who offered all the product lines Megan was looking for, but more importantly provided her great services.

“Kari is a rock star,” Megan said. “She comes out and we tell her where our hay piles are and what cuttings they are from. She core samples everything and submits samples to Dr. [Susan] Day, and Dr. Day puts rations together for us. For us, it’s about getting the most bang for our buck. The products are not always the cheapest, and not always the most expensive, but customer service goes a long way.”

As a cattle producer, Kari understand the value of forage sampling and supplementing nutrition when and where needed. She appreciates the services that BioZyme provides its customers, and more of her customers are learning to appreciate those services too.

“We believe whole-heartedly that if you don’t know what you’re feeding your cattle, you don’t know what they need. We need to make sure what they are eating is actually meeting their requirements for them to perform at their highest potential, it is necessary to know what they are lacking and provide them with those nutrients,” Kari said. “BioZyme is great at providing that service to us. I really enjoy Susan’s frankness. She lets us know what we need or what we don’t need in our rations.”

Kari said many of the more seasoned producers in her area, who at one time didn’t think their cattle needed a mineral package, are started to see the value in the products she sells, especially with the Amaferm® advantage. She said they understand that Amaferm helps their cattle put on more pounds through increased intake, digestibility and absorption, and to the producers, more pounds equal more dollars.

“Kari’s product knowledge is incredible,” said Jake Warntjes, ASM who covers Eastern Colorado, Western Kansas and Western Oklahoma. “She studies the nutrition side of things, what Amaferm will do for the animals and knows the research that backs it.”

Jake is also complimentary of her customer service skills, saying Kari is good at getting customers connected to the resources they need, such as himself or Susan for nutrition needs.

In December 2017, Kari had the opportunity to expand those services even further. She, her dad and brother purchased the feed store in their small community, and her “side business” has turned into full-time business and a service for the ranchers of Yuma County, where cows out-number people.

At the store, which is open 6 days a week, Kari sells most everything for livestock, including the BioZyme product lines, tags, sorting sticks, medicine, gloves, boots, rodent and pest control. She also carries some pet foods and small pet items. And she is expanding the services her store provides.

She has worked closely with a veterinarian to get some prescription medicines on-hand so if a rancher needs something, the vet can work through her to get one animal treated. She is also working with a Genex rep and A.I. tech to promote her services in the area. She hopes to eventually add marketing services to her store.

Keeping animals healthy and growing and keeping customers happy and returning are ways that Spring Canyon Feeds stays engaged with their customers.