Category: What’s New

Dealer Spotlight: Results Lead Lazy SK to Believing in Amaferm ® Advantage

Seeing is believing. That’s what it took to get Spike Buffington hooked on the BioZyme® products. Spike, a Montana rancher, who has been involved in the cattle business his entire life, had never heard of the products five years ago. But when he went to work for his wife’s uncle and saw the way it worked on that cow herd, he became a became a believer. 

“I liked what I saw. The cows seemed healthier, and they looked healthier. I studied about the Amaferm® in the VitaFerm products. That seems to make a big difference,” he said. 

Since there wasn’t a dealer very close to his family’s ranch, Spike decided to become a BioZyme dealer, under the name of Lazy SK LLC, to be able to access the products more easily near Miles City, Montana. He said with a ranch to tend to and four kids, he wasn’t looking for another full-time job, but more of a sideline.  

Even as a “sideline” business, Spike has been able to grow his BioZyme dealership as word spreads from rancher to rancher. In the big country where his located, larger herds of commercial cow-calf operations exist. He interacts with the ranchers and shares the benefits of the Amaferm in the VitaFerm line, his most popular products. He has diversified to offer DuraFerm® and Vitalize®.  

“The results are noticeable. If a guy hasn’t fed a mineral for a while or is a new customer, they will notice the visual things right away. The hair coat quality is better and on black cattle, the color turns a true black,” Spike said. “Overall, my customers find their herd health is better and with the Concept•Aid®, their conception rates are better.” 

He shares a story about a customer who switched to Concept•Aid, who saw a 10% jump in his herd’s conception rates and weaned off calves 25 pounds heavier than previous years – during a drought. Both Spike and his customer credit the nutrition program with those results since that is the only change that ranch had made in at least two decades.  

Spike uses the resources and tools that BioZyme offers and suggest that other dealers do as well. From the marketing support to ASMs, he said the people are professional and have helped him promote a good product. 

“Lean on your ASM. If they don’t know the answer, they will find it for you. The Marketing Team does great, professional work and is easy to work with. Everyone just wants to see you succeed,” he said. 

When seeing is believing, and that is backed up with results – that defines “Care that Comes Full Circle.” Thanks for being a great promoter of Amaferm and the BioZyme products, Spike! We’re glad you’re part of the BioZyme family.   

Remembering Bob Norton

It is with shock and sadness that we announce the sudden death of BioZyme® Inc. CEO Bob Norton. He passed away April 13, 2022.

Bob was a driving force behind BioZyme, and he encouraged everyone to be, and do, their best.  He was a fine, generous person and his spirit will forever be the foundation of our great company.

Bob started with the organization in 2000 after a lengthy career in the meat packing industry. As CEO, Bob oversaw the activities of the employee-owned company, headquartered in Saint Joseph, Missouri, and worked closely with the President and COO to monitor growth both domestically and internationally. Although day-to-day activities had transitioned to the President and COO and the leadership team several years ago, Bob remained the ultimate team leader and innovation champion. His lasting legacy and philosophy will remain the guidepost for BioZyme.  Business is strong and will continue to grow.

The Saint Joseph native enjoyed giving back to others, aviation and was active in the Veterans Airlift Command. He was also passionate about the future of agriculture and has been recognized for his contributions by being inducted in the Honorary Angus Foundation. He previously served on the Certified Angus Beef® Board of Directors. He was a promoter of the National Junior Hereford Association, currently serving on the Hereford Youth Foundation of America Board.

Bob epitomized the BioZyme motto, “care that comes full circle,” in all he did and with everyone he met. His smile was infectious, his handshake firm and his words sincere.

The BioZyme Incorporated offices and operations will be closed on Tuesday, April 19 until 1 p.m. The memorial service for CEO Bob Norton begins at 11 a.m., at Wyatt Park Baptist Church, and will be live-streamed via www.meierhoffer.com

TUNE IN TODAY!

You won’t want to miss this month’s Facebook Live! With so many new updates and things happening, we thought it was time to hear from a familiar voice to many – Jennifer Miller! Jen is going to provide updates on the Updated Master Dealer and the new look of the Online Dealer Center. And as always, she’s got a little fun up her sleeve, so you won’t want to miss this Facebook Live! TODAY at Noon, Central.

Two Minutes In Ag: April

They say the world is full of bad news; unfortunately, there is some truth in that. However, we can always find the good if we look, too. This month we will bring you some of both in our industry in a quick two-minute read.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has impacted poultry production in more than half the states so far. To date, the virus is linked to the death of nearly 23 million birds. Iowa—the nation’s largest egg producer—is the hardest-hit state, having lost 13.2 million poultry already. This is the largest virus outbreak in the poultry industry since 2015.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced a relief package specifically for livestock producers. USDA will launch the Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) to address increases in supplemental feed costs in 2021. The ERLP will use data from the 2021 Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) to make payments to affected producers—producers do not have to apply for the aid if they were approved for an LFP payment. There will be a pay cap, but details have not been released on that front.

Phase 1 of the payments is expected to total $577 million, basing the payments on percentage of an eligible producers’ gross 2021 LFP payment—90% for historically underserved producers and 75% for all other producers. USDA said it was evaluating impacts of 2021 drought and wildfires on livestock producers as it develops the Phase 2 component.

Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist, does offer some encouragement for profitability in the cattle business, as prices are higher than they were a year ago at this time, and he doesn’t expect them to dip. Where the revenue will be affected is on the expense side of the equation, as drought continues. Feed prices will be the highest input cost for producers. Peel recommends grazing cattle as long as possible without feeding hay, even if that means some targeted fertilizing for both pasture and hay production. This is just another reason promoting a mineral with Amaferm® is so important for that nutrient utilization.

Meet the BioZyme Family

Team: Operations Support – Production

Leader: Dan Wierzba, Senior Manager of Production

Number of people on your team: 8

Key Responsibilities: Ensure we produce, package and palletize the highest quality product in the world in an efficient and timely manner.

List of each team member and role they play at BioZyme:

Dan Wierzba – Senior Manager of Production: Oversees daily operations with all aspects of production, plans and manages capital projects at Stockyards facility.

Cody Jensen – Manufacturing Manager: Oversees daily operations ensuring product and packaging accuracy, daily run list completion and constant monitoring and improvement of production efficiency.

Garret Glaubius – Stockyards DryingCoordinator: Operates the Amaferm® dryer. Ensuring the demands of mixing, domestic and international Amaferm customers are met with the highest quality product available.

Cody Grider – Mixing Technician: Operates the batching system responsible for the completion of the daily mixing run list, ensuring only safe, accurate product reaches the bag.

Brent Schultz – Concetti Line Operator: Responsible for verifying the accuracy of bagging runs, organizing product inventory in the warehouse and ensuring the highest quality pallets are delivered from the Concetti.

Charlie Lett – Drying Coordinator: Operates the Amaferm dryer ensuring the demands of mixing, domestic and international Amaferm customers are met with the highest quality product available.

Timmy Wilson – Pelleting Operator: Operates the pellet mill and pellet bagging line, responsible for producing the highest quality pellet, combined with packaging the pellets in a qualitative and timely manner.

Benjamin Shaw – Concetti Bagging Operator: Operates the Concetti bagging line, ensuring all supplements and additives are accurate in their packaging and weight and bagged in an aesthetic manner that surpasses the customers’ expectations.

How does your team help with “Care that comes full circle” for BioZyme customers: We monitor every batch that is produced and ensure each individual bag is of the highest possible quality. The Production Team is always mindful of our customers and the health and safety of the animals we feed.

Effective Action: People Offer Ultimate Support “Systems”

Sometimes the best support system comes in the form of your fellow person, and that can be said for the various teams at BioZyme. Our dealers are very important to us, and we want to ensure they have all the tools to succeed, that is why we offer a variety of systems and people to assist them in their business.

Area Sales Managers
The ASMs are BioZyme’s boots on the ground team who represent the company across the country. This team of knowledgeable men and women are likely the first people that dealers will have face-to-face interactions with and are their go-to for assistance on product information and ways to build their business. Dealers are encouraged to reach out to their ASM when they need help understanding new products or need a sounding board for how to reach out to prospective customers.

Outreach and Customer Support
The Outreach and Customer Support Team is available via phone and email to help customers – you – to make sure you have a positive experience. They help with placing and tracking orders, keeping your contact information updated and answer a myriad of questions that you might have about products, merchandise and literature.

Nutrition Support
One of the best benefits a nutrition company can offer is full-time nutrition support,
and BioZyme has that with its Nutrition Team coupled with its Business Development Team. This support system works to help educate dealers and your customers about the nutritional components of the BioZyme products and more.
Staff nutritionists work to help analyze hay samples and develop feed rations and recommendations based on your customer’s available feed.

Marketing Support
Marketing is key to your business’s success, and that is why BioZyme has made so many marketing tools, including its Marketing Team available to its dealers. If you need any marketing help, that assistance is just a few clicks away, through the online Marketing Request form in the Online Dealer Center. Click on Marketing and then Marketing Requests to submit the type of help you need. Marketing can help you create a logo, signage, write a radio script, develop a print or e-mail ad and so much more!

Not all systems come in a computer! At BioZyme, we feel our best support comes from the people who work here who care about the dealers, the customers and each other. Reach out to anyone of the team or complete a marketing request and you’ll see what care that comes full circle is all about.

Letters From Lisa – April 2022

Systems and processes are the essential building blocks of our companies. Every facet of our business—on the production floor, in the warehouse or in the office—is part of a system that can be managed or improved. A system is designed to connect all of an organization’s intricate parts and interrelated steps so they can work together for the achievement of success.

There are several reasons to implement a business system.

Improving Top-Line Performance: In short, a business system takes care of your future. It ensures if you know you are meeting your customers’ expectations, which is key to growing a healthy business.

Meeting Customer’s Expectations: If you use a system like a CRM and a systematic approach, your organization will be motivated to analyze, measure, compare and test all the possibilities of what your customers want and don’t want.

Employee Development: The goal of the development system is to enable proper education and opportunities to all employees so they can complete their work more efficiently and effectively.

Reduce Costs and Increase Profits: It has been proven time and again that the implementation of a sound business system helps reduce costs. However, a good business system is intended to reduce costs without taking the shortcuts that often lead to an erosion of profitability by lowering quality expectations or service levels.

Unfortunately, you can’t just go buy a business system, you must build it, and it includes 100 parts: an information system, an IT system, a CRM system, a production system, a drive Lisa nuts system and an etc.,etc., etc. system. The choices are many, and therefore the decisions are many, which is sometimes hard. I am by no means a system expert, but this month we will focus on sharing about the three that I do feel we have done well – the CRM, Inventory and Marketing Project Management. I have always believed that most every challenge in business can be solved if you 1) get the right system in place, 2) then develop the processes to properly use that system and then finally 3) ensure the people involved are in the right seat on the bus and are personally inspired to keep themselves accountable to these system and processes. So, you can see I believe systems are first. Why?

  1. Systems provide consistency: With business systems, you can more easily produce the same products and services with the same level of consistency. Once you have created your systems and developed the processes engaged with the systems, your employees can easily be consistent.
  2. Change is easier to accomplish: Systems make a business predictable. So, when change impacts your business – which may often occur these days – knowing that becomes easier. You will also then better predict how the change should be handled.
  3. Training new employees becomes easier: New hires can be quickly integrated into your business when there is a system and a set of procedures for them to follow, so they know exactly what is expected.
  4. Staff can focus on what they do best: Once business systems are established and implemented, some activities can be performed on “autopilot.” Repetitive activities in your business become routine, so you and your team can focus on activities with higher payoffs.

Systems are what make businesses grow, flow, endure and be sustainable. Businesses that effectively use systems find themselves winning against their competition. I leave you with this thought. If you don’t have the resources or time to pick a “high tech” system don’t ignore this letter of ideas. At BioZyme, we have had to start with a paper “system” MANY times. What I have found is that what is not ok to say is, “I will get a system when I can afford it or once this or that happens.” DO IT now, even if it is using a concrete tablet.

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Changes Happening in April 2022

Update from the President:

In March we experienced significant cost increases in just about everything. Trying not to be political (yes, this is Lisa) the impacts of our world hit us solidly in the head at BioZyme. Tubs, bags, grains, vitamins, sulfates and even water all went up in price. Add logistic fuel surcharges like we have never seen before in our company’s history along with utility increases just as high and we, despite my giving it my all since March 2020, had to increase our prices across the board. I promise to continue to work hard to keep this from continually occurring, but please PRAY for our country.

PRODUCT UPDATES

A new & improved formula to enhance palatability has been created, tested and implemented for DuraFerm® Sheep Concept•Aid® HEAT®

LTL: Capacity continues to be stressed

  • COVID-19 Omicron variant is causing elevated absenteeism at carrier terminals; expect delays into April as a result
  • Expect persistent delays in LTL carrier networks from the backlogs
  • With capacity already constrained, multiple LTL carriers are now implementing freight embargoes at various locations across the country
  • Rates are projected to stay 35.8% higher than the 2018 baseline – but remain level with Q4/2021

LTL Calculator

  • This tool and its results are for estimation purposes only. There are no guarantees these rates will be accurate when a shipment is rated and booked. If the carrier has Interline on the calculator this could take an additional 6 days or more to receive your order. The Logistics Team usually picks the lowest cost unless it is Interline. If you would like to keep the lowest rate on freight and would like to go interline, please reach out to Ashley Jones at ajones@biozymeinc.com.
  • (interline- a shipment that is transferred between two or more carriers for movement to final destination)

GET TIMELY INFORMATION

  • Enhancements have been made to the Online Dealer Center to make sure that dealers are getting the most current information possible. Login to the Dealer Center regularly or check out the Dealer Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/biozymedealer for timely information.

EMPLOYEE CHANGES

  • Katie Williams has transitioned from the Outreach & Customer Support Center to the Marketing Brand Manager-Regional and will be assisting dealers with their marketing needs.
  • Kenny Voboril is now the Outreach Support Dealer Coordinator-UMW
  • New Area Sales Managers include Brenen Diesen, covering Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin; and Steve Patton, representing Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
  • Lori Lawrence is now the Show and Small Livestock Business Development Manager.
  • Bob Burkham is the National Manager of Supplement Sales.
  • Wyatt Marshall is the Event Manager and Texas Equine Sales Specialist.

BACKYARD BOOST® IS KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL CHICK DAYS

Depending on your location, the ever-popular “Chick Days” will be here before we know it, and products like Backyard Boost® will help these young flocks flourish! We encourage you to work with your ASM or reach out to Shelia Grobosky, the Dealer Brand Manager, to help you promote these natural products that are designed to support the health, wellbeing and productivity of poultry.

Backyard Boost Daily Essentials

Backyard Boost Daily Essentials is a pelleted, natural protein supplement fully fortified with the precision prebiotic Amaferm®, vitamins, minerals and organic trace minerals to maximize growth and egg production and support overall flock health. Amaferm is research-proven to increase digestion and absorption of nutrients to help maximize egg production and quality. In addition, Daily Essentials contains additional protein to support growth, feather quality and egg production and calcium and other nutrients for natural improvement of eggshell and yolk quality.

  • 2.5 lb. or 10 lb. resealable bag.
  • Fed at a rate of 0.5 oz/chick/day.
  • For a 6-bird flock, 2.5 lbs. will last 2 weeks, and 10 lbs. will last 8 weeks.
  • Feed daily, either in the feeder or scattered in the pen.
  • Intended as a supplement, not a complete feed

Backyard Boost Defense

Backyard Boost Defense is a liquid supplement that promotes feed and water intake during times of stress and recovery to help support digestive health and a healthy inflammatory response. With natural products like the prebiotic Amaferm that helps combat the negative effects of stress and gets your hens back to producing eggs faster, and MOS to trap and expel unwanted disease-causing pathogens, limiting their ability to do harm, Defense promotes feed and water intake. It also contains electrolytes to support proper hydration and works with antibiotics to improve health and recovery.

  • 16 oz and a NEW 8 oz twin neck bottle with dosing chamber.
  • Added to water at the rate of 1 oz per gallon.
  • Mix daily to best freshness.
  • Designed for intermittent feeding during stress/recovery; can be fed at same time as Daily Essentials.
  • Maximizes the effectiveness of antibiotics.

SMART STRATEGIES FOR SELLING BACKYARD BOOST

Upselling and cross-selling are marketing tools that will help both you and your customer. They help your customers succeed in their feeding and production endeavors, and they help you meet your sales goals. When you combine the two and work them together, your business will experience even more growth.

Upselling is the is the practice of encouraging customers to purchase a comparable higher-end product than the one they might be originally considering. Cross-selling urges customers to buy related or complementary items. These two practices are most effective when they are used synergistically, and the end result for you, the dealer, is increased sales and hopefully a customer who sees better results.

Cross-selling is a practice that should be used in business nearly every time you make a sale. Products in the new Backyard Boost™line like Backyard Boost Daily Essentials and Backyard Boost Defense were created for cross-selling opportunities. Most people won’t immediately think of nutritional supplements for their backyard birds. However, they will think of other essentials like coops, heat lamps, bedding and feed. When they go pick out their feed or have questions about bird health, these are some ideal times for some cross-selling statements.

  • Have you thought about how you’re going to keep your chicks healthy?
  • Would you like to add a supplement to your chick feed to keep them feeling healthy and keep them happy?
  • Did you know that a product like Daily Essentials will help your chickens get the most nutrient supply from their feed?
  • How are you going to treat your chicks when they stress out and get sick? Have you thought about Defense.

Cross selling allows you to add on an essential product that will benefit the customer in his or her endeavor. Often times when you cross-sell, the customer hasn’t thought about that additional need yet, but when you mention it, it becomes an “ah-ha” moment for them, and a cross-sell suggestion often saves the customer a trip back to the store in the future, while helping you create a sale.

Upselling is a tool that should be used anytime you have a product that contains Amaferm®. With a prebiotic like Amaferm, products like Backyard Boost Daily Essentials and Defense are already more beneficial than other supplements that exist on the market. The Amaferm advantage and other natural ingredients in these supplements will:

  • Support performance and health of the birds by supporting the digestion and absorption of nutrients.
  • Reduce digestive upset, therefore improve the overall health and wellbeing of the birds.
  • Increase egg production, while improving eggshell and yolk quality.
  • Supports growth and feather quality.
  • Boosts immune response and combats negative effects of stress.

Upselling allows you to share experiences of a high-quality product with your customer and those benefits that a premium product will provide. Remember, a premium product doesn’t always have to be the one with the highest price tag; it is the one that is backed by research and has the most high-quality ingredients included in it.

Take the time to practice upselling and cross-selling across all species and products. There is always a product that will add value to another product.

New Product Alert!

Sure Champ Extreme with Clarify is available to order March 15! 

A pelleted, daily supplement with the Amaferm advantage for show cattle and pigs that can be top-dressed or mixed in the ration to promote appetite and digestive health and includes technologies designed to help support animals during extreme temperatures and to control horn, face, stable and house flies in their larval stage. 

Ready to order in Online Dealer Center: https://dealers.backofficeapps.com/products/2147