Category: What’s New

Check Out Our Virtual Producer Meetings and Vitalize Equine Health Seminar

Did any of your customers miss out on our Virtual Producer Meetings or our Vitalize Equine Health Seminar? Don’t worry, we have them covered! They can sign up for the email versions today using the links below.

Link to the Virtual Producer Meetings form: https://vitaferm.com/virtual-producer-meetings/

Link to the Vitalize Equine Health Seminar Form: https://vitalizeeq.com/vitalize-equine-health-seminar/

Changes Happening in May 2020

NEW PRODUCTS

  • VitaFerm® Concept•Aid® 5/S HEAT® will be available May 1, 2020. VitaFerm Concept•Aid 5/S HEAT is a free-choice vitamin and mineral supplement for beef cattle specifically designed for reproductive success when fed 60 days pre-calving through 60 days post-breeding. Also contains HEAT to help prevent heat stress during temperatures of 70 degrees and above, or anytime cattle are grazing fescue.
  • DuraFerm® Sheep Concept•Aid® HEAT® will be available May 1, 2020 but will NOT ship until May 15, 2020. DuraFerm Sheep Concept•Aid HEAT is a mineral supplement for sheep specifically designed to help prevent heat stress during temperatures of 70 degrees or above. Especially beneficial to combat the challenges of getting ewes bred in the summer. Also contains garlic to deter insects.

SHIPPING UPDATES

  • Published Pallet rates are no longer available via the Terms and Conditions document. In lieu of published rates we have built and launched a new app called LTL Freight Calculator. Estimated shipping rates for LTL shipments can be calculated via the BioZyme Dealer Center and the LTL Freight Calculator. Visit https://dealers.backofficeapps.com/freight/calculator/new
    NOTE: This tool and its results are for estimation purposes only. BioZyme, Inc makes no guarantees that these rates will be accurate when a shipment is rated and booked.

PRODUCT UPDATES

  • Vitalize® High Performance has moved to a 40 lb. bag and is now using the same bag design as the other Vitalize pellet products.
  • In response to customer requests for a more durable and weather resistant bag, we are beginning to switch our bagged products from multi-wall, paper to Biaxially Oriented Poly Propylene bags. Starting May 1, 2020, Vitalize Digest More Plus 40 lb., Vitalize Protein Pellet and Vitalize High Performance will begin shipping in the new bags.
  • Amaferm® Digest More® has changed names to Amaferm Pellet and will ship in the same style bag as Amaferm granular.

INGREDIENT UPDATES

  • The impacts of coronavirus are being felt in the supply chain. The effect is most noticeable for vitamins, which have increased dramatically because of tight global supply. We are working diligently to mitigate the effects of the shortage to our products and minimize price increases.
  • Due to reduced fuel demand the ethanol industry has seen significant supply chain challenges. As a result of quality and supply issues we have changed to a new DDGS supplier with a more consistent product. This has resulted in a lighter bulk density and smaller particle size that is noticeable in some of our products.

PRODUCTION UPDATES

  • Cogent Solutions Group, our sister company in Lexington, KY, will be expanding their operation and moving into a new facility the week of May 8-15, 2020. Production of Vita Charge® and Vitalize® products will be shut down during that time. We have increased production over the last few weeks to cover that down time and don’t expect any delays on shipment of Vita Charge and Vitalize products.

EMPLOYEE CHANGES

  • Ailee Langdon is no longer with BioZyme. If you need any type of assistance that Ailee used to help you with, please reach out to Jennifer Miller at (816) 596-8785 or jenmiller@biozymeinc.com.
  • To better align the organization, some alterations have been made to job titles in Supply Chain. Dan Wiezba is the Senior Manager of Plant and Production, Kevin Glaubius is the Senior Manager of Formulation & Regulatory, Sam Norton is the Senior Manager of Efficiency & Safety, Dennis Delaney is the Senior Manager of Quality Control, Stephen Mohn is the Senior Manager of Inventory, and Tyson Vordestrasse is the Senior Manager of Fermentation.
  • Hayley Keck, our Marketing Brand Coordinator, has taken on additional responsibilities. While she will continue to manage the companion animal brands for BioZyme and Cogent, she has now acquired coordinating efforts relating to Amaferm marketing domestically. Hayley will help implement the Amaferm E-Blast Series, improve the Partner Center and coordinate efforts for the Food Export Program. To best accomplish these responsibilities, Hayley now reports directly to Kristi Stevens.

Changes Coming in June 2020

NEW PRODUCTS

  • We are looking forward to rolling out a new economical VitaFerm product line June 1, 2020. Watch your email for more information.

DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS

  • On June 1, 2020, VitaFerm® Cow Calf, VitaFerm® Cow Calf Mag and BioZyme® Cattle Flex 5 will be discontinued to make way for our new line (see above). 

PRODUCT UPDATES

  • In response to customer requests for a more durable and weather resistant bag, we are beginning to switch our granular products from multi-wall, paper to Biaxially Oriented Poly Propylene bags. In June VitaFerm® HEAT®, DuraFerm® products, and some Gain Smart® products will begin shipping in the new bags. VitaFerm® Concept•Aid® mineral products and the Gain Smart® Stocker line will transition to the new bags in July. The remaining products will transition over the next 6 months.

BRAND UPDATES

  • On June 1, 2020, “VitaFerm®” will be removed from the Gain Smart® product names.

Get That Good Gut Feeling With Vitalize

Did you know that 67% of U.S. households have at least one dog? That’s a whopping 85 million households with dogs, and surely some of those are your existing customers. As “man’s best friend” dog owners want what is best for their four-legged friends and will oftentimes spend any amount of money on food, vet costs, toys and supplies to make sure their fur babies are happy and healthy.

That’s why BioZyme® has created a canine line of Vitalize® products, specifically formulated with the Amaferm® advantage to maintain that “good gut feeling.” Just like the equine Vitalize, this line of supplements is designed to improve digestive health and gut integrity, keeping your customer’s animal healthy and performing.

Regardless if their canine companion is a working cow dog, show dog, hunting dog, guard dog or a sit on your lap and look cute dog, your customers want what is best for it. Vitalize offers three forms of supplements for dogs:

  • Vitalize® Dog – available in 1 lb. or 40 lb. bucket – a top dress vitamin and mineral supplement for dogs in all stages of life that need or deserve extra fortification and improved digestive health.
  • Vitalize® Dog Recovery Gel – 15 mL tube – a 3-in-1 gel that provides faster recovery during stressful times such as high performance, antibiotic therapy, worming, surgery recovery, sickness or digestive upset such as diarrhea or vomiting.
  • Vitalize® Alimend® K9 – 6 oz. bottle – unique blend of: MHB3® Hyaluronan, H. erinaceous (Lion’s mane) extract, and AO-Biotics® that supports gastric health and GI tissue in dogs.

Horses can face numerous health challenges, including colic, ulcers, dysbiosis, weight management problems, going off-feed, and diarrhea. The equine line of Vitalize products offers research-proven solutions to help combat these problems. These supplements contain precision prebiotics to improve digestive health and gut integrity, keeping your customer’s horse healthy and performing. If they are good enough for some of the world’s best show jumpers and rodeo athletes, aren’t they good enough for your customers? To help your customer decide which Vitalize supplement is right for his or her horse, visit the Simplified Product Guide.

Check out what some of our customers had to say!

Don’t Miss Our Next Episode of The American Rancher Tonight!

TODAY IS THE DAY!! Don’t miss our next episode of The American Rancher airing tonight at 9 PM EST on RFD-TV.
This episode features Tracy and Wendy Savage with Lumberjack Farm and Ranch in Warren, AR and our VitaFerm HEAT products.
Tune in to Dish channel 231 or DirecTV Channel 345.
Check out a sneak peek here: https://youtu.be/7_DJs9MUw4A

Don’t Miss Out On Our Vitalize Equine Health Seminar!

Our Vitalize Equine Health Seminar will take place on April 23rd at 5 PM central featuring Lynsey Whitacre, PhD discussing The Impacts of Stress on Your Horse. This Seminar is completely FREE to attend, so be sure to sign up and invite your customers too!

You and your customers can sign up using this link: https://vitalizeeq.com/vitalize-equine-health-seminar/

BioZyme COVID-19 Information

Below you will find important information about BioZyme’s response to the challenge of COVID-19. To ensure you receive any important updates, please sign up for our text alerts by clicking the link in the top right corner of the Online Dealer Center.

Official Government Issued COVID-19 Information:
We encourage you to be aware of the best practices outlined by the CDC and WHO in an effort to prevent the spread of illness.

FAQs About COVID-19

Steps to Help Prevent the Spread of COVD-19

Families First Coronavirus Response Act

 

Important Information for BioZyme Dealers:
We understand the growing concern surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19) across our communities. From the onset of this situation, we have been listening to the experts as we work to meet the challenges of this extraordinary situation. We are closely monitoring and following the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO), to ensure we are doing our part to keep everyone in our circle safe, but continue to be able to feed the amazing animals that ultimately contribute to our survival.

We are actively monitoring the situation and assessing risks and are ready to implement immediate changes to ensure a high level of safety and provide the best possible experience during this time.

  • We have introduced rigorous additional cleaning procedures to our facilities and have increased the number of wipes, hand sanitizers, and other cleaning materials available to employees while in our facilities.
  • We’ve taken sensible steps to help protect our team of employees. This means we’ve advised our employees to follow the public health authorities’ guidance regarding personal health and hygiene. Additionally, we’ve implemented significant social-distancing measures that include moving some of our workforce to home office environments and suspending all non-essential in-person meetings and travel.
  • We have advised our sales team against in-person visits as we assess the ongoing situation. We have a talented sales team who knows their territories best, and regardless if they see you in person or not, they will be working from home to best represent you. They will still be accessible via phone, email and text, so reach out to them with your questions or ideas of how we can grow business (times like these tend to help us think).
  • Our buildings remain open to transportation and essential visitors.  If you have any questions the local number to reach our Customer Care team is: 1-800-821-3070.

Our employees, customers and business partners are the heart of our company and we look forward to serving your needs wherever and however you choose to engage with our products and services.

 

 

How BioZyme is Protecting Our Employees:
BioZyme Infectious Disease Preparedness & Response Plan.

Vendor / Visitor Entrance
Vendors and visitors will not be allowed in the building unless:

  1. It is an employee support vendor. If this is case, they must fill out this BioZyme Health Screening Survey and email it to Sam Norton (snorton@biozymeinc.com) before arriving.
  1. If the vendor or visitor is not an employee support vendor or on the approved visitor list – they will not be allowed in the buildings until after the shelter in place for Saint Joseph, Missouri is no longer in effect.

Essential Employee Letter:
Employees that must come to the Stockyards or Easton facilities to ensure production of our products continues uninterrupted are being provided an essential employee letter to carry with them. Click Here to download the letter.
All employees who are able to work remotely are doing so, including the Sales Team, International Team, Outreach Support Center, Marketing Team and Office Support Staff.

Changes Happening in April 2020

DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS

  • VitaFerm® Sure Start Pellets and VitaFerm® Roughage Fortifier have been discontinued.

SHIPPING UPDATES

  • FedEx has agreed to reduce the 50-70 lb. handling fee from $24 down to $6. We are still working on getting the entire fee waived but did get a 75% reduction. Currently, this impacts orders of any 50 lb. bagged product and cases of Vita Charge Drench.
  • As of March 1, 2020, fulfillment of small pack products [Page 2 items] is via FedEx at our sister company in Lexington, KY. Therefore, small pack products will no longer be top loaded on pallets. All orders will be shipped separately via FedEx Ground. Customers will be billed actual shipping rates of FedEx for small pack orders.
  • As of March 1, 2020, we began transitioning from pallet rates on LTL shipments to actual quoted rates via carriers. This will include additional fees charged by carriers for farm/residential deliveries [determined by the carriers, not BioZyme], lift gate service fees and any fees associated with delivery appointments and/or driver assistance.

PRODUCT UPDATES

  • The impacts of coronavirus are being felt in the supply chain. The effect is most noticeable for vitamins, which have increased dramatically because of tight global supply. We are working diligently to mitigate the effects of the shortage to our products and minimize price increases.
  • Effectively immediately, some production changes have been implemented to ensure the continued quality of the bagged Vitalize® products. You will notice a slightly smaller pellet size and a more uniform, consistent product.
  • Vitalize® High Performance will be moving from a 50 lb. bag to a 40 lb. bag once current inventories are exhausted, sometime in mid-April or early May.
  • Starting May 1, 2020, Amaferm® Digest More® will change names to Amaferm® Pellet and will ship in the same style bag as Amaferm® granular.
  • VitaFerm® Concept•Aid® 5/S IGR and VitaFerm HEAT® IGR require annual registration which has been completed for 2020. We have received approval for states including: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A COPY OF THE APRIL CHANGES

Letters From Lisa – April 2020

Differentiate Product Lines, Lower Risk

Sales diversification is one of BioZyme®’s five goals for the next three years. Why? No matter how you dissect it, BioZyme is very dependent on the U.S. cattle market. It represents about 60% of every dollar of revenue we have.

You can look at that two ways. Way to go team! Or, what are all the ways we can change that will allow us to have more revenue from different things? That thought means looking at how to grow international sales, equine sales, small pack (treatment for a challenge) sales and even pet sales such as dogs and backyard chickens. (Did you know 8% of the 10 million households in the USA have chickens in their backyard?)

Why would anyone want to add all that to their plate if you can be successful just doing one thing for one species? Here’s why:

Sales can dry up, so keep investing in them

It should go without saying that businesses can’t rely on a single sales source to keep them afloat (never mind grow the company). It doesn’t matter how great your client or customer is, or how well your relationship might be working right now. Anything could happen to change that. Continually be on the lookout for new sales in order to build a solid portfolio of customers. No matter how well things might seem to be going, you can’t afford to be complacent. Set aside some time every day to capture and chase leads, even if it’s just one hour. You’ll be surprised by how much you can achieve in that time.

Competition will be tough, so make the most of your resources

The benefit of diversification is that it enables businesses to maximize their use of resources and fully realize their potential. You might only be able to diversify horizontally, by adding a new product or service to appeal to your current customer base. Or you could jump into an entirely new market segment, with a new customer base, to take advantage of high growth potential. But, either way, you will be making the most of your resources and ensuring you aim for the best return on your investment.

Finding out what your business does well (and better than your competitors) is a good way to see if your resources are being used to support these strengths. It can also help you identify where you might be wasting time, money and skills. This will allow you to see where you can potentially add value for current customers with new products or services, or how you could use your resources better to add value to an entirely new market.

It’s easy for one revenue stream to drain your energy and distract from growth

I’ve seen this happen too many times. One main revenue stream starts demanding increasing focus until it takes over everything. It might be your first cherished customer, or it could be the income source that has been the most lucrative. Regardless, it can quickly become an obstacle to success by taking up too much of your energy and resources, leaving you little for taking advantage of new opportunities. Learning to avoid this from happening up front is way better than trying to untangle yourself afterward.

It is widely acknowledged that while business diversification is appealing for a number of reasons, it is a ‘high-stakes game.’ In other words, both the rewards and the risks are potentially extraordinary. Yet one of the reasons diversification strategies can fail is because they are often undertaken when the company is under pressure and there isn’t time for well thought out options. Think about diversification of your revenue streams ahead of time, when you’re not under pressure and you can give the proper authority to make a good decision. This will allow you to more likely find success– and protect the future of your business.

Don’t Miss Out on our Virtual Producer Meetings!

With the current limitations on travel and event attendance due to the COVID-19 outbreak, getting your dose of education and industry networking can be challenging. However, we are making it easier than ever with our NEW Virtual Producer Meetings! Please share this opportunity with your customers and invite them to join us!

These meetings are completely FREE for you and your customers. We have 2 segments available for you to attend; March 30th and 31st.

  • TRACK 1: The Importance of a Quality Mineral Program in 2020: The basics of the Amaferm Advantage
  • TRACK 2: Is Premium Nutrition Worth It: An in-depth look at a quality nutrition program

You and your customers can sign up using this link: https://vitaferm.com/virtual-producer-meetings/…

Dealer Spotlight: A To Z Vet Supply

An Innovator In E-Commerce

Online shopping; some say it is a double-edged sword, but it is here to stay. It is an efficient way to purchase the supplies a person needs and wants without fighting crowds and pushy salespeople. Others contend that it takes away from local businesses. However, one BioZyme® dealer, who is an innovator in e-commerce, has found his niche in the online retail business while educating his consumers.

Chris Mallon, owner and manager of A to Z Vet Supply (www.atozvetsupply.com) in Dresden, Tennessee, was one of the first pet supply sellers to have an online business, back in 2003, when the internet was still the “wild, wild west.” Although the transition from a catalog to a website didn’t happen over night and not without trial and error, his company has grown, experienced some website changes; and he’s excited to launch a fresh designed, custom website in the very near future.

“We look at our business differently. I’m not a widget-seller. I’m an educator. I travel around the country and speak at conventions and educational seminars [for dog breeders]. The backbone of our business is dog breeding. We work with dog breeders to educate them on a sciencebasis just like BioZyme does, on nutrition and vaccinating and worming and all these things they need to bring healthy puppies to market and what happens beyond,” Mallon said. “Puppies grow up in a breeder’s environment and then they leave to go to a new household or go to a pet store to be sold. That’s a whole new environment and that just shuts down their system. Of course, the Amaferm® in the Vitalize® Dog Recovery Gel is a great thing to send along with that puppy to keep its system intact and even if it stresses, there’s no impact on its digestive tract and it won’t have diarrhea, etc., etc… So, we educate people on these things.”

Mallon said education is vital to what he does. Once he or his staff has educated a consumer on a product or how to use a product, the sale is secondary. When a consumer understands the product, the sale isn’t as challenging to make. And once they start using a product they trust that works, they don’t turn back. Then, they start telling their friends who tell their friends and referrals come pouring in. He said that is how he’s used the Vitalize Dog Recovery Gel and Vita Charge® Liquid Boost to grow his business during the past two years.

“I’ve got people hooked on those products. I gave a great educational seminar, so they try the products. Once they implement them, there’s no reason for them to think about it again because they keep coming back and are like, ‘wow, this really works!’”

As a pioneer in animal supply e-commerce, Mallon offers three tips to set yourself apart in online retail.

  1. Educate your consumer. The only way Mallon said you will set yourself apart from your competitor is to provide education. Without a consumer being able to hold and “experience” the product, they need to feel connected to it. That might be with a testimonial blog or video, but make sure to offer more than a product picture, description and price. He said when people do visit his website, he hopes they call the 800-number, but if they do not, the information they need to know more about the product and make a buying decision is available directly on the website.
  2. Invest in a website. “Websites are the cheapest salesperson you will ever invest in and the more money you put into that salesperson, the better off you’ll be because that website is working 24/7, seven days a week for your initial cash outlay.” Make sure your website is user friendly, on a reliable platform and contains the items that you carry in your store, if you have a storefront.
  3. Prepare for the future. Mallon said that by 2025, its predicted 90% of all online orders will be submitted via cell phone – not a desktop computer or tablet, so when you do decide to join the world of e-commerce, make sure your website can be pushed through on a cell phone.

In addition to its website, A to Z Vet Supply is also found on social platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Mallon said he uses those tools to help draw people in to find his website. Although he uses the Promoboxx content on the Facebook page, he said his typical content is funny dog videos that people will watch, then they see his website, visit that and perhaps call him with a question. Another valuable tool he recommends is Google Analytics, a free resource to track and reports website traffic.

Yes, online shopping is here to stay. A to Z Vet Supply has proven itself an innovator in the digital information and retail space. Chris Mallon uses his skills and knowledge to educate before the sale, being a true champion of “care that comes full circle.”