Congratulations to the following for completing advanced levels of the Master Dealer Program in November:
Master Dealer Chapter 3
Master Dealer Chapter 4
by Shelia Grobosky, Marketing Brand Manager – Dealers & Public Relations
For some, it is the most wonderful time of the year. The holidays are approaching, and a new year is too. But for others, the holidays are not a happy time to navigate. And the year-end is a reminder of bills that are due and deadlines that must be met.
Agriculture is hard. There are no two ways around it. However, one of the best things about this industry is its people. If you are having a challenging time right now, remember that you are surrounded by some of the greatest people in the business. Not only are the people in agriculture great, but your BioZyme family is here for you too.
Mental health and happiness are probably not what you were expecting to read about this month. Cattle numbers are short. Tighter regulations are being put down on truckers, and freight is still a concern. But in the grand scheme of this thing called life, the things that matter most are faith, family and YOU! Let’s talk about you for just a few more paragraphs.
If you are feeling a little down in the dumps this holiday season or anytime of the year, it is ok to reach out. There is always someone there who wants to help you. And if you don’t think so, just contact me or your ASM. I love listening to people, and sometimes that is just what a person needs – an unbiased person to listen.
Do something for you. Sometimes we get so busy in our daily lives we forget to live. I know this is true for myself. I was going through the motions, and then one day realized my daughter was growing up in front of my eyes. So, I give my time to her from the time she gets off the bus until bedtime. It might mean putting in a few later nights, but those evenings together are so worth it.
Take up a hobby. Have you always wanted to learn to play the guitar or decorate cakes? You are never too old to learn a talent that can serve as a creative outlet and help you relieve stress at the same time.
Take a deep breath. Sometimes those deep breaths are just what I need to help clear my mind and help me put things back into perspective.
I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and celebrate this wonderful time of year!
START LOOKING FOR NASC QUALITY SEAL
BioZyme® Inc. and Cogent Solutions Group will now carry the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) Quality Seal on products specifically designed for the equine and companion animal markets. Dealers and customers will start seeing the NASC seal on packaging for products for horses, dogs and cats under the Vitalize®, Hyaluronex® and Trixsyn® brands. The seal will be a rolling change as current packaging inventory is exhausted.
VITALIZE® HORSE TREATS AVAILABLE IN HOLIDAY PACKAGING
Vitalize® Horse Treats are still available in limited-edition holiday packaging. These carrot-flavored prebiotic snacks make great gifts for your favorite equine companions. Stock up now before the supply is gone!
HOLIDAY HOURS AND SHIPPING
To allow our families to observe the Christmas and New Year holidays, we are closed the following:
• Friday, December 23 & Monday, December 26
• Monday, January 2, 2023
To ensure you receive the freshest product, in the timeliest manner, there is no shipping or pickup on:
• Thursday, December 22 to Monday, December 26
• Thursday, December 29 to Monday, January 2, 2023
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the BioZyme Family.
Batman and Robin. Kenny and Dolly. Johnny and June. Some things are just meant to be together. That same can be said of Falling Timber Farm LLC and BioZyme® Inc. John and Heidi Ridder, Marthasville, Missouri, started as BioZyme dealers shortly after they got married, and have been growing their business while watching BioZyme grow for nearly the last two decades.
“The VitaFerm® products have a reputation of quality in the cattle world. The products sell themselves,” John said.
He described the early beginnings in the nutrition industry. One of John’s jobs after college was a sales manager for a feed store before he returned to the home farm in eastern Missouri. The BioZyme district manager asked him to start selling BioZyme products. At that time, BioZyme still ran their own delivery trucks and would call dealers to put together orders every week. They would unload 10 bags of product at a time at Ridder’s shop and hand stack it onto a plastic pallet.
“A few really good years changed everything,” he said.
As if he and Heidi were looking into a crystal ball, they started identifying other good end-users in their area to work underneath them in getting products distributed. Falling Timber Farm was among the first to be part of the sub-dealer network.
“Sub-dealers were going to be the only way to survive, even back then. When the freight changed and they started to bring a load in at a time, the sub-dealers were a great way to get more products out to more customers,” John said.
Not only do they have several sub-dealers that they work together with, Falling Timber Farm also engages in several marketing opportunities that BioZyme offers. They participate in the quarterly mailer dealer four times a year, offer their customers a promo each spring and fall where they send their own postcard and work closely with their Area Sales Manager Ali Brunner.
“The dealer mailer is easy, and it works. We keep our mailing list up to date,” Heidi said. “I have considered moving to an email for our spring and fall promos instead of a postcard, but that postcard gives them something in the mail to look at instead of an email where they can just delete it with a push of a button. That postcard usually gets us a few calls after it goes out.”
In addition to their BioZyme business, the Ridders also have a registered Hereford operation, so they maintain several customer lists with the use of Excel spreadsheets. Heidi said her BioZyme spreadsheet rarely has any returned postcards due to being kept current. One tip she offers others is that for a minimal fee, the Post Office will check a list for accuracy, which she does before mailing their annual production sale catalog, since it is thicker and requires more postage.
Although they face the same challenges most dealers face, John and Heidi enjoy the family atmosphere that their dealership has given them while raising their own two children, who are the fourth generation to grow up on the ranch. Madi is a sophomore at the University of Missouri studying Animal Science, and Ben is a freshman at Oklahoma State University majoring in Agriculture Systems and Technology.
“We are able to help other producers with smaller herds and full-time jobs meet their production goals. They come out to get products with their family and their kids. We’ve grown up in this business and our customers have grown up with us, and we get to watch their families grow up, too,” Heidi said.
John agrees. He also encourages anyone interested in getting involved to branch out and be patient.
“You likely won’t survive on one entity alone, so you will need to diversify. That might be sales and grain farming or sales and livestock,” he said. “Don’t expect to grow real fast. Grow your customer base one really good customer at a time.”
Just like John and Heidi Ridder of Falling Timber Farm had the foresight to grow their customer base and their sub-dealer system, they know to use their resources, diversify their opportunities and provide care that comes full circle to their customers. We’re proud that they have been with BioZyme for the long haul!
Reminder! Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, there will be no product shipping or order pick up, Wednesday, November 23 – Friday, November 25.
Our offices are closed Thursday and Friday to allow employees time with their families. Business will resume as normal, Monday, November, 28.
Congratulations to these dealers who completed Chapters 3 & 4 of the Master Dealer program in October! Master Dealer is just one action to help increase your product and business knowledge and help grow your business!
Master Dealer Chapter 3
Master Dealer Chapter 4
It’s time to opt-in for the Q4 Dealer Mailer, featuring VitaFerm® Concept•Aid®. If you would like to to opt-in, send an email with your mailing list to Shelia Grobosky, Marketing Brand Manager – Dealers & PR: sgrobosky@biozymeinc.com by November 30.
By Shelia Grobosky, Marketing Brand Manager – Dealers & PR
Corn and soybean harvest begins to wind down, and the leaves crunch under foot on the way to the barn each morning. Those subtle reminders combined with the need for a hoodie or light jacket are evidence that Thanksgiving is just around the corner. There are many things to be grateful for this year, including the opportunity to work with those of you who market the BioZyme® products I am passionate about, and ultimately show care that comes full circle.
Of course, there is an election this month. I hope everyone took time to go to the polls and made their voices heard. We still live in a democracy, last I checked, and the process still should thrive.
I don’t have to remind the dealers how big of a logistical nightmare that transportation is; however, just in case you tried to forget, there is a looming railway strike that could yet happen in November. In late October, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) joined more than 100 other national and state trade organizations in sending a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to work with the railroad unions and railroads to avoid a strike. The letter made clear “the overwhelming concern that a rail shutdown would have a significant impact on the U.S. economy and lead to further inflationary pressure.”
With the holiday season basically upon us, many folks are focused on the economy – both from a spending and a profit standpoint. According to Rabobank analysts’ forecast, lower real wages will negatively impact protein consumption in the remainder of 2022 and the first half of the new year.
In one article on porkbusiness.com, Glynn Tonsor, professor of Ag Economics at Kansas State University who also tracks consumers buying habits through the Meat Demand Monitor, said the country is indeed in a recession. One indicator of that can be tracked by consumer spending, including protein.
“We’re seeing some trading down within the protein complex. Think about going from a bacon product to a ham product, or from a ribeye steak to a sirloin steak. There’s a lot of examples like that,” Tonsor said.
So, while the economy and transportation issues might feel like we are in a world of gloom, remember, there is still always something to be thankful for. Count your blessings each day and remember what is most important. Faith, family, friends, good business partners and the promise a bright future.
Danielle Johnson, Dunn, North Carolina, is the new BioZyme® Inc. Area Sales Manager (ASM) in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. In her role, she will work with the dealer network to promote the BioZyme product lines and brands and educate dealers and customers about high-quality nutrition.
Johnson has an extensive background and passion in agriculture and animal health, having been raised on her family’s fifth-generation row crop farm and cow-calf enterprise where they also raised thoroughbred horses. She earned an associate degree in Agribusiness Management with a double major in Livestock and Poultry Management from North Carolina State University. She received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Agriculture Education – Professional Service from North Carolina A&T University. Johnson has five years professional experience in the feed sales industry.
“I love this industry. I am extremely excited about my territory, and I look forward to building strong and trusting relationships with the dealers and customers,” Johnson said.
As the ASM, she will travel the three-state area and work closely with dealers to keep them informed on product offerings and help them educate their customers on the best ways to use the BioZyme products.
“Danielle brings a wealth of product knowledge and industry experience to this role. She will be able to hit the ground running with the elite products that BioZyme offers. Her passion for the agriculture industry is evident when you talk to her. I am so pleased to have Danielle join the BioZyme family in the ASM role,” said Bob Burkham, BioZyme National Manager of Supplement Sales.
Johnson enjoys being outdoors when time allows. Her hobbies include fishing and hunting.
EQUINE & COMPANION ANIMAL PRODUCTS NOW FEATURE NASC QUALITY SEAL
BioZyme® Inc. and Cogent Solutions Group, a BioZyme company, have proudly joined the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) and will now carry the NASC Quality Seal on products specifically designed for the equine and companion animal markets.
With the explosion of the companion animal supplement market in recent years, the NASC was developed to help consumers make informed decisions. The NASC works “to promote the health and wellbeing of companion animals and horses that are given animal health supplements by their owners and to protect and enhance the animal health supplement industry.” BioZyme and Cogent Solutions Group are proud to have met all the criteria to become an approved member of the NASC and provide superior supplements for horses, dogs and cats under the Vitalize®, Hyaluronex® and Trixsyn® brands.
Companies that are members of the NASC must go through rigorous quality assurance audits, meaning they deliver the absolute highest-quality products available on the market. Along with demonstrating quality standards and cGMP compliance, all outward facing marketing material including the BioZyme and Cogent Solutions Group websites and language were reviewed, product labels were audited and updated, and all product ingredients were reviewed by the NASC scientific advisory committee. The last step was a third-party onsite audit of the companies’ manufacturing facilities to ensure all quality standards were met or exceeded.
The NASC seal will be a rolling change as packaging inventory is exhausted. Be watching for the NASC seal soon!
VITALIZE® HORSE TREATS AVAILABLE IN HOLIDAY PACKAGING
Vitalize® Horse Treats will once again be available in limited-edition holiday packaging starting November 7. These carrot-flavored prebiotic snacks for horses make a great gift in the removable packaging in festive wrap.
SMALL PACK PRICING CHANGES COMING
Pricing for 2023 on Animal Health (small pack) products will be released this month to give everyone enough time to make necessary adjustments. Please watch for a separate email that will be coming to relay more information about this change that will affect MAP pricing. It is important to stay current on all pricing issues, and email is the quickest, most efficient communication method to reach all dealers.
CHANGES MADE TO AMAFERM® PELLET
The calcium in the Amaferm pellet now has a slight increase from 2 to 3% to fit the product in the bags more efficiently. You might notice a slight difference in the tags; however, there should be no other noticeable differences.
THANKSGIVING HOURS AND SHIPPING
Due to the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday, November 24, the BioZyme offices will be closed Thursday, November 24-Friday, November 25. No orders will be shipped or be available for pick up Wednesday, November 23-November 25. The office will resume business as usual on Monday, November 28. We wish all dealers, their families and staff a blessed holiday and are grateful for your faith in our products.
NEW EMPLOYEE
Danielle Johnson is the new ASM for Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
