Published on Dec. 16, 2019
Year-end message from Jeff McDowell, GM of Americas
As 2019 almost comes to a close, and before we launch into the busy season of holiday parties, gift shopping, and family gatherings, I’d like to reflect on what we’ve accomplished together this past year in North America.
Just over one year ago, we opened our new commercial hatchery in Beresford, South Dakota. I still have warm memories of the Grand Opening, where we hosted a mix of customers, suppliers, partners, employees, and neighbours. The ribbon cutting photo is a nice reminder of different folks from the industry coming together to share in the celebration of our new network.
Now that we’ve had a year of experience behind us, it’s been an evolution of learning. Have there been hiccups along the way? Of course. Any new endeavour is bound to face challenges. Let’s not forget that the North American organization had never executed this type of transformational project before. Encountering challenges means that we are continuing to find ways to improve at delivering what we promise: quality products and services fit for the future of the industry.
Today, we have a core team in place at the Beresford hatchery, and reports from the field show excellent results in quality and livability. With the team assembled, I am very confident that each individual brings the knowledge, skills, and leadership needed to continue to produce high quality poults. When it comes to the rest of our hatchery network, we remain strong in our belief that a partnered approach is the responsible choice. By working together and optimizing existing assets, it’s our conviction that this is the right way forward to maintain a sustainable value chain while balancing supply with demand.
We have also established many new relationships with family farms in Minnesota. We are grateful for their support and commitment to ensure the success of Hybrid. Our values center around integrity, trust, and hard work. Our family farming partners reflect these values as well.
To our customers, we’d like to say thank you. We would not be where we are today without your loyalty over many years of partnership. To honour this, we will continue to give you 100% of our energy and passion in easing the pressures of this changing industry. We are your Partners in Excellence.
On behalf of our 365 dedicated employees in the Americas, I wish you a happy holiday season spent with friends, family, and loved ones. I am enthusiastic for the year ahead and the future opportunities for mutual success!
