2007 Conference Sessions
Marketing 101 — Producer
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| Audio | |||
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| Presentation Slides | |||
| Rance Long & Bob Harrell | 558 KB | Download | |
| Ryan Topp | 485 KB | Download | |
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Synopsis
One of the well-received Young Guns Conference discussion panels was the Marketing 101 session, which featured a diverse group of speakers representing Hereford and Angus purebred operations, a Certified Hereford Beef (CHB) feeder and one of the nation’s largest beef packers.
Breeders from two family-owned purebred ranches shared with attendees what they as producers can do to enhance the cattle they market on their farms and ranches. Thomas Angus Ranch and Harrell Hereford Ranch, Baker City, Ore., work together to better serve their customers. The two ranches market bulls together and agree that they compliment each other’s programs. The ranches hold their sales on consecutive days, as most of their customers purchase Angus and Hereford genetics. They even share their customer databases.
Rance Long, Thomas Angus Ranch, told the group that bulls are the ranch’s business and it markets 500-600 bulls and 400 females annually. “We produce bulls that work in our customers’ high-desert environments, which are some of the harshest in the world,” Long said. Most of the ranch’s customers are from Oregon, Washington, California, Utah, Nevada and Idaho.
Long explained that Thomas Angus Ranch is in the people business and customer service is job one. “To be successful, one has to establish relationships; they mean everything,” he said. “There are many options for seedstock customers, so build friendships and provide genetics that work.”
Long added that he listens to his customers and also manages any problems they may have with the cattle they have purchased. “We have a no problem guarantee,” he said. “Master breeders go broke; master marketers stay profitable.”
Long closed by saying that the two breeds, Angus and Hereford, working together make the greatest mama cow in the world.
Bob Harrell explained Harrell Herefords identifies its customers and their needs and offers them service after the sale. “Our ultimate customer is the consumer and retailer. They demand a certain product,” Harrell said. “Our other customers are the commercial producer, the feeder and the packer. The avenue to reach the consumer is the commercial cow-calf producer.”
Harrell said most of the ranch’s customers run black cattle and are in branded programs. “We don’t ever talk attributes; they are expected in this day and age,” he said.
“You better have a good product and be able to document that product. We use our commercial herd to document our product.”
Harrell said that purebred producers must be critical and evaluate their programs and make changes. Seedstock producers are in the people business, beginning with relationships, then partnerships and finally friendships. “Our customer’s success makes us successful, and we differentiate ourselves by selling a program, an image and a reputation,” he said.
The two breeders work to make sure their sales are more than just another cattle sale. They want their sales to be an event. During the winter the two ranches teamup with a local feed store to offer cattlemen educational seminars as well as fun social activities. They also have vendors participate to display new products and encourage their customers and neighbors to attend.
Harrell and Long finished by saying that service after the sale is everything. They both try to deliver bulls and visit each customer’s ranch. They try to touch every customer with a telephone call and also conduct follow-up calls to see how the cattle are performing.
Ryan Topp of Grace, N.D., told the Young Guns that his family has taken a commonsense approach to genetic excellence and built their cow herd on input from customers. “We do a tremendous amount of research on our sires and eliminate any high-maintenance cows. We use EPDs (expected progeny differences) as a tool but hard numbers as our bible,” he said.
Topp explained that consistency is critical to their customers and they attain it by visiting with customers on an on-going basis. He said that commercial producers are their main customers and he visits with them and infuses their advice with his plan.
“Our only day is the sale day. When I visit customers, I want to listen,” he said.
He told producers to believe in their vision for their individual operations.
Topp said that he and his family stand behind their product and fix any problems that may arise. He added that he writes and distributes a quarterly educational newsletter. He also conducts a customer appreciation day that includes a cattlemen’s conference. The event is fun as well as informational.
He closed his presentation by telling the group, “We are selling to an Angus world. We can maximize the Angus cow’s potential with a Hereford bull. We need to work together.”
Danny Hermann, Ford County Feedyard, Ford, Kan., said his operation feeds Hereford Verified cattle.
The Ford County Feedyard is a family-owned operation with a feeding capacity of 55,000 head, which ships more than 120,000 head annually to National Beef packing plants.
Hermann said that the feedlot partners with producers, and open, honest communication is critical to success. “Performance is our main concern along with conversion, cost of gain and health,” he explained.
Hermann told the group that the feedlot built a multi-million dollar, state-of-the-art, computerized feedmill with micro-ingredient technology nine years ago. “We are continually looking at ways to invest in our business to offer our customers the very best in technology and service,” he explained.
Since 2006 the feedlot has fed more than 15,000 Certified Hereford Beef (CHB) cattle from more than 150 producers, representing 26 different states. Hermann closed his presentation by repeating that performance is his operation’s main concern and healthy Herefords make profitable Herefords.
The final Marketing 101 presenter was Art Wagner, head cattle buyer for National Beef Packing Co. LLC. National Beef, with plants in Liberal and Dodge City, Kan., processes more than 36,000 cattle a week.
Wagner told the group that National Beef is now a buyer of Hereford cattle and it will continue to leverage and communicate AHA’s Hereford Verified, which is a source, age and genetic tracking program. Wagner complimented AHA and CHB LLC for developing the program that connects the ranch, feedyard and packer with an incentive for quality and quality improvement.
“Our emphasis is on identifying and buying pens of Hereford genetics. Black-baldie cattle are the very best animal we can buy,” Wagner said.
He wrapped up his presentation by saying that the CHB program will continue to grow as proven by the fact that only four years ago the company started producing CHB product and now Hereford has topped 1.37 million head.
For questions or more information, contact Amy Cowan at (816) 842-3757 or