What is this Take Business?Take the TimeTake it to the BankTake CareTake ChargeTake OwnershipTake Me, For InstanceTake This Job and

But most of all, Be Prepared!

5/20/2003 Canada Confirms Single BSE Case in a Cow From Albertaby Roger BernardCanadian agriculture officials today confirmed that they have a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or "mad cow" disease.

How many of you are Angus breeders?If you can answer the following question then I know you are prepared?

Do you know why the person that invests your money is called a broker?George Carlin

Okay, if you couldnt answer that one:Do you know if Lipton Tea employees take a coffee break?George Carlin

What hair color do they put on the drivers license of bald men?George Carlin

Okay, here is one that all Angus breeders can answer:Whatever happened to Preparations A thru G?George Carlin

Now, if you cant answer these questions well..

Use this conference to hone your skills and improve your business strategy and savvy.

Take the Time .to plan for SuccessWhat is success?Degree or measure of a favorable outcome.Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.Sir Winston Churchill

What best describes a successful cattlemen to me?Talented in many areas..Have the ability to be well organized; see both the big and small picture, and are capable of time management, balancing the jobs at hand and communicating the appropriate direction to others.

Hone Your Success TraitsSuccess TraitsVisionary

Imagination is more important than knowledgeAlbert Einstein

Hone Your Success TraitsSuccess TraitsAstutenessSetting GoalsCustomer Oriented

Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.Bill Gates, Business @ The Speed of Thought

Hone Your Success TraitsSuccess TraitsTaking ActionFlexibility & Business AgilityPassionate/Competitive DriveCompassionateCommunicator

Communication is the universal solvent.Unknown

Hone Your Success TraitsSuccess TraitsTenacityWorking smart Positive OutlookCourageCourage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyway.John Wayne

Hone Your Success TraitsSuccess TraitsReliability and IntegrityNothing astonishes men so much as common sense and plain dealing.Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1841A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.Mark Twain

Hone Your Success TraitsTrait of SuccessAccuracyContinuous learnerJoy in sharing success

What are some of the Meat Marketing Trends?Lets take a trip down memory laneWell, maybe I should get on with some subject matter

Pre World War IIJust give me something to eatProduct innovation -- non existentBrands were not well establishedProcessing and marketing were disconnectedKnew producer of my food Higher percentage of income spent on food

After World War II The June Cleaver EraConsumers could buy more - but were not use to choicesCommodity producers owned the market and drove the demand for commodity brandsNo communication up and down the production & marketing lineBeginning of emotional marketingProcessor is still the driver

Late 60s, early 70s Era of Concentration

Era of ConcentrationCommodity wholesale companies that created brands were proliferating brandsEfficiencies were everywhereTook less money to buy and had more choicesProcessing and packaging increased -- didnt see the food anymoreTotal disconnect from their food systemNumber of people connected to the land-- dramatically droppedActively isolated the consumer from productionProducers no longer saw and touched food as they knew it

1980 & 90s: WalMart Model

WalMart ModelInformation flowing in a systemOrganized informationTracks consumer behaviorRetailer calling shots with processorsWants to include everyone as a customerExclusionary policy toward suppliers

Today ???Are we switching power from the retailer to the consumer?

The Consumer Wants to Know !!!

Or at least that is the message being touted..

Global Product Expectation is a changingWorld Competition may dictate necessities in our future production systems.Source and animal identityVerifying production processesQuality assuranceProduction supply chainsCattle Care Guidelines

Industry TrendsEnd Product SideSource VerificationTraceabilityPaul Clayton: Jan., 2003 NCBA MeetingEar/Tail tags11 countriesElectronic ID2 countries & 3 planningPaper trail5 countries, 1 planningComputer tracking4 countries, 1 planningBirth to consumer track5 countriesOur World Competitors

Industry TrendsEnd Product SideCase-ready revolutionBranded Beef Programs Changes in Marketing Grids/Formulas

The Look of Case-ReadyImpact of Case-Ready-forcing packing industry to sell beef with 0 trim-current packer standard is trim with seam fat-case-ready cuts it to 0 fat trim-CURRENTLY cooler sort meets supply-but what about the future?

From Tyson-IBP Web SiteIBP Fresh Meats Consumer Friendly Products will:Allow you to redirect labor more productivelyReduce out of stock conditions caused by time, pressure and workloadReduce marketing losses, ie, reworks, rewraps, markdowns, etc.Enhance sales because of recipe/preparation instructions on every package, as well as safe handling instructionsExpand the variety of cuts currently offeredEnhance greater food safetyExtend marketing life over and above store cut productAllow you to improve your bottom line

Will case-ready products have an impact on us?20009% of all beef sales200118%Expected in 200335%Expected by 201080%Will this cause a change in grid market premiums & discounts?

Industry TrendsEnd Product SideBranded Beef Programs

The race to brand beef products seems to be leveling off, but heat and eat is proliferating.USDA Certified Beef Programs

End Product SideHeat & Eat Products Convenience ItemsIndustry Trends

With all these product changes what changes are taking place in the commercial industry?

Has there been a change in use of Grid Marketing? KS, TX, OK & IAFewer cattle will be sold on the cash live and carcass dressed basis.Percentage of cattle sold using grid markets1996 16%2001 45%2006 exp 62%Schroeder, et.al., Kansas State University, 2002

Industry TrendsCommercial SideSupply chain development from cow-calf through feedlotMore retained ownership through the supply chain to capitalize on genetic and management investmentsDemand for seedstock that positions commercial production correctly for the supply chain: correct end product quality, cutability and weightRefocus on profit traits: Genetic emphasis on efficiency; reproduction and feed conversionContinued pressure to develop animal and environmental friendly systems?

Industry TrendsCommercial Side - Additional production aspectsSupply chain access will require source and process verification.Market targets will continue to become better defined.Easier access to end product data will occur.Database management and analysis will be necessary. High valued reputation feeder cattle will need to have years of data to back up the claim reputation.

Industry Trends-SeedstockFull service providers- Ritchie, 03Not only specification type seedstock, butFeeder cattle merchandisingArrangement of retained ownership programsAlignment with feedyard and carcass data feedbackContract matingsEmbryo services for commercial producers wishing to raise their own bulls for bio-security purposesReplacement heifer programs for both seedstock and commercial customersSeedstock alliances to accommodate commercial sector

Informational managers!

Industry Trends-SeedstockEven greater focus on profit traitsDevelopment of more EPDs and gene markersEspecially for Reproduction, Health and Efficiency

The John Airy Beef Cattle SymposiumVisions for Genetics and BreedingMay, 2003Dr. Michel Georges, U of Liege, BelgiumDr. Morris Soller, Hebrew University of JerusalemDr. Jay Hetzel, Genetic Solutions, AustraliaDr. Merete Fredholm, Royal Vet. & AG University, DenmarkDr. Stephen Bishop, Roslin Institute, UK5 renown International Geneticists all spoke about their efforts in genetic developments on animal diseases.

Industry Trends-SeedstockThe role of molecular genetics will not diminish the importance of phenotypic recording and EPDs. Dr. Jack Dekker, ISU Molecular Geneticist @ Brown Bagger

Industry Trends-SeedstockAnd finally, due to the increased number of EPDs and gene markers selection and profit indexes will be demanded by your future customers.

Closing ThoughtsImprove your competitive edgeBetter understand each others problemsImprove your communications with customers and other segmentsAnd do your best to learn new skills

When you come to a fork in the road, take it.Yogi Berra