Beef Magazine

DEFOREST, WISCONSIN – July 23, 2008 – Ryan Ollerich has joined ABS Global, Inc. as Feedlot Services Manager.

“The addition of Ryan to the ABS staff symbolizes our commitment to enhancing profit opportunities for breeders and feeders of high quality cattle,” said Darrell Wilkes, U.S. Beef Supply Systems Manager. “Many feedlots are content feeding average commodity cattle, but a growing number of them seek genetically superior cattle that gain faster, gain cheaper, and are worth more when they’re finished,” Wilkes added. “We are pleased to have someone of Ryan’s caliber and experience on staff to help connect the breeders of high end cattle with the feeders who want to feed them.”

Ollerich is a graduate of South Dakota State University. He grew up in the cattle buying and feedlot consulting businesses and currently resides in Clear Lake, South Dakota. He has worked as a consultant for ABS for the past two years. In his new role, he will deal directly with feedlots seeking high quality feeder cattle as well as providing day-to-day leadership of ABS’ feedlot-level Age and Source Verification (ASV) program.

“When you add the premiums for ASV to the inherent efficiencies and premiums associated with genetically superior cattle, it amounts to the difference between profit and loss for many feeders,” said Dwight Williams, Global Beef Systems Manager. “ABS is a genetics company, and our primary customers are cattle breeders. But we also view discriminating feedlots and branded beef supply chains as customers. They want the best feeder cattle they can find, and ABS has a good network to help find them. They want a seamless process of Age and Source Verification. The addition of Ryan Ollerich to our team strengthens our ability to service the needs of this important customer base.”

USDA approved ABS’ Process Verification Program for Age and Source in 2006. Since the initial approval, the program has been expanded to include ASV through the feeding phase. Currently, over 70 feedlots use the ABS system. Hundreds of cow-calf producers have also been approved as suppliers of ABS Age and Source Verified feeder cattle. ABS has trained and certified over 80 of its Representatives to perform Age and Source Verification services at the cow-calf level.

Headquartered in DeForest, Wisconsin, ABS Global is the world-leading provider of bovine genetics, reproduction services and technologies. Marketing in more than 70 countries around the globe, ABS has been at the forefront of animal genetics and technology since its founding in 1941. ABS Global is a division of Genus plc.