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DECEMBER 2015
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
Suther Feeds
Providing customers with opportunities and resources for over 50 years
In 1963, Melvin Suther had the idea of selling nutritional supplements while grinding complete
feed rations on the farms and ranches of Northeast Kansas. This was a new idea at the time
and it has survived to this day, though the supplements have changed over the years.
Continued Success Through Changing Times
The idea was the start of Suther Feeds’ focus on opportunities,
which has attracted thousands of customers and a team of nutri-
tion professionals in six states, with feed manufacturing in 18
locations including the primary facility in Frankfort, Kan. The
company offers cattle ranching, cattle feeding, direct link cattle
marketing, commercial swine, and show feeds. Identifying
opportunities has led to customer success, based on solutions
and programs recommended by livestock nutrition experts
who get to know each customer’s business.
Chad Hiltgen, Sales Manager at Blue Valley/Networks Plus,
says, “Suther Feeds is a great example of exactly how innovation
is born—through recognizing a very real need and not being
afraid to step forward with a solution. We are honored to be
their technology provider and have the opportunity to assist
in making their day to day operations smoother while they
focus on their customers.”
Dr. Michael Johll, Chief Operating Officer at Suther Feeds, notes
the company maintains a balance between its unwavering com-
mitment to supporting customers and making changes necessary
to propel the business forward. One challenge the company will
face in the next few months is a regulatory shift from the state
to federal level. Johll explains, “Starting in December 2016, we’ll
have to have a veterinary feed directive (VFD) from each cus-
tomer to sell them certain medicated feeds. Our ability to meet
this challenge will be tied to our ability to manage the technol-
ogy needed to drive it.”
Specifically, more people will need real-time access to more infor-
mation contained in databases. In addition, record retention will
become more critical. Johll says, “We’re still exploring what the
technology will have to look like. We’re waiting on a final ruling
from the government to know exactly what we’ll need. Blue Val-
ley and Networks Plus have been instrumental in the last couple
of years in helping us get up to speed with technology, and we
know they’ll help us through this as well.”
Larry Wessel, Suther Feeds employee.