Hybrid Turkeys USA LLC (Hybrid) and Willmar Poultry Company, doing business as Ag Forte, have finalized agreements in which Hybrid will take ownership and responsibility of Ag Forte’s USA grandparent operations. Additionally, under the agreement, Ag Forte will produce commercial eggs and poults under contract to Hybrid.
The agreement, which was first announced in October 2014, took effect January 30.
“I am thrilled that we have finalized this agreement with Ag Forte, and look forward to a supportive relationship going forward. I am confident that these agreements will better serve our customers in the USA. Hybrid now offers a complete genetic package for the turkey industry from parent stock to commercial poults and eggs,” said Dave Libertini, managing director of Hybrid Turkeys.
Over the next 12 months, Hybrid will assume full responsibility for the sales of all Hybrid commercial poults produced under contract by Ag Forte. This will allow Hybrid as a primary breeder to focus even more on the needs of the customers in the United States, while Ag Forte focuses on producing top quality poults.
Peter Gruhl, Hybrid director of customer service, has been appointed to lead the commercial activities of Hybrid in the United States and will lead the relationship with AgForte as a supplier to Hybrid.
“We take great pride in our relationship with, and focus on, the customers in the USA and around the world,” said Gruhl. “Now, with this agreement in place, the Hybrid sales and technical service teams will become even closer to the commercial customer base in the USA. I think this is a great opportunity for Hybrid to help our customers achieve their goals.”
To support the success of this new arrangement, a joint quality committee has been formed between Hybrid and Ag Forte. The purpose of the committee is to work with customers with quality concerns and to establish performance improvement plans to address them. Hybrid’s representatives on this committee are Dr. Helen Wojcinski, director, Science and Sustainability, and Gruhl.
Hybrid will also purchase the Moundridge, Kansas, grandparent production farms from AgForte and will lease the Neosho, Missouri, hatchery for the near term. Hybrid now has three strategic locations for its grandparent activities; United States, Canada and France. Frank Henderson has been appointed to lead the USA operations team for Hybrid.
Scott Rowland, director of operations, said: “With secure production bases in Canada and in France, the USA is a logical next step for us. The farms are a solid addition to our asset base and there is a great team in place to deliver excellent results from these facilities.”
Hybrid Turkeys is the global leader in turkey genetics with breeding and distribution activities around the world. Hybrid is a business unit of Hendrix Genetics, a privately held, international multi-species breeding company. Based in Boxmeer, the Netherlands, Hendrix Genetics has operations in 24 countries around the world with activities in layer, turkey, swine, traditional poultry and aquaculture breeding.
