There’s a brand-new customer advisory board at Premier Select Sires, and it’s called the Premier Owners’ Voice (POV). Board members have been selected for a one-year term, and will discuss cooperative values, programs, and direction for the next 12 months. Early conversations have revolved around the value of being a member-owned cooperative and beef x dairy programs that Premier offers, such as HerdFlex beef embryos, TD Beef, and PowerGenetics.

“We feel very strongly about giving our members a way to interact with staff, give us feedback on how we’re operating in today’s market, and provide direction in terms of future plans and ideas we should be focusing on,” explained Premier Chief Executive Officer, Mark Carpenter. “Being a farmer-owned cooperative since 1938, it’s imperative that we operate as a true cooperative, and involve our owners. Their feedback on current topics has been tremendous, and we’re only just getting started!”

Board members were chosen to represent all facets of Premier, including dairy and beef owners, large and small-scale operations, and both male and female owners and operators.

“The mix of people on our new POV Board is a great example of the diversity in our 23-state member area,” stated Kirk Sattazahn, Vice President of Marketing and Development. “It’s not a new concept to ask for feedback from customers, but many companies forget to do it. We feel it’s certainly a great tool for us to continue growing and serving our customer base in the best possible way.”

Board members for the 2020/2021 Premier Owners’ Voice Group include: Bradfield Evans (AL), Joe Elliott (TN), Megan Fry (MD), Justin Veazey (ME), Emma Currie (NY), Jessica Slaymaker (PA), Barb Nedrow (NY), Jim Houser (PA), Larkin Moyer (VA), Denise Dickinson (NY), Johan Heijkoop (FL), Christy Hartman (VA), Josh Rottinghaus (KS), Kelvin Hatch (PA), and Matt DeBaugh (MD). The next scheduled POV meeting will be in early January.

Any questions about the advisory board, or about becoming future POV members, can be directed to Mark Carpenter (mcarpenter@premierselect.com) or Kirk Sattazahn (kirk7@premierselect.com). Inquiries can also be made by phone by calling the Premier Select Sires office at 570.836.3168.

Premier Select Sires is a farmer-owned cooperative that serves beef and dairy producers in its 23-state member area. Dedicated to providing its members with all they need to achieve success, Premier provides:

• Industry-leading genetics from the Select Sires, Accelerated Genetics, and GenerVations brands
• Effective herd health and management products, as well as artificial insemination supplies
• Reliable services and programs backed by years of success
• Knowledgeable industry experts who are easily accessed for consultation, advice, and on-farm assistance

Together with its five sister cooperatives across the United States, Premier owns and controls Select Sires Inc., the world’s most recognized name in bovine genetics.