International Protein Sires, also known as IPS, celebrates 20 years as an international bovine genetics corporation. When Ron Sersland bought the fledgling company from founders Marlowe Nelson and Alvin Piper the proven sire lineup and market base provided excellent opportunities for growth. Through Sersland’s aggressive business strategy, IPS has experienced rapid development. This expansion came as the result of a superior proven sire lineup along with worldwide marketing through a vast network of independent distributors.

The North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge (NAIDC) board of directors elected two new board members: David Prentice, DVM, Elanco Animal Health, Elgin, Iowa, and Christie Stanley, PhD, Land O'Lakes Purina Feed, Amarillo, Texas.

Growth of Diamond V, the global leader in fermentation technology for livestock and aqua, continues with the construction of a new worldwide headquarters and expansion of its second, recently constructed, manufacturing plant.

ABS Global held its 2011 Spring Tour June 6-9 in scenic Idaho. The tour drew more than 60 participants worldwide, including individuals from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Mexico, and the U.S. On the tour, participants were able to view progeny as well as outstanding results of ABS programs including Reproductive Management System (RMS), Genetic Management System (GMS), and the ABS Cornerstone progeny test program.

Schaefer Ventilation announces the successful installation and commissioning its patent-pending FlipFan dairy cooling system at Patrick Dugan’s Du Brook Dairy, Sean Dugan’s Sidewinder Dairy and Casey Dugan’s Desperado Dairy in June 2011. It was also installed at Bill Rezzonico’s Blackwater Dairy, and Bill Boyle’s McClintock Dairy.

Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) announced plans to expand lysine and threonine amino acid production capacity at the company’s Decatur, Illinois, facility. When the expansion project is completed in the second half of 2013, ADM will have the ability to produce 340,000 metric tons of lysine or threonine annually. ADM has also begun preliminary engineering work to increase lysine production capacity at its Clinton, Iowa, corn processing complex, with a target total capacity of 70,000 metric tons of lysine HCl equivalent. Both expansion projects include investment in plant infrastructure to enable further capacity increases in the future as needed.

The enzyme solutions available to nutritionists, producers and others looking to optimize nutrition in poultry, pork, beef, dairy, aquaculture and companion animals will be expanding as the result of a strategic collaboration announced between Novus International, Inc. and Verenium Corporation. The partnership is the result of the focus Novus has on generating enzyme solutions to optimize nutrition – and the resulting feed costs – in a number of production livestock species, as well as companion animals with the highest performing quality solutions.

The Department of Animal Science and University of Minnesota Extension are proud to present the 72nd Minnesota Nutrition Conference, the Upper Midwest's premier program for livestock nutritionists and feed industry professionals to update their knowledge of beef, dairy, poultry, swine and horse nutrition. This popular educational event at the Holiday Inn in Owatonna, Minnesota, features the latest concepts in livestock feeding and nutrition presented by local and national researchers and industry professionals.

The Center for Dairy Excellence will host three "Open House and Dairy Tour" events this summer. The open houses are held to give dairy farmers and other members of the local community the opportunity to learn more about a farm's best management practices while becoming more aware of the resources and programs the center has to offer.