About Us 10/07/11 4:05:06 PM
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New Horizon Farms LLP (Farms) is a 11,000 sow farrow-to-finish swine production agribusiness operating in Southwestern Minnesota (Pipestone, Rock, Lincoln and Nobles Counties). Farms also owns and operates a feed mill, New Horizon Feeds LLC. The mill primarily makes feed for Farms' own livestock but also has some outside sales to area swine producers. In addition, Farms manages a swine marketing contract, which includes hogs, raised by producers in the tri-state region. Farms was formed in July 2002 as a result of a complete reorganization of its original operators. The original operation has roots back to September 1993 when a 1,200-sow farrow-to-finish swine operation and feed mill site were purchased from Dr. Stuart Sybesma. The original facilities ("East" and "West") are located within 1.5 miles of each other in northern Rock County. Approximately 30,000 pigs were marketed in each of the early years. Realizing that it was raising a superior quality market hog, the Company commenced lengthy negotiations with Monfort Pork (now Swift & Co.) to market not only its hogs but also those of area farmers who were part of the small but growing Pipestone Systems™. Successful contract terms were reached and today, Farms markets over 600,000 hogs under the contract and is a USDA and Minnesota Livestock Marketing Agency. The feed mill site purchased had received substantial fire damage prior to purchase and thus a completely new mill was built immediately after purchase in 1993. Today, Feeds manufactures about 10,000 tons of swine feed each month. Corn is purchased directly from area farmers and Feeds is Minnesota State licensed as a Grain Buyer and Commercial Feed Operator. Other feed ingredients are efficiently purchased in large quantities. While Feeds certainly can grow, any future growth will be done in accordance with its strict swine bio-security policies. In the years since its humble origin Farms has continued to grow. Farms now owns 32,400 nursery spaces at four different sites. Farms owns 23,200 finisher spaces and contracts for additional needed spaces from local farmers. Farms also maintains its own bio-secure truck wash facility. Built in 1998, Farms also owns, operates and maintains a state of the art research facility. The research farm consists of 4-1200 head finishing barns fully equipped with scales. Each barn has a FeedLogic feed system controlled by multiple computers. The FeedLogic system runs on a "light rail" type system mounted to the ceiling. Feed is delivered to each pen individually and weighed automatically. Feed deliverance and consumption is monitored by computers. The research farm is operated and managed in conjunction with Kansas State University. In 1999, Whitewood was started as an internal closed gilt multiplication facility to provide in-house replacement gilts for the sow farms that Farms owns. Replacement females are essential to genetic improvement. Internal multiplication allows for the highest level of bio-security that can be attained given the fact that replacement stock must be entered into the herd to maintain productivity. In 2002 Farms commenced contract semen collection from its own boars at a stud owned and operated by New Fashion Pork of Jackson, Minnesota. The primary reason for internalizing semen collection was to assure high quality biosecure semen utilizing the latest state-of-the-art technology available. In 2002 Farms also purchased and renovated a larger newer building into a modern office facility. The office is located just north of Pipestone's downtown on Hiawatha Avenue. The Companies' management, accounting, human resources, and other administrative functions are operated from the office facility. In addition, it also has an attached warehouse for storing and dispensing commonly needed supplies and equipment. Farms is very proud of its humble origins and growth to become a major supplier of quality pork. Total full time employment has grown to approximately 70 individuals with additional part-time help to meet seasonal and special needs. New Horizon Farms is one of the area's largest private employers. One of Farms' central goals is to provide good paying jobs with exceptional benefits to its high quality employees. No business can be successful without good people and every job and person fills an essential role in our success. Bob Taubert is the Managing Partner and a principal partner of Farms. Each farrowing facility has a full-time manager that report directly to Jerry Bauman, a principal Farms partner. Nursery, finisher and maintenance staff report directly to a management team conisisting of Taubert, Bauman, Marty Heintz, Allan Johnson and Mark Schaap. The feed mill is under the direction of Robert "Doc" Powell. |
