Roger Ripley goes Head to Head with Australias Crazy Cow (3/31/08)
The following article was written by Dianna Malcolm, from Australias Crazy Cow. This article was published in Crazy Cow In Print - Volume 18 - March-May 2008.
By: Dianna Malcolm, Crazy Cow, Australia
One of the true gentlemen of the United States artificial insemination industry, Roger Ripley, is not only president and chief executive officer of Accelerated Genetics, he is also president of World Dairy Expo (WDE). Under his stewardship both organisations have risen to the top of their games.
Last year the WDE included 2400 animals and more than 700 trade exhibits. Accelerated Genetics (which comprises half of World Wide Sires) has tabled four consecutive record fiscal results. It is also the company that dealt with the sexed semen debate with lateral thinking, producing Bovitel and Affirm products, which promoted fertility and heifer enhanced semen that required no special handling. CrazyCow’s Dianna Malcolm caught up with Roger for a head-to-head chat as he negotiated the drive home from his Wisconsin office recently. He reported that day that Wisconsin had weathered a record winter which had included 85 inches of snowfall - 26 inches in the five previous days...
DM “You’ve been on the WDE board for 24 years (president since 2001) and with Accelerated Genetics for 33 years (with the exception of six years you spent dairying). These are positions that come under a lot of pressure and face a lot of competition. How do you juggle two such critical and time-consuming positions with such ease?”
RR “Well, it’s not always easy. I’ve been here a long time and seen the lows of the lows and the highs of the highs and there were times when some of our (Accelerated Genetics’) competition said that they were sure that we couldn’t survive. I’m proud to say that two years ago we became debt free and last year we had $US42 million in sales. We’re still debt free and we’ve reinvested in the business. Last week we started excavation on another phase of buildings and we’re doing it from operations, so we’re very proud of that.”
DM “Part of your persona seems to be that you have time for everyone – there must be times when your patience is strained. How do you present so consistently?”
RR “My parents were wonderful people that taught me that patience is something that should be one of your strongest traits. I love people and that’s something that’s made my career as rewarding to me as it has been. If I can push people along and help motivate them to step up to the plate, then that’s where I like to be able to say that I can make a contribution.”
DM “So, in your opinion, is it the people that make Accelerated and the WDE offices special?”
RR “Well, I would say one of the things that we’ve been fortunate in and something that we’ve recruited by design is people who love people and who love cows. We’ve probably had more than our share of those kind of people. We all know that we’re a genetics company and genetics is extremely important but the people are the most important part because you don’t always have the top bull and when that happens it is the people that get you through those times. And when you have the people and the good bulls together (like we’ve been fortunate to have had in recent years) it’s allowed us to shine. Our success is because of our people.”
DM “I guess the Bovitel (heifer enhanced) and Affirm (fertility first) semen has also played a role in that?”
RR “Without doubt. I think the one thing that our industry has tended to do is to get a little bit commoditised. No, not a little bit. A lot. We (Accelerated) try to differentiate and to be innovative. I think technology allows you to do that. The beauty of what we’ve been able to do is that we haven’t had to sacrifice the availability of our genetics to achieve it.”
DM “So, what you’re saying is that you’ve taken that sexed-semen technology and treated it a little laterally with your customers in mind?”
RR “We have and we’ve listened. I think the thing that’s been the best thing for us, (and you brought it out earlier), is that we have to have patience and we have to be good listeners. If we listen hard and respond to our customers, that’s when we’ve really made the biggest strides.”
DM “This is an ever-changing industry. How do you cope?”
RR “Even though I’m an old guy, Di, I like change. I think most people in my generation don’t like change. I love change. I think it stimulates me and keeps me motivated. Change is good.”
DM “With these big changes coming in, where do you see the industry going?”
RR “No question, even though some of us old-timers look at feet and legs and udders and put a lot of value on them, I think we’re still going to have to be measuring reproduction, longevity and some of other traits. And that is true, particularly for the commercial sector, which ultimately drives the purebred market.”
DM “Airraid is your lead bull at the moment – he seems to be bringing it all together for you?”
RR “In the last year he was our high seller across the company. We have some other bulls that are very popular and have sold more over their entire career, because Airraid is still relatively new to the market, but Airraid is unique. He fits all markets, he is a calving-ease sire, he has type, he has production and he is a tremendous semen producer.”
DM “If I can turn my attention to the WDE now. Last year you had to shoulder the general manager and president’s role because of a pending staff changeover. How did you juggle three high-profile roles in the lead-up to the show?”
RR “I hope well. It was one of those things, Tom McKrittick (former WDE general manager), gave what I would say was ample notice that he was leaving, but it was just not at a strategic time for us to have enough time to survey all the candidates. We had the fortune of having some very talented staff and those people knew what they were doing and so I was effectively simply working with them, doing what I could do to help, until we had someone named. Accelerated Genetics were also very understanding and I was enough of a multi-tasker to do what was expected from both sides (I think) to help us get through that crunch time.”
DM “Two years ago WDE secured a Toyota Tundra pickup truck as the prize for the WDE supreme champion. That was a magnificent prize. Was that one of the highlights of the show for you?”
RR “Yes, I think so. That was fun for us all. I can’t believe we were able to keep it a big secret right up until we drove it into the Colosseum. I’m so proud of that because it made the impact so outstanding. If I look at some of the other things, WDE started out as a really outstanding cow show that was intended to be in the home country of the dairy industry and we grew it from that flower, if you like, into a bouquet where we added the commercial exhibits, so we could have something for everyone.”
DM “You’ve got Canada coming back in this year (now that the border is open) and the US cattle can go to the Royal. What do you think that means for both of them?”
RR “We think it means a lot more cattle to house and that’s going to have its share of challenges but we’ll make it work. That’s one of the high priorities our board has had is to make sure that we can grow and let the show grow. We’re certainly close to maximum capacity right now – we’re going to have to solve that fairly quickly.”
DM “And are you expecting a number of entries from Canada?”
RR “Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. What the unknown will be is if it means that some of the US competitors that have been coming because they felt they had a better chance without the Canadians might decide to bring a few less cattle. We don’t know that. That’s speculation, but I think some people will say that maybe they don’t need to bring quite as many because the competition will be a little stiffer. Or maybe, people are used to coming and they’ll just keep on coming.”
DM “You say you love the pace and challenge of your positions. Will there come a time when you want to slow down a bit?”
RR “It’s one of those things that I always figure that at the right time I’ll make the decision to step away. I’m a strong believer that too many people in key responsibilities stay too long and so I hope I have the wisdom to let the next generation do both WDE and Accelerated Genetics. I’m a firm believer that the older generation needs to let the younger people get involved and more females get involved. I sing that song at every committee meeting. We all love WDE and so it’s very hard for those that have been involved for many years to ever not want to be part of it. I don’t know that my time to step away is very close, but it’s getting closer.”
DM “Have you been to Australia?”
RR “I have not – I’ve always wanted to go. They tend to send me to places less glamorous, Di. And, to be honest, for our company there’s more benefit if others in our team visit because they are better placed to help our customers than I am. But I would love to come. Perhaps one day.”
CrazyCow is arguably Australia’s biggest independently owned and operated website in its field, welcoming 10,000 visitors (400,000 hits) through its home page every month. CrazyCow’s real-time on line news coverage draws up to 36,000 hits to its web site within a 24 hour period (during International Dairy Week) and has become a vital daily tool for the global industry.
In January 2004 they expanded the business to include a dynamic all breeds full colour gloss journal, CrazyCow In Print. Dean and Dianna’s passion for the industry, coupled with their industry knowledge and skill set, had long hinted at their scope and potential to deliver in both the online and in print mediums. CrazyCow In Print is now circulated in 15 countries. Its strength remains its story content, understanding and empathy for an industry Dean and Dianna intimately understand. CrazyCow’s arsenal has swelled to include cattle photography; public relations; logo designs; marketing advice and design.
Head To Head
By: Dianna Malcolm, Crazy Cow, Australia
One of the true gentlemen of the United States artificial insemination industry, Roger Ripley, is not only president and chief executive officer of Accelerated Genetics, he is also president of World Dairy Expo (WDE). Under his stewardship both organisations have risen to the top of their games.
Last year the WDE included 2400 animals and more than 700 trade exhibits. Accelerated Genetics (which comprises half of World Wide Sires) has tabled four consecutive record fiscal results. It is also the company that dealt with the sexed semen debate with lateral thinking, producing Bovitel and Affirm products, which promoted fertility and heifer enhanced semen that required no special handling. CrazyCow’s Dianna Malcolm caught up with Roger for a head-to-head chat as he negotiated the drive home from his Wisconsin office recently. He reported that day that Wisconsin had weathered a record winter which had included 85 inches of snowfall - 26 inches in the five previous days...
DM “You’ve been on the WDE board for 24 years (president since 2001) and with Accelerated Genetics for 33 years (with the exception of six years you spent dairying). These are positions that come under a lot of pressure and face a lot of competition. How do you juggle two such critical and time-consuming positions with such ease?”
RR “Well, it’s not always easy. I’ve been here a long time and seen the lows of the lows and the highs of the highs and there were times when some of our (Accelerated Genetics’) competition said that they were sure that we couldn’t survive. I’m proud to say that two years ago we became debt free and last year we had $US42 million in sales. We’re still debt free and we’ve reinvested in the business. Last week we started excavation on another phase of buildings and we’re doing it from operations, so we’re very proud of that.”
DM “Part of your persona seems to be that you have time for everyone – there must be times when your patience is strained. How do you present so consistently?”
RR “My parents were wonderful people that taught me that patience is something that should be one of your strongest traits. I love people and that’s something that’s made my career as rewarding to me as it has been. If I can push people along and help motivate them to step up to the plate, then that’s where I like to be able to say that I can make a contribution.”
DM “So, in your opinion, is it the people that make Accelerated and the WDE offices special?”
RR “Well, I would say one of the things that we’ve been fortunate in and something that we’ve recruited by design is people who love people and who love cows. We’ve probably had more than our share of those kind of people. We all know that we’re a genetics company and genetics is extremely important but the people are the most important part because you don’t always have the top bull and when that happens it is the people that get you through those times. And when you have the people and the good bulls together (like we’ve been fortunate to have had in recent years) it’s allowed us to shine. Our success is because of our people.”
DM “I guess the Bovitel (heifer enhanced) and Affirm (fertility first) semen has also played a role in that?”
RR “Without doubt. I think the one thing that our industry has tended to do is to get a little bit commoditised. No, not a little bit. A lot. We (Accelerated) try to differentiate and to be innovative. I think technology allows you to do that. The beauty of what we’ve been able to do is that we haven’t had to sacrifice the availability of our genetics to achieve it.”
DM “So, what you’re saying is that you’ve taken that sexed-semen technology and treated it a little laterally with your customers in mind?”
RR “We have and we’ve listened. I think the thing that’s been the best thing for us, (and you brought it out earlier), is that we have to have patience and we have to be good listeners. If we listen hard and respond to our customers, that’s when we’ve really made the biggest strides.”
DM “This is an ever-changing industry. How do you cope?”
RR “Even though I’m an old guy, Di, I like change. I think most people in my generation don’t like change. I love change. I think it stimulates me and keeps me motivated. Change is good.”
DM “With these big changes coming in, where do you see the industry going?”
RR “No question, even though some of us old-timers look at feet and legs and udders and put a lot of value on them, I think we’re still going to have to be measuring reproduction, longevity and some of other traits. And that is true, particularly for the commercial sector, which ultimately drives the purebred market.”
DM “Airraid is your lead bull at the moment – he seems to be bringing it all together for you?”
RR “In the last year he was our high seller across the company. We have some other bulls that are very popular and have sold more over their entire career, because Airraid is still relatively new to the market, but Airraid is unique. He fits all markets, he is a calving-ease sire, he has type, he has production and he is a tremendous semen producer.”
DM “If I can turn my attention to the WDE now. Last year you had to shoulder the general manager and president’s role because of a pending staff changeover. How did you juggle three high-profile roles in the lead-up to the show?”
RR “I hope well. It was one of those things, Tom McKrittick (former WDE general manager), gave what I would say was ample notice that he was leaving, but it was just not at a strategic time for us to have enough time to survey all the candidates. We had the fortune of having some very talented staff and those people knew what they were doing and so I was effectively simply working with them, doing what I could do to help, until we had someone named. Accelerated Genetics were also very understanding and I was enough of a multi-tasker to do what was expected from both sides (I think) to help us get through that crunch time.”
DM “Two years ago WDE secured a Toyota Tundra pickup truck as the prize for the WDE supreme champion. That was a magnificent prize. Was that one of the highlights of the show for you?”
RR “Yes, I think so. That was fun for us all. I can’t believe we were able to keep it a big secret right up until we drove it into the Colosseum. I’m so proud of that because it made the impact so outstanding. If I look at some of the other things, WDE started out as a really outstanding cow show that was intended to be in the home country of the dairy industry and we grew it from that flower, if you like, into a bouquet where we added the commercial exhibits, so we could have something for everyone.”
DM “You’ve got Canada coming back in this year (now that the border is open) and the US cattle can go to the Royal. What do you think that means for both of them?”
RR “We think it means a lot more cattle to house and that’s going to have its share of challenges but we’ll make it work. That’s one of the high priorities our board has had is to make sure that we can grow and let the show grow. We’re certainly close to maximum capacity right now – we’re going to have to solve that fairly quickly.”
DM “And are you expecting a number of entries from Canada?”
RR “Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. What the unknown will be is if it means that some of the US competitors that have been coming because they felt they had a better chance without the Canadians might decide to bring a few less cattle. We don’t know that. That’s speculation, but I think some people will say that maybe they don’t need to bring quite as many because the competition will be a little stiffer. Or maybe, people are used to coming and they’ll just keep on coming.”
DM “You say you love the pace and challenge of your positions. Will there come a time when you want to slow down a bit?”
RR “It’s one of those things that I always figure that at the right time I’ll make the decision to step away. I’m a strong believer that too many people in key responsibilities stay too long and so I hope I have the wisdom to let the next generation do both WDE and Accelerated Genetics. I’m a firm believer that the older generation needs to let the younger people get involved and more females get involved. I sing that song at every committee meeting. We all love WDE and so it’s very hard for those that have been involved for many years to ever not want to be part of it. I don’t know that my time to step away is very close, but it’s getting closer.”
DM “Have you been to Australia?”
RR “I have not – I’ve always wanted to go. They tend to send me to places less glamorous, Di. And, to be honest, for our company there’s more benefit if others in our team visit because they are better placed to help our customers than I am. But I would love to come. Perhaps one day.”
CrazyCow is arguably Australia’s biggest independently owned and operated website in its field, welcoming 10,000 visitors (400,000 hits) through its home page every month. CrazyCow’s real-time on line news coverage draws up to 36,000 hits to its web site within a 24 hour period (during International Dairy Week) and has become a vital daily tool for the global industry.
In January 2004 they expanded the business to include a dynamic all breeds full colour gloss journal, CrazyCow In Print. Dean and Dianna’s passion for the industry, coupled with their industry knowledge and skill set, had long hinted at their scope and potential to deliver in both the online and in print mediums. CrazyCow In Print is now circulated in 15 countries. Its strength remains its story content, understanding and empathy for an industry Dean and Dianna intimately understand. CrazyCow’s arsenal has swelled to include cattle photography; public relations; logo designs; marketing advice and design.