News Update
July 1, 2008

Bill Bowman Promoted to American Angus Association® Chief Operating Officer

Bill Bowman has been named the American Angus Association Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective immediately. Bowman has been with the Association for 16 years and also serves in other leadership roles such as vice president of information and data programs, director of performance programs and president of Angus Genetics Inc. (AGI), a subsidiary of the Association. He began his tenure at the Association as a regional manager, traveling Colorado, Kansas and Oklahoma, and later became the first director of commercial programs.

As COO, Bowman will oversee the daily operations of the Association. He will work closely with Bryce Schumann, the Association Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and all departments.

“Bill understands the needs of the membership and the importance of customer service, as well as all departments within the Association,” Schumann says. “He’ll be instrumental in ensuring that the Association continues to provide programs and services to our membership and the commercial cattle producer now and in the future.”

Bowman is a Stet, Mo., native and a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia. He is active in industry organizations, serving on the Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) board of directors and as chairman of the Ultrasound Guidelines Council (UGC). He has previous experience in the Angus seedstock business and in sale management.

The COO position is an integral part of the executive management team that Schumann established shortly after taking on the role of CEO. The executive management team is designed to more efficiently manage the Association and ensure that all of its entities work more closely together.

— Release provided by the American Angus Association.

2008 BIF Meeting Under Way

Cattlemen from around the world are gathered in Calgary for the 2008 Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) Annual Meeting and Research Symposium. The Canadian Beef Breeds Council (CBBC) is hosting “Beef Beyond Borders,” June 30-July 3. Nearly 400 cattle producers, industry representatives and academia are registered to attend.

GrowSafe Systems of Airdrie, Alta., Canada, kicked off the event, hosting dinner at its headquarters just outside Calgary. Participants got a firsthand view of the feed intake data collection system currently used at several locations to collect feed efficiency information, as well as a new system to record water intake.

BIF attendees are touring Alberta cattle operations, with stops at Cattleland Feedyards Ltd., a 25,000-head feedlot in the heart of Alberta’s Cattle Country; Soderglen Ranches Ltd., a cow-calf operation featuring red and black Angus and Simmental, Charolais and two proprietary hybrid breeds; and Hamilton Farms, a 400-cow, 5,000-acre ranch near Cochrane.

BIF leadership will address organization business at a board of directors meeting Tuesday, and several industry groups will use the event as a stage for sharing information.

CBBC members and associates will host the opening reception Tuesday with a celebration of Canada. Don Mackenzie, BIF 2008 CBBC Planning Committee chair, will deliver the first dynamic address to kick off the symposium.

Angus Productions Inc. (API) is providing online coverage of “Beef Beyond Borders.” From this site, www.bifconference.com, you can review the schedule, access coverage of past meetings and view a photo recap of last year’s meeting. API staff will post summaries of the sessions, as well as proceedings papers, PowerPoint presentations, audios and photo galleries.

View the Awards Page for overviews of the Seedstock and Commercial Producer of the Year nominees. Winners of these two honors, as well as those honored with Continuing Service, Pioneer and Ambassador awards and the Frank Baker Scholarship recipients, will be announced following awards luncheons Wednesday and Thursday.

Coverage is made possible through sponsorship by BioZyme Inc. and its continuing support of the Angus Foundation and by the generous producers listed on the Seedstock Directory page.

For more information about BIF, visit www.beefimprovement.org. For more information about the CBBC, visit www.canadianbeefbreeds.com.

— by Shauna Rose Hermel, editor, Angus Productions Inc.

Smithfield to Sell Shares to China

Smithfield Foods Inc. announced June 30 that it is selling 4.95% of its stock, or 7 million shares, to COFCO Ltd., China’s largest agricultural trading and processing company.

According to Meatingplace.com, analysists suggested the transaction will provide Smithfield with funds to pay down debt and cash to tide it over until the expected sale of its beef operations to JBS. That sale is expected to close in the third quarter of this calendar year.

The price of the shares will be determined in the next several days, at the same time as the terms of an offering of $350 million to $400 million in senior contingent convertible bonds. Smithfield also plans to use the proceeds of the bond offering, also announced late Monday, to pay down debt.

— Information from Meatingplace.com.

Gas Goes Up, Again

Overnight Monday, the national average for a gallon of regular unleaded gas hit a new record high at $4.80. The average price for a gallon of regular in Arkansas was $3.93 on Tuesday.

Many motorists are concerned the price will continue to rise and impact their holiday weekend travel. The price of gas has risen more than a dollar per gallon since the last Fourth of July weekend.

— KNWA News, Arkansas

— compiled by Crystal Albers, associate editor, Angus Productions Inc.