Garfield Joins the Swiss Valley Team!!
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April 2006 Garfi eld joins the Swiss Valley Team!! SWISS VALLEY FARMS ELECTS NEW BOARD PRESIDENT t its yearly reorganization While Don was still in high school meeting in mid-February, the in 1958, he took over the 40-cow ASwiss Valley Farms Board of farm operation in Cashton, Wis., Directors elected Donald Peterson of from his father. On Coulee Crest Published Monthly by: Cashton, Wis. as its new president. Farm, Don and his wife Dorothy Swiss Valley Farms, Co. In this position, Don will follow and their son Kurt have developed P.O. Box 4493 long-time Board President Gerald an impressive herd of 170 Guernseys Davenport IA 52808 Bratland, who retired this year. that have included three consecutive James Schmitt, Sherrill, Iowa, was generations of #1 index cows in the 563.468.6600 FAX 563.468.6613 elected Board treasurer, replacing breed in the past fi ve years. www.swissvalley.com Peterson in this position. Don is a past American Randy Schaefer, Blue Grass, Guernsey Association (AGA) Board Nancy Feeney Iowa, was re-elected vice president. of Director and Finance Chairman. Editor/ Member Relations Mgr. Pam Bolin, Clarksville, Iowa was Don fi rst joined the Swiss Valley Karen Bohnert Member Relations Assistant re-elected secretary. James Oelfke, Farms Board as a Wisconsin-at-large Hamburg, Minn., was elected director in 1999. He was elected the director for District 16 in 2004. “Swiss Valley Farms Co., a farmer-owned cooperative, believes in market security by producing and marketing the highest quality products and services to customers, members and employees.” Swiss Valley Board Offi cers President Donald Peterson....................................Cashton, WI Vice President Co-CEO’s Boelens & Toyne present Newly appointed Board President Don Randy Schaefer....................................Blue Grass, IA Bratland with a good-bye gift. Peterson and his wife, Dorothy. Secretary Pam Bolin................................................Clarksville, IA Assistant Secretary. Treasurer Th at same year, Don was elected James Schmitt.............................................Sherrill, IA In other reorganization business, Board Treasurer. He was appointed Donald Berlage, Elizabeth, Ill., and to represent Swiss Valley Farms G. Joe Lyon, Toledo, Iowa, were on the National Milk Producers Swiss Valley Directors elected to the Board’s Executive Loyde M. Beers.......................................Eastman, WI Federation Board of Directors in Donald Berlage......................................Elizabeth, IL Committee. 2003. Steve Klug.....................................Spring Grove, MN Also during this meeting, retiring All these activities and Dale Humpal.........................................Ridgeway, IA Board President Gerald Bratland successes lead to Don being named Donald Kowalski....................................Wausau, WI received a plaque to commemorate “Dairyman of the Year” at the 2004 Francis Leibfried..................................Cuba City, WI his 27 years of service on the Swiss G. Joe Lyon....................................................Toledo, IA World Dairy Expo in Madison, Jeff Nimtz............................................Monticello, WI Valley Farms Board of Directors. Wis. Jim Oelfke............................................Hamburg, MN Swiss Valley Farms’ new Board We wish Don all the best in his Patrick Schroeder..............................Lancaster, WI President has been involved in new position on the Swiss Valley William Strief..................................................Farley, IA dairying since he was a young boy. Farms’ Board of Directors. page 2 SWISS VALLEY FARMS DAIRYMAN Platteville Swiss cheese plant reaps benefi t OF LOCAL ENERGY SAVING PROGRAM or a business like Swiss Product innovation is not Valley Farms’ cheese plant in FPlatteville, Wis., it takes more just an intangible concept; “ than turning off the lights to rack up big energy savings. So when Alliant “ it is the outcome of a Energy – Wisconsin Power and Light Company created a program to assist area businesses with their energy coordinated effort... conservation eff orts, the Platteville Power and Light Company provided “Product innovation is not plant was on board in a heartbeat. up front money for the improvements just an intangible concept; it is the In 2002, Alliant installed a new, to the co-op’s plant. Swiss Valley out come of a coordinated eff ort more energy-effi cient boiler at the Farms is paying these costs back to the between eff ective management and Platteville cheese plant, upgraded the power company from their monthly an active partnership with our Alliant boiler room, insulated some pipes energy savings. When the money is colleagues,” says Wieser. “We are and removed 100 feet of unneeded paid back in fi ve years, the co-op will fortunate to have an active account pipes. begin to recoup their energy savings. manager in Troy Pittz, who provides Since these improvements were To celebrate four years of energy business decision-making support made, Swiss Valley Farms has saved savings, two offi cials from Alliant and creative programs to reduce the 40,000 to 50,000 therms annually in Energy, Troy Pittz and William risk associated with these times of energy output. Keep in mind that an Jordahl, were recently given a tour of fl uctuating energy prices.” average household uses 700 therms the Platteville plant by Bill Wieser, “My role is to help customers save annually. general manager of Swiss Valley energy,” Pittz says. “It keeps us from Th rough this Shared Savings Farms’ cheese operations, and Mike having to build more power plants Program, Alliant Energy – Wisconsin Green, Platteville plant manager. and it helps the co-op’s bottom line.” William Jordahl, manager-government aff airs, Alliant Energy; Troy Pittz, major account manager, Alliant Energy; Bill Wieser, general manager of Swiss Valley Farm’s cheese operations, and Mike Green, manager of the SVF Platteville plant, pose for a quick snapshot in front of the boiler at the plant. APRIL 2006 page 3 GARFIELD JOINS THE TEAM! a message from Ron Schroder director of marketing ho is the most widely promotion will be on our packaging syndicated cartoon when the movie is released in theaters Wcharacter in the world, with in June until the DVD is made available 2,600 newspapers and 263 million in November. readers worldwide? Who had a hit Retail grocery products that will feature movie in 2004 and is returning in the Garfi eld: sequel in June 2006? Who has wide • 2% chocolate gallon appeal with kids and adults of all ages? • Whole chocolate half gallon Who will be appearing on Swiss Valley • Whole chocolate pint Farms’ chocolate milk cartons? In total, Garfi eld will appear Th e answer to all of the above is on about 1 million milk cartons in GARFIELD! grocery stores and 20 million cartons Garfi eld the Cat has been appearing in schools. DAIRYMAN. in comic strips for over 20 years and While this promotion is running, We are excited about the has become one of the most popular Swiss Valley Farms will be able to use opportunity that this promotion characters of all time. Garfi eld in all of it’s advertising and represents. It will provide more interest Garfi eld can now be found in a promotion material. Garfi eld will and visibility for our fl avored milk variety of media: be appearing in radio, billboards, business to tie-in with a popular, • Newspapers magazines and coupons in the Sunday nationally-recognized character like • “Garfi eld& Friends” newspaper. Examples of those ads will Garfi eld. It is believed this promotion syndicated TV show be published in future editions of the • Books (over 135 million sold) • Video games • Internet sites (Garfi eld.com and Professor Garfi eld.com) Garfi eld is also in the movies! He starred in his own successful movie in 2004 and the sequel is being released in June 2006. Swiss Valley Farms will benefi t from Garfi eld’s popularity and from his new movie by featuring him on packages of chocolate milk. Beginning in early April, Garfi eld will start appearing on school milk cartons. He will be on 1% chocolate and skim chocolate paper half pints from April through early June. He will be returning in the Fall from late August through November. Garfi eld will appear on chocolate milk in the grocery stores from June through December. Th at means the page 4 SWISS VALLEY FARMS DAIRYMAN will encourage school children to drink more milk and that it will attract the attention of consumers in the grocery store who are buying milk for their families. You may be wondering how Swiss Valley Farms became connected with a popular, nationally-known character like Garfi eld. Th e company that developed and manages Garfi eld contacted Swiss Valley Farms because they believed our products would be a good fi t and are widely available in the Midwest in schools and grocery stores. Th ey also knew we are a progressive company that is willing to try new program. Th e creator of Garfi eld, Jim Davis, has been personally involved in developing this promotion and helping to ensure it will be successful. APRIL 2006 page 5 District Reps gather information on their COOP & NATIONAL DAIRY SCENE istrict Representatives from across the Swiss Val- school lesson plans, Nutrition Explorations, by visiting: ley Farms member area gathered in Marquette, http://www.nutritionexplorations.org. Th is website con- DIowa on March 21 for what turned out to be nects you to information on fun, new second grade and a very informative meeting with just the touch of a sur- fourth grade nutrition programs that are free to teachers prise. in this area. (See opposite page for more information on Th e district reps were joined by all the Swiss Valley this.) Farms Board members as well as Swiss Valley Farms’ Co- Ron Schroder, director of marketing, Swiss Valley CEO’s and Management Team members. Farms, provided the surprise of the day by announcing Members of the Swiss Valley Farms Management Team that Swiss Valley Farms was teaming up with Garfi eld the reported on the activity in their departments, which was Cat to promote milk in our schools.