AFIA American Feed Industry Association : Announces 2017 Feed Facility of the Year Category Winners

The American Feed Industry Association is proud to announce four category winners of the 2017 Feed Facility of the Year (FFY) program. AFIA congratulates ADM Animal Nutrition of Cordele, Georgia, as the winner of the commercial dry livestock feed plant category; Sanderson Farms of Collins, Mississippi, as the winner of the integrator category; Westway Feed Products of Dimmit, Texas, as the winner of the liquid feed plant category for the second consecutive year; and Animix LLC of Juneau, Wisconsin, as the winner of the premix manufacturing plant category.

The American Feed Industry Association is proud to announce four category winners of the 2017 Feed Facility of the Year (FFY) program. AFIA congratulates ADM Animal Nutrition of Cordele, Georgia, as the winner of the commercial dry livestock feed plant category; Sanderson Farms of Collins, Mississippi, as the winner of the integrator category; Westway Feed Products of Dimmit, Texas, as the winner of the liquid feed plant category for the second consecutive year; and Animix LLC of Juneau, Wisconsin, as the winner of the premix manufacturing plant category.

'Each of these facilities has shown it is deserving of being at the top of its respective category in the 2017 Feed Facility of the Year program,' said Gary Huddleston, AFIA's director of feed manufacturing and regulatory affairs. 'After months of reviewing applications and touring facilities to determine these winners, AFIA is thrilled to announce them, and we look forward to naming the overall winner later this month at the International Production & Processing Expo.'

Formerly the Feed Mill of the Year award, AFIA and Feedstuffs modified the program in 2016, and it is now recognized as a first-class benchmarking program for the animal food industry. Representing each of the several types of feed manufacturing facilities within AFIA's membership, the improved format compares and recognizes top-performing facilities in four categories: commercial dry livestock, integrator, liquid feed and premix. From those, the FFY award is selected.

The overall FFY winner will be announced Jan. 31 during AFIA's Feed Production Education Program, which will be held as part of IPPE, happening in Atlanta, Georgia, Jan. 30-Feb. 1.

ADM Animal Nutrition - Commercial Dry Livestock Feed Category Winner

ADM Animal Nutrition manufactures around 40,000 tons of feed annually, mostly for equine and beef cattle, but also for poultry, swine, dairy cattle, deer, gamebirds, rabbits and more. Safety is a top priority at the facility, with meetings held each morning and at each shift change to remind employees of the importance of good safety practices. The facility also focuses on quality-all ingredients are weighed and analyzed upon arrival, and the plant will turn away ingredients that do not meet its standards.

'Cheap in, cheap out,' said plant manager Johnny Childers. 'We'll be out of an ingredient before we will settle for bad quality.'

Sanderson Farms - Integrator Category Winner

Sanderson Farms focuses on boosting employee engagement and promoting morale through daily conversations about safety and providing employees with personal attention. Facility personnel are encouraged to offer suggestions for improvement while reviewing and implementing changes.

Feed mill manager William 'Bill' Bray said Sanderson Farms reviews a variety of metrics daily, weekly, quarterly and annually to maximize efficiency and maintain or increase performance. These metrics include inbound ingredient specifications, ingredient moisture, mixer analysis on specified ingredients, weekly tons of feed produced, labor costs, feed conversion rates, utility usage and performance, and delivery costs.

Westway Feed Products - Liquid Feed Category Winner

'We have accomplished a lot in the past few years, including significant capital improvements, cost per ton advantages, greater employee engagement and an overall production increase. This team just knows how to get it done,' Thomas said.

Animix LLC - Premix Category Winner

'Animix is known by its customers as a responsive and reliable supplier of high-quality products,' said Janusz Sowinski, president and owner of Animix.

AFIA and Feedstuffs have conducted the FFY, and its predecessor program, since 1985, recognizing 70 total companies for outstanding performance in animal food manufacturing. More information on the FFY program, as well as a list of past winners, can be found on AFIA's website.