Press releases
“Natural ability to help feed the world”
Big Dutchman opens new facility in Araraquara, Brazil
Big Dutchman recently inaugurated its new Brazilian facility in the city of Araraquara, state of Sao Paulo. Nearly BRL 30 million (€ 13 million) were invested in a property with ten hectares (25 acres) on which nearly 16,000 m2 (172,000 ft2) were built.
The event attracted more than 500 customers, suppliers and local authorities. Addressing the crowd Bernd Meerpohl, Chairman of the Board of Management, spoke about the huge potential Brazil has for further developing its intensive animal production and its natural ability to help feed the world. However, Mr. Meerpohl also emphasized, that natural resources alone are not enough. It is also necessary for Brazilian poultry and pig producers to be ahead of the curve on all issues and available technologies involving their industries in an increasingly connected world.
Kai Wehmeyer, Member of Big Dutchman’s Board of Directors, was also present. Clovis Rayzel, President of Big Dutchman USA, spoke about the event being above all a moment of commitment to the Brazilian market. Ricardo Santanna, Big Dutchman Brazil’s Managing Director, welcomed the guests and thanked the city of Araraquara for supporting this project. Amongst several local authorities Big Dutchman was honored with the presence of Araraquara’s Mayor, Marcelo Barbieri and the Governor of the state of Sao Paulo, Geraldo Alckmin, who toured the new facilities and was introduced to Big Dutchman’s broad product line in its state-of-the-art showroom.
The memorable evening went on with dinner and was closed with the show of Brazilian renowned singer and composer Almir Sater.
Big Dutchman is the world leader in equipment for poultry and pig production. It was founded in 1938 and its global headquarters are in Vechta, Germany. The company entered the Brazilian market in 2000 when it acquired the company Avimec, located in Caxias do Sul, state of Rio Grande do Sul. That unit will continue to operate as a branch of the new location in Araraquara.
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Big Dutchman is the world’s largest equipment supplier for modern pig production and poultry production. A new field of business is residue treatment. The poultry equipment supplier provides solutions for barn, free range and organic egg production as well as egg production in enriched colony systems and poultry cages, for poultry growing, turkey production and breeder management, but also for poultry climate control.
Big Dutchman also provides a complete product program for successful pig production. Be it pig rearing or sow management, be it dry feeding or liquid feeding systems or equipment for optimal pig house climate control: Big Dutchman offers the best pig equipment imaginable for every poultry and pig house.
Highest score for housing equipment supplier
Big Dutchman at the top of DLG-Image-Barometer
In its recent Image Barometer 2010, the DLG (Deutsche Landwirtschafts- Gesellschaft - German Agricultural Society) reports Big Dutchman as the industry leader in the area of “technology livestock housing systems”.”It’s the fourth time that Big Dutchman, as the world’s leading equipment supplier for modern pig and poultry production, has taken the top position of the image ranking in this sector” states the DLG analysis. The long-time winners from northern Germany were also considered as “especially innovative” by the questioned livestock producers and received the highest score in this category. The study, which an entire industry eagerly awaits every year, was recently published on the occasion of a DLG exhibitor meeting in Osnabrück, Germany.
The industry ranking is based on interviews with 307 leading German farm managers from all areas of agriculture. The statisticians noted both the concrete rating as well as freely-supplied information about which company delivers reliable technology and quickly solves everyday problems in the barn. In the market segment “technology for livestock housing systems“ Big Dutchman received both the highest number of nominations and the best ratings and, in regard to performance, relegated even leading companies of the milk industry such as “Westfalia/GEA Farm Technologies” and “Lely” to lower places.
Other companies from the administrative district of Vechta, such as the engineering company Maschinenbau GmbH Meyer-Lohne, WEDA Dammann & Westerkamp GmbH (Lutten) and the agricultural machinery manufacturer Grimme from Damme also appear in the top ten of the industry barometer. They have also moved up considerably in the ranking even though they did not quite reach the top three this year.
An additional cause of joy for Big Dutchman was that, for the first time ever, the northern German company achieved first place in the collective category “top company”. “This is, of course, a success shared by all departments and staff and is furthermore tremendously motivating for every member of the large Big Dutchman family“, commented CEO Bernd Meerpohl upon hearing the results of the study. The results showed how much trust the farmers have in the company. “We want to keep earning this trust”, added Meerpohl, putting the achievement into perspective; “these fantastic results therefore come with an obligation to get better every day.“
The full DLG-Image-Barometer can be viewed here. In addition to the above mentioned points, the questioned farmers also had to rank the company websites. Big Dutchman ranks first in this category as well.
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Big Dutchman is the world’s largest equipment supplier for modern pig production and poultry production. A new field of business is residue treatment. The poultry equipment supplier provides solutions for barn, free range and organic egg production as well as egg production in enriched colony systems and poultry cages, for poultry growing, turkey production and breeder management, but also for poultry climate control. Big Dutchman also provides a complete product program for successful pig production. Be it pig rearing or sow management, be it dry feeding or liquid feeding systems or equipment for optimal pig house climate control: Big Dutchman offers the best pig equipment imaginable for every poultry and pig house.
Sow management system awarded with animal welfare endorsement
Electronic sow feeding system earns Seal of Approval
The American Humane Association (USA) has awarded the Seal of Approval for Humane Equipment to Big Dutchman’s CallMatic 2 electronic sow feeding system (ESF). Electronic sow feeding systems allow for true individual feeding of sows kept in group housing rather than in gestation crates during pregnancy, giving them the ability to move freely, rest comfortably and interact naturally with other sows. As concerns for animal welfare, demanding that sows are no longer confined to gestation stalls, are growing strongly all over the world, ESF is becoming an important and well accepted alternative system for effective sow management.
Perfecting electronic sow feeding systems for pig production units
Big Dutchman’s ‘CallMatic 2’ is the result of 30 years of continuous research and development in an effort to perfect electronic sow feedings systems for large and small pig production operations. It was also an effort towards more humane pig equipment concepts and technology – first requested and pushed by Europe – and is now being recognized and appreciated in North America. The Seal of Approval, received from the American Humane Association, is another important step ahead for substantial collaborations between hog producers, equipment manufacturers and welfare organizations.
The American Humane Association created America’s first third party audit and animal welfare certification program. Today food producers with more than 60 million farm animals have been certified by American Humane Association's science-based farm animal program, responding to consumer and retailer demand for an independent, third-party verification of their practices.
Modern pig equipment for group housing of sows
CallMatic 2 ESF systems are successfully running in numerous sow farms in the US, Canada and the rest of the world, providing sows with freedom of movement and true individual, undisturbed feeding. At the same time, the electronic sow feeding system pleases farmers with the advantage of a total management tool. The pig production results are similar in all operations: good sow performance, often better than before the transition to group housing and CallMatic.
Sow farmer extremely satisfied with swine equipment
Reed Gibby from Nature Farms in Idaho, who moved his 1100 sows into group housing with Callmatic 2 several years ago, is one of many satisfied customers and proud of his achievements with the ESF system: “We put the sows in dynamic groups and this has resulted in almost no fighting in groups.” Gibby adds: “We love the CallMatic system. We have seen an overall improvement with sow health: fewer lame sows and less problems in the farrowing department because sows are more mobile. The condition of the sows is much easier to maintain and we feel we also have fewer still born pigs”.
Hans Ulrich, Director of Pig Equipment Sales at Big Dutchman Inc., USA, an expert in automatic feeding and sow management who has worked with breeders for over 30 years, is happy to receive the Seal of Approval as formal acknowledgement for the superiority of the Big Dutchman system. But he also remarks, that for him “the best proof of the system’s benefits and accomplishments, is to hear our customers’ enthusiasm… or to see it for yourself, standing amidst a group of 120 placid sows, that are chilling together or just taking a walk – and interacting naturally.”
For more information on Big Dutchman's electronic sow feeding system CallMatic 2 ESF, visit: www.callmatic-esf.com
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Big Dutchman is the world’s largest pig equipment supplier for modern pig production. A new field of business is residue treatment. The complete product portfolio of the German family enterprise from Vechta-Calveslage includes all kinds of pig feeding systems and pig housing systems. Be it pig or sow management, be it dry feeding or liquid feeding systems or equipment for optimal pig house climate control: Big Dutchman offers the best equipment imaginable for every type of pig house.
Pig equipment for modern sow management - leaflet download:
Electronic sow feeding system CallMatic 2
Jack DeWitt’s company philosophy still influences the company
Founder of Big Dutchman Turns 100 Years Old
Jack DeWitt, the original “Big Dutchman”, turned 100 years old on January 30th, 2011. In 1938 Jack and his brother Dick DeWitt founded Big Dutchman and together they would design, develop, and sell the first automatic poultry feeding system. In addition to the revolutionary design featuring the flat chain concept, which remains the most popular poultry feeding technology in the world, they would develop many other products to modernize poultry production.
Today Josef Meerpohl and his family are the sole owners of Big Dutchman which is headed by Josef’s son, Bernd Meerpohl. Bernd, and Clovis Rayzel, the president of Big Dutchman USA, visited Jack at his home to wish him a happy birthday. At this time Jack was presented with a photo book in which Josef signed, “I will never forget that you brought the wonderful Big Dutchman idea into my life.”
In late January Big Dutchman celebrated its founders with a special historical display at the International Poultry Exposition, Atlanta (USA). Photographs and original equipment were featured at the show, emphasizing the solid foundation of the company.
“Even today, the company is influenced daily by Jack’s simple, ageless way of doing business”, agreed Bernd and Clovis. Bernd went on to say, “Jack DeWitt had a very simple philosophy, but it’s one that is time-tested in every way. He was very customer-focused and market-oriented, and this is a philosophy we hammer on every day.”
Jack and Dick DeWitt shaped the company early on to become the worldwide leading supplier for pig and poultry production. „We had a pretty good idea that sure beat shoveling out bird feed by hand. We just had to take it out to the rest of the world“, recollects Jack.
Jack sold his interest in the company in 1968, but stayed on as an advisor until 1971. In 1958, Josef Meerpohl from Vechta-Calveslage took over as sales agent for Northern Germany. In 1985 he acquired the whole company through a management buyout (at that time this did not include the sales rights for North and South America).
Today, the headquarters of the family enterprise are located in Vechta-Calveslage, Germany. Under the roof of the holding Big Dutchman AG managed by CEO Bernd Meerpohl, the innovative company group has been successful on the worldwide markets for years. In regard to development and distribution of housing and feeding systems for modern pig and poultry production, Big Dutchman is regarded as international market leader. The name Big Dutchman is a trade mark for reliable quality, fast service and unsurpassed know-how.
Planning and construction of biogas plants for agriculture and industry, indoor fish farms and, just recently, also systems for the generation of energy from biomass complete today’s product portfolio.
Distribution rights for sow management systems acquired
Pig production: less work, more piglets
Big Dutchman has just signed an agreement for the distribution of two key products of the Canadian pig equipment manufacturer Conception Ro-Main in certain markets: the Contact-O-Max boar cart and PigWatch, a computerized sow management system for heat monitoring to reach insemination at the right time.
Innovative sow management, efficient pig production
Both pig production systems have an enormous savings potential, not only in regard to labour optimization: “I see these two products coming together to help breeders get more piglets from their herd. We are happy to be able to offer this innovative pig equipment to our customers in a major part of the world”, comments Bo Molin, Big Dutchman Senior General Manager, at the time of signature of the agreement.
The exclusive agreement between Big Dutchman Pig Equipment GmbH from Vechta-Calveslage, Germany and the Quebec-based enterprise was announced at EuroTier 2010, the world’s leading trade show for professional livestock management.
Leading edge management system for sow farms
With PigWatch, the German pig equipment supplier Big Dutchman has succeeded in adding a leading edge computerized AI management system to their product portfolio: the system for sow farms monitors the heat status of each sow day and night, 365 days a year, and indicates the best possible moment for the insemination of a sow. The heat monitoring is extremely reliable, which results in more piglets per litter and an overall reduction of the required number of semen doses.
The Contact-O-Max boar cart was specifically designed and developed by expert pig breeders, and has been successfully in use for sow stimulation, heat check and heat return detection for over ten years already.
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Big Dutchman is the world’s largest pig equipment supplier for modern pig production. A new field of business is residue treatment. The complete product portfolio of the German family enterprise from Vechta-Calveslage includes all kinds of pig feeding systems and pig housing systems. Be it pig or sow management, be it dry feeding or liquid feeding systems or equipment for optimal pig house climate control: Big Dutchman offers the best equipment imaginable for every type of pig house.
