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Big Dutchman co-founder passes away at age 100
Jack DeWitt, who founded Big Dutchman in 1938 with his brother, Dick DeWitt, passed away at his home in Zeeland, USA, on January 6th, 2012. While Jack was only 24 days away of turning 101, Big Dutchman, now a worldwide leader in automated poultry and swine production systems, is almost ready to celebrate its 75th birthday. Jack DeWitt and his brother Dick DeWitt founded the company in 1938 in the U.S. when they set out to market their invention, which would soon revolutionize the poultry industry.
The “Big Dutchman” automated poultry feeder was the first automatic feeding system, featuring the flat chain concept, which remains the most popular poultry feeding technology in the world today. As Dick loved to tell, “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”.
Jack and his brothers were the sons of Dutch immigrants who settled on a farm near Holland, Michigan. After graduating from College and returning from the service, Jack joined his brother Dick to run a poultry and hatchery business in Zeeland. Here they designed and developed and began the production of the automated poultry feeder.
By the early 1950s, Big Dutchman established itself in the U.S. and was determined to establish plants and sales forces in their Netherlands homeland and other European countries. By 1958, they added a sales representative in Germany, a young farmer named Joseph Meerpohl, who would later become sole owner of Big Dutchman. After numerous overseas trips and earning several awards and federal recognition for his contributions to foreign trade, Jack sold his interest in the company in 1968. He went on to be a community leader with many organizations and responsibilities.
Today, Big Dutchman globally is headed by Josef’s son, Bernd Meerpohl and head-quartered in Vechta, Germany with over 2,000 employees and subsidiaries on every continent. Bernd had been able to meet Jack when he and Clovis Rayzel (president of Big Dutchman Inc.) came to celebrate Jack DeWitt’s 100th birthday.
On January 29th of 2011, hundreds of family and friends turned out at an open house birthday celebration in Jack’s hometown, Zeeland, just a few miles away from Big Dutchman USA, which he began almost 75 years ago. The “Big Dutchman family”, as Meerpohl calls his global company, will always remember Jack as the salesman with an eternal optimism and a simple (but unbeaten) customer-oriented sales philosophy, who took every opportunity to fire up his team with his “keep selling” mantra.
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Three Big Dutchman trainees travel halfway around the world
“Looking beyond one’s own four walls is worth the effort!”
“Every trainee who gets offered such a chance should take it“! Carolin Schlömer was absolutely thrilled when she recently returned from Malaysia where she completed a foreign internship. The young professional is currently enrolled in a dual-certification program alternating between classroom study at a technical college and on-the-job training at the Big Dutchman headquarters in Calveslage, Germany. Carolin had applied for one of the three foreign internships the livestock housing equipment supplier offered their trainees this year. And her application was successful: for six weeks, she moved her workplace from Germany to Shah Alam, close to Kuala Lumpur, where the Malaysian daughter company of the international market leader has its headquarters.
Very enthusiastic about their stay abroad are also the two other foreign trainees Britta Deux and Felix Ruholl. Trainee Ruholl also went to Malaysia, while Britta Deux completed her internship on the other side of the globe: in Holland, Michigan, USA.
Working in “Tulip City”
Here in “Tulip City”, as Holland, population of 35,000, is also known, is the home of the US-American Big Dutchman daughter company Big Dutchman Inc (BD Inc.). For the second time already, BD Inc. sponsored one of the successful participants of the coveted foreign internships. And, according to Britta Deux, they did it very well: the trainee from Germany had the chance to look into all departments, visited a layer farm equipped with BD products and accompanied her American colleagues on visits to suppliers.
The prospective business school graduate sees her future in the field of personnel development and was glad to be able to get a whiff of the “Human Resources” department at BD Inc. as well. “American application papers are completely anonymous, don’t contain a picture and with a maximum of two pages, are much shorter than German application papers. And job interviews are also much quicker”, summarises Deux some of the differences she encountered.
Versatile jobs
Felix Ruholl also was able to combine his vocational interest with the stay abroad: Already on day two the future mechanical engineer started setting up an engine test station for gear motors. In close cooperation with the Malaysian colleagues he organised the required testing material, clarified details such as delivery dates and delivery sites and established the power supply for the test. A nice side effect of the project was that Felix gained immediate insight into all departments.
No two foreign internships are alike: Carolin Schlömer on the other hand worked in the internal sales department and supported the Malaysian colleagues actively with their daily business. “My main task was to help with the realisation of a large project in Beijing”, summarises the young woman who combines her training at Big Dutchman with a college degree in economics about her interesting and versatile job abroad.
A great experience
As different as the job profiles of the trainees were, they still had several common denominators: in terms of collegiality, assistance and job diversity, the three globetrotters give their hosts excellent grades. And all three were also very enthusiastic about experiencing a different culture: “Looking beyond one’s own four walls is always worth the effort”! was the unanimous conclusion.
Next year, the housing equipment supplier will once again offer several foreign internships. There is a great deal of interest among the trainees. Since there is only a limited number of places available, the trainees have to present the jury with a convincing application which has to include not only an impressive performance both at school and at work but also a letter of motivation. However, this does not put anybody off: the next applicants are already waiting in the wings.
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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.
Free range egg production in aviaries
New poultry house for organic egg production
Altogether 12,000 laying hens recently moved into the new poultry house built by Iduna and Bernd Sachtjen from Friedeburg in northern Germany. In the course of a modernisation of their farm, the couple changed from dairy farming to organic egg production. Before the hens were moved into their new home, the Sachtjen family invited the public to an open day of the new barn, which is equipped with Big Dutchman’s latest generation of the Natura-Nova Twin aviary. Approximately 400 persons took advantage of the opportunity to take a closer look at the new poultry shed.
Organic egg production in the new poultry house
The core part of the new poultry house is the two-tiered Natura-Nova Twin 280 with portal. The further development of the Big Dutchman aviary for barn egg production and free range egg production, a bestseller among the so-called conventional aviaries, is characterized by several additional new features. Among others, these include the increased usable area as well as the widened connecting passage between nest and system which can be used by the farm staff for the daily inspection rounds. In addition, the two catwalks above the portal were further reinforced and thus provide additional walking safety and a more comfortable system inspection.
The hens are supplied with feed and water on two levels and have direct access to the nest. A low share of mislaid eggs and the overall good acceptance of the system are the positive result of the sophisticated construction, which is also designed for 100 % utilisation of the house surface area. The poultry house for aviary management is divided into four separate areas which means that the number of hens per group is limited to 3,000 hens per group.
Everything is ready for free range egg production
As free range area for their 12,000 laying hens the Sachtjens established a pasture of approximately 5 ha. The size of the area for free range egg production is defined by the EU Eco regulation, based on which each hen must have a surface area of at least 4 m2. Also installed are the stipulated shelters which protect the hens against rain, sunshine or birds of prey.
The poultry shed has a size of 90 x 14 m. Along the sides, the building has roofed outdoor porches through which the hens can access the free range area.
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Big Dutchman is the world’s largest poultry equipment supplier for modern poultry 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 poultry feeding systems and poultry housing systems. Be it barn, free range and organic egg production or egg production in enriched colony systems and poultry cages, be it systems for optimal poultry climate control or poultry growing, turkey production and breeder management: Big Dutchman offers the best poultry systems imaginable for every type of farm imaginable.
Meng Jin Feng responsible for North China
Big Dutchman China appoints new area sales manager
Big Dutchman is pleased to announce the promotion of Meng Jin Feng (Linda) to the position of North China area sales manager for the Layer Equipment Division. She is based in Beijing sales office. In her new role, Linda will focus on managing the Layer Sales force and develop new business within the North China Region. “Her rich sales experience combined with her profound knowledge in the poultry equipment industry in China will align us with our plans in offering best support and available solutions to our customers”, said Mr. Brian McCawley, President of Big Dutchman China.
With the fast growing levels of business activity in the poultry industry in China, the expansion of its sales force once again reflects Big Dutchman’s commitment to the region.
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Big Dutchman is the world’s largest poultry equipment supplier for modern poultry 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 poultry feeding systems and poultry housing systems. Be it barn, free range and organic egg production or egg production in enriched colony systems and poultry cages, be it systems for optimal poultry climate control or poultry growing, turkey production and breeder management: Big Dutchman offers the best poultry systems imaginable for every type of farm imaginable.
Modern poultry growing with Big Dutchman poultry systems
Construction of new poultry house with heat exchanger
Recently, the Syring family from Bad Wildungen in Germany has invited the public to an Open Day: When next-generation farmer Daniel Syring showed strong interest in poultry growing, the family decided to expand their farm by a poultry house. For poultry housing systems, father Erich Syring and son Daniel got Big Dutchman on board. The well-done new house for 39,900 broilers has been completed and approx. 600 people seized the opportunity to visit the poultry house including poultry systems and heat exchanger.
Saving heating costs in the poultry house with the „Earny“ heat exchanger
To save heating costs, the two farmers decided to equip their new poultry house with the Big Dutchman heat exchanger „Earny“. This system can help to reduce heating costs by up to 60% especially in the cold season.
One of the main features: the exhaust air from the poultry house used for the heat exchanger is completely pre-filtered before it is forwarded to the heat exchanger. This means that the exchanger element, which strictly separates intake and exhaust air and creates an optimum heat transition, remains free of dust and dirt. Another, so far unique, feature is the fully automatic compressed air cleaning of the filters. This prevents obstructions and thus performance loss during a grow-out.
Poultry growing with innovative heat exchanger
The Big Dutchman exchanger element consists of aluminium and thus ensures a very high heat transfer rate. The heat transfer rate is much higher than with traditional plastic-made exchanger elements. The ruffled structure of the aluminium element increases this positive effect. The aluminium has a special coating and is resistant to the influence of ammonia and CO2.
A particularly practical feature: The heat exchanger is delivered ready-mounted and can be installed without much time and effort. It can, of course, not only be installed in new buildings but can also be retrofitted in old or refurbished buildings without any problem.
Poultry system for a modern poultry house
Further eye-catchers from Big Dutchman at the Open Day were the amacs computer system for continuous monitoring and control of the house and the Augermatic feeding system including Fluxx feed pan.
Poultry house of the Syring family: Pictures of successful Open Day
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Big Dutchman is the world’s largest poultry equipment supplier for modern poultry 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 poultry feeding systems and poultry housing systems. Be it barn, free range and organic egg production or egg production in enriched colony systems and poultry cages, be it systems for optimal poultry climate control or poultry growing, turkey production and breeder management: Big Dutchman offers the best poultry systems imaginable for every type of farm imaginable.
