NEWS
A career in the equine feed industry is highly competitive and demanding,
here Pam Dear from Northern Crop Driers offers an insight and some advice
on what to expect.
From Engineering to Graze-On
What is your job title and responsibilities?
I am a director of Northern Crop Driers and have responsibility for
the day to day running of the business. In this day and age businesses
have to be dynamic, embrace change and constantly adapt to new trends
and ideas. As a key member of the management team I have to make sure
the business is forward thinking and ensure projects are pushed through
to fruition.
How long have you worked at Northern Crop Driers?
5 years
What made you choose this career?
Having completed an Engineering Degree I was interested in the manufacturing
side of the business and the challenges producing horse feeds presents.
I could also see that the equine feeds industry was growing and that
there would be a lot of opportunities for a business producing fibre
feeds. This all presented itself as a fantastic challenge and over the
years I have worked in the business I have been involved in setting
up new production lines to launching new feeds. I like the diversity
this career allows.
Which products do you manufacture?
We manufacture the Graze-On range of feeds which includes the original
dried grass feed Graze-On, the Graze-On Pellets which are a straight
grass nut, Graze-On Gold Blend which is a grass and straw mix and the
highly absorbent bedding Megazorb.
Describe the manufacturing process of Graze-On and Gold Blend.
All the grass that goes into our products is grown by ourselves here
in the Vale of York. We cut the grass up to 5 times per year and flash
dry it to seal in all the natural goodness. It is then dust extracted
and pressed into 15kg bales or mixed with straw before being pressed
into 12.5kg bales.
Tell us about your bedding Megazorb
Megazorb is made from virgin wood pulp and is exceptionally absorbent.
It has found its niche as a superb bedding for use with rubber matting
and as it is made from a by-product of the paper making industry that
would otherwise be land spread it is environmentally friendly too. As
the wood fibres have already been ripped up it also composts down very
quickly. It is dust extracted and packaged in 85 litre bags which are
very easy to handle
How do you see the feed market progressing in 2008?
The equine feeds market is an incredibly dynamic market with new products
and new ideas being launched constantly. The push towards fibre feeding
is still happening and I see more equine owners switching to the more
natural diets that fibre products can provide. I believe the feed market
will continue to adapt and expand throughout 2008.
What advice would you give to people hoping to work in equestrian
feeds?
The equestrian feeds industry is a very competitive one and in order
to work in it you must be dedicated, enthusiastic and work hard to achieve
the knowledge behind feeding. If you are prepared to work hard the rewards
available from this varied industry are great.
How would you describe your daily routine?
No two days are ever the same for me which is part of what I love about
the work that I do. I will generally check the production areas first
thing in a morning to make sure everything is running smoothly and that
the production team are happy before returning to the office. I can
then be involved in anything from quality control to speaking to customers
to going out to shows to see the people that actually use our products.
What aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?
Getting positive feedback from customers is the best part of my job
as it means that we are doing things right and that all our dedication
and hard work to ensuring our quality levels and products are of the
highest standard is paying off.
