Hybrids ® - More Than A Number. ™

If there is a lack of loyalty in our industry there’s only one place to look. Right down at the reflection in the coffee cup.

I’ve heard a ton of hypotheses about loyalty, or lack of it in the seed industry. “We’re dealing with a new generation that just isn’t as loyal,” is a popular one. “Maybe we disappointed them,” is another. “Some people just don’t see a difference,” and, “corn growers get the service we used to provide at other places now,” all have some credibility or degree of truth.

But I think the truth is even simpler. We just have not treated our customer with enough respect.

Sure, this sounds counter-intuitive, and it certainly doesn’t mean people at companies like ours don’t like their customers. Quite the contrary. Our customers are our friends and usually people we all respect, if not look up to. To the people who work in our office the job of serving a customer is put before everything else. Except maybe expense reports, but that’s another story. 

Truth is, everyone wants to be loyal. Corn growers want a brand that serves their needs well and that helps identify them or their operation. And I believe they will pay more for it, and be loyal to it – if it lives up to their expectations. It’s just that none of us are doing it very well. In fact, sometimes it seems like we’ve all gone rogue and taken another route altogether to sell one more bag, or five hundred more bags, right now.

Take price. Ever bought a bag of seed corn from a rate sheet lately? Seems a rate card is more a way to disguise your price from competitors than it is to clearly communicate your price to customers. And if there’s no rate card to trust, then what can you trust? The “sales programs”?

I recently had one grower tell me the process of buying seed was worse than trying to buy a used vehicle. Another said he needed a decoder to decipher the sales programs. Most companies could give the same programs to four of their sales people, have them calculate a price and get four different numbers back. And these are smart, talented people. If our people can’t interpret them, how the hell can a customer? If the customer is aware of them at all.

And then there’s the endless choices. We just released 23 new hybrids. They’re all great. But if we released 23, any guesses at how many DeKalb and Pioneer released? Granted, they’re not all for the same grower, but who in the hell is going to know and understand all of these new products? We’ve built so much choice, with so many options, into the industry that we’re destined to be unable to live up to the expectations that go along with them. It’s a perfect example of the paradox of choice. With so many options out there, the insinuation is that there is something absolutely perfect for my specific farm.

But the end result is that the customer pays more and feels the same. Which leads to less satisfied customers that are more willing to switch. Too many options will confuse. And confusion leads any consumer right back to focus and make decisions on the one thing we all know and understand: Price.

Want an example? I believe this is the fastest growing fast food chain in America. They, coincidently, have five things on the menu.

There’s not a slick solution for this situation. We have better products – we want to get them out, corn growers can profit more with them. So with the endless array of choices, trust becomes even more paramount. Customers rely on brands with a good reputation and their sales person to navigate through this. But when it’s all said and done, even if the sales person is outstanding, the endless choices themselves suggest we should deliver perfection. And we’ve all been guilty of adding fuel to the fire – we’ve all sold something at some time that was perfect for everyone with dirt and a Farm Plan account. 

Product changes have also affected loyalty. Around 2005 traits became essential to the purchase. In addition to more complexity, it sort of relegated the genetic portion of the product to a delivery mechanism. You could have the best hybrid on the market, the best engine out there, but if it didn’t have the right trait it was ignored. It’s been near impossible to keep track of genetic improvements the last decade. They’re happening faster than ever, and in response hybrid lifecycles have shrunk to just a few years. Traits are easier to keep track of. They’re changing and tough enough to keep up with, sure. But they’re now a more consistent part of the equation year-to-year. At the expense of the part that is more important in determining yield. Anytime we feel like we’re back to selling hybrids and genetics, here comes a new trait to jack us all up.

But with traditional hybrids there was a level of expertise and knowledge the industry provided – you had to get the right herbicide, the right adjuvant, the right leaf stage. I used to scout for corn borer, and provide economic threshold levels for treatment. And for those that provided these services and consistently got it right, you gave them trust, then loyalty. Now the whole ball is condensed down to who has the cheapest glyphosate. There’s not as much service and loyalty attached to that.

I believe still other growers may switch brands because of frustration and stress with the industry. Masked behind the more publicly talked about grain market increases are the input and breakeven prices that have crept higher. Typical production cost for an acre of corn today is around $750. Five years ago the crop only grossed $400/acre. Frustration at the premise of the highest grain prices in a lifetime not being able to guarantee a profit, but only a monumental degree of risk, can cause frustration with any input supplier. Especially when our prices go up before products are proven.

The frustration with these situations and actions may not be correctly directed or warranted, but it really doesn’t matter. The rationale or truth of the argument is irrelevant. It becomes pretty damn real when the order disappears.

So, lack of transparency with pricing. Sales programs that puzzle more than promote. Too many options to decipher. Changes to, and confusion with, our products.  Price increases that feel forced. It’s all part of the same syndrome. And it leads to a lack of customer loyalty that should be expected. And that, to me, is what puts us in situation where loyalty erodes, cheaper is better and theories about commoditization have a foundation for discussion.

The best sales people fix it instinctively. They make things simple for their customer. They work their butts off to learn the depth of the complexities, so they can lead the people they do business with down the right paths. And through that constant process they earn trust and the role of the Trusted Advisor. I’ve watched some take our confusing programs and reface our pricing in a simpler way. If we care to admit it, sometimes they do things better individually than we do collectively. Which is likely no different than it is at every other seed company.

Of course, you still have to start with an outstanding product, great people and accurate billing. But we’ve already got those. And we’re still not close to 85% customer retention, and would be judged a commodity in most industries, especially ones with shorter purchase cycles. What we’re dealing with feels worse than a rational number of customers switching brands annually.

So what’s with the lack of loyalty in the seed industry?

It’s us. If we want more loyalty in the seed industry, we need to give customers more to be loyal to. We have to respect customers more.  Give them more transparency in pricing, with simple sales programs. Clarity in our product lineups, with more advanced placement recommendations. Ensure service is still part of the relationship.  Sometimes it simply means we have to innovate more than imitate. Together with consistent and high performing products, it will all likely lead to more satisfaction and increased customer loyalty.

If a customer trusts no one, the cheapest seed is probably the best route. But it’s likely a better decision to put trust in a brand and people who you know will treat you fair. And who will watch out for your best interest and bring you a healthy supply of products that perform exceptionally well. That has value, is worth paying more for and cannot be found from the lowest cost providers.
I’ll add this.

Make no mistake, you do get what you pay for. There is great new seed that’s better than what you could get even last year. But only if you can decipher who has it. If it really fits your farm well. If you can get it in time for planting. If you can trust the data the sales person gave you. If Mother Nature doesn’t decide to show you she really is in control. If you have a brand that will stand behind its product. And if you have the trust and patience to wait five months to see if you profit on your investment. There are great products, that deserve to be sold at a significant premiums. But they don’t guarantee success.

So sure, you get what you paid for. Unless your neighbor got a different price than you did. Then neither of you got what the other paid for.

It’s time for more respect.

The first notion we need to address is this. How can the most significant input decision of the year be determined primarily on price? How can somebody that’s relatively satisfied with their seed corn switch to something they’ve never sampled before and put their entire operation behind it? How can they take that risk?

The answer is that those who choose this route likely don’t see it as a risk at all. They likely assume that A) We’re all the same, or B) If they don’t see the performance their neighbor sees or that they historically see, the company will find a way to make up the difference. And if the company they bought from doesn’t pay, another company will. 

In any industry, when the gap between the benefit of buying the best and the risk from buying the worst becomes narrow, it’s damn hard to make money with a premium product.

We all believe that any company should stand behind its product. For the most part, our industry has a great track record in this respect. We’re maybe even overzealous, tripping over ourselves to show how confident we are in the mountains living out in the warehouse. The part that’s more troubling is that perhaps some customers think we’re all the same. This is where the idea of commoditization kick in. So let’s address it.

There are certainly reasons to believe our industry is becoming commoditized, which we detailed here. Thankfully, there are also indications that the lack of loyalty today doesn’t necessarily point to the commoditization of seed corn.

For starters, growers still recognize and perceive differences among products. Many pay more for products they perceive to perform better. Which is cause for a deep breath. We certainly are not the lowest priced seed brand on the market. And we’ve had our share of customers simply say, “No thank you,” sometimes even after they’ve placed an order, when another sales person shows up with cheaper versions of seed corn and a free lawn mower.  I still simultaneously sigh and smile every time I think of those ridiculous offers. They obviously must sell seed corn though. Just not here.

Anyway, based on industry norms for customer loyalty one has to wonder how we sell anything at all. I think we can sum it up in two points.

1. For the growers we do business with, they still see differences between brands and purchase primarily on value, not price. It may be the seed corn, it may be the people, it may be that we act and treat customers differently, or it may be that we’re independent and fighting the good fight. In the end, for this discussion, it doesn’t really matter. What matters is that they see enough difference to not simply buy the cheapest thing thrown on the market. They perceive a difference. It’s our job to make sure it’s real.

2. The brand of seed you buy, for many producers anyway, still says something about you and your operation. Living, learning and planting Pioneer solidified that brand’s leadership position with an entire generation of corn growers. It was brilliant. If you planted Pioneer, and chances are you did, it became more than seed corn. It was an identity for you and your farm. A description, if not a road map, for how you were succeeding in life. There’s still a lot of emotion tied up in the seed brand many growers purchase. Historically, corn growers have identified and defined themselves with their seed corn brands more on the level of their color of equipment and brand of truck than maybe any other agricultural input. None of us may ever get to the same level as John Deere, but as long as this emotion and connection with your seed brand perseveres we will not be an industry full of commodity seed. 

Problem is, customer loyalty, as defined by customer retention, doesn’t support much of this. So where does that leave us?

With a very unusual industry, with a very difficult marketing landscape. With at least some growers who we have encouraged, if not conditioned, to constantly switch brands. You can have all the market research in the world that says price is the third consideration on a corn grower’s mind (the last deck I looked at did), but these rankings are not absolute. Does that mean price at $5/bag is third, or price at $75/bag?

Of course the same group of price-driven customers exists in just about every industry. It’s just that this group within our industry has been encouraged and rewarded for growing to a size that is bordering on dominant. You could argue the effect they’re having on brands competing for their business has the potential to swell into a tidal wave and engulf everyone.

At a certain price, a corn grower will plant anything. And if I’ve learned anything it’s that most of the time somebody gets to that price. Problem is, when corn growers are willing to plant anything, the best use of time may be scouring the Sears catalog for the next motorized gimmick to give away to sell corn, then call it marketing. When corn growers will buy anything, you’re operating in at least a partially commoditized market.

In the final installment on this topic we’ll focus more on what needs to change in our industry.
We likely still have enough perceived difference between – and emotion attached to – seed corn brands to believe a premium offering can succeed. It’s just getting tougher.

If we expect corn growers to pay a premium for a better product, how we exist and create value that rewards and respects corn growers tomorrow is a more complex question than it has been in years.

Stay tuned.

So what’s with the lack of loyalty in the seed corn industry?

Averages for some time have shown only 70% of customers re-purchase any given seed brand they purchased the previous year. This might not seem like rampant disloyalty, but brands in many industries cannot compete and remain viable as anything but a commodity when customer retention dips below 85%.

Corn growers, like any consumer in any other business-to-business purchasing situation, will do what they believe is right for their operation’s long term viability. Which is the way it should be. The deeper question is more troubling.  What have we done, as seed companies, to cause 30% or more of our customers to leave each year – what has happened to cause customer retention to dip and remain so low?

When I talk to peers, many of whom have decades of experience in this industry, this situation doesn’t seem so dire. To them, I think, it’s just the way it’s always been. A dynamic of the industry we operate in. To me, it feels like a monumental barrier to substantial growth. I’ll leave the clichés about the great opportunities aside for now.
 
To me, the facts are simple: In many segments of business, our industry’s customer retention rates would mean the category has been commoditized. Which essentially means low price wins. Building a strong brand customers can trust matters less than selling the least expensive seed in your area. Basically, the differences among products and brands is not significant enough to warrant a difference in price.

If you want to grow by being the best, that’s a tough proposition to swallow. It means you probably have better opportunities to grow with greasy gimmicks, buried costs and cheap corn. Which is the start of another topic for another day.

But fact is, I think you could make a pretty good case this is where we’re at right now, or some shade of it anyway. Just look around. If I’m really honest, I think a few co-workers who I respect on the highest order probably see it this way already.

That’s a hard place to sit when you work for a company that’s still fighting to market a premium product, and fighting to add value and performance to every seed.  That model doesn’t include cheap.

Often we will not or cannot get to the same price that alternative brands with different technology can sell. Sure, there’s a reason, and in the simplest terms it’s just that we’re trying to make the very best products – high yielding hybrids with sound agronomics, sold by great people. That doesn't usually come with the "least expensive" designation. But even the most pragmatic corn grower should understand you can’t have it all, or if you do sooner or later there’s a price to pay for that too.

So we sit up at night and wonder: How can the most significant input decision of the year – the one that determines most other decisions, and that arguably has more to do with year-end bottom line than all other decisions – be determined primarily on price? How can somebody that’s relatively satisfied with their seed corn switch to something they’ve never sampled before and put their entire operation behind it? How can they take that risk?

Stay tuned. In Part II of III we’ll dig into this idea of commoditization bit deeper, and discuss what may need to change if companies like Wyffels want to grow and be successful in the years to come.

For the most part farmers in my area have their plans in place for next year. However there are a few acres out there where guys are still trying to make decisions. Items like lack of moisture, markets and Goss’ wilt are hot topics. But the hottest has probably been Goss’ wilt. 

I attended several meetings this winter on Goss’. At the last, Allison Robertson, ISU Extension Pathologist, summed up Goss’ wilt management the best. She stated that no one really knows enough about Goss’ wilt at this time. Therefore if you are a no-till farmer, stay no-till. If you like to raise corn on corn, stay that way. Going to soybeans on a farm where a farmer had Goss’ wilt won’t guarantee a fix next year in corn. We don’t know enough about Goss’ wilt to make changes that are guaranteed correct. 

This is probably the most level headed advice I’ve heard. We’re all guilty of over correcting for issues we don’t truly understand or have solutions for. The best advice is probably to stay the course, follow your plan, make decisions for maximum yield and keep your eyes and mind open so you can learn as much as possible about the disease along the way.

Plant breeders will be working to develop hybrids that better tolerate Goss’ wilt concerns.  As farmers, we can’t out guess Mother Nature.  And regardless of what other seed companies may say, there are no hybrids resistant to Goss’ on the market. So, it probably doesn’t pay to make big changes to a well thought out plan, especially for a disease we still don’t understand or have proven solutions for.

Work with your local seed and agronomy folks to put the best plan in place that can maximize yield, acknowledge risk and allow you management options to achieve that top end yield.

Weather like we’ve seen the past two weeks or more makes us all want to start burning diesel fuel and consider pulling the planter. Problem is, it’s still March.

I’ve heard the stories, but thankfully here in eastern Iowa I haven’t seen corn planted. But if you’re considering it, here are a few things to keep in mind.

1.  We’re not out of the cold yet. The last freeze across the majority of Iowa is usually in late April, and in Illinois it’s mid-April.  It’s been a mild winter and spring at our farm too, but it’s very possible this unseasonably warm weather will fool us. We’re simply not in the safe zone to plant, and will not be for several more weeks. With wild weather the norm, unnecessary risk probably isn’t the way to maximize corn yield.

2.  Industry wide seed supply is tight. Why risk planting great seed now?  Depending on the company you bought seed from, getting the hybrids you wanted may have been tough.  Now think about trying to get equally good seed a second time. I’ve been on the road and inside a lot of seed sheds the past two weeks.  There’s a lot of seed to be delivered.  If you got this year’s hottest hybrids, make sure you give them every chance to reach their potential, and minimize your risk for replant.

3. Keep in mind key crop insurance dates. Here in Iowa, replant isn’t covered if you plant before April 11. In Illinois that date is either April 6 or April 1 for the far south.

For now, keep the planter in the shed. We have a lot riding on this next corn crop. With the opportunity to raise one of the highest revenue cash corn crops in history. Let’s not risk it by planting in March. We need to start it out right—because both the good and bad decision that we make early on usually get amplified all season long.

One thing that’s on everyone’s mind is how to maximize profits on their farm. Over the last 10 years, on average, corn has been $26/acre more profitable than soybeans. In the last 5 years that average is closer to $60/acre, and the margin is continuing to increase. Even though the cost of producing corn has increased, so has yield and value, which will continue to make it a more profitable option. With that said, I also know there are added risks and challenges that cannot be ignored.

For many years, farmers, researchers and plant breeders have all been trying, with great success, to continually increase corn yields. One of the most certain things all of that work and research has proven is that corn yield is not a variable. Instead, it is a collection of many different variables.

Water availability, heat, tillage practices, nutrient management, hybrid yield potential, disease and insect pressure, and the list goes on. All of these things have an effect on yield, and although not all of these variables are controllable, the most important thing is to pay close attention to the variables you can control.

The farmers I have seen have the most success with corn-on-corn do a lot of things really well, but there are a few specific practices that I feel really separate them from their peers:

1. Residue Management – A system or plan that helps reduce trash can improve emergence, allow the seedbed to warm and dry out faster at planting, as well as reduce residue that can carry seedling diseases, stalk rots, and leaf diseases.  This may include residue distribution from the combine, as well as site-specific tillage practices that incorporate surface residue while also protecting soil from erosion.

2. Nutrient Management – The most talked about, and most important, nutrient is nitrogen. It’s very important to have enough nitrogen available when the plant needs it. The second part of that sentence is as important as the first. The highest demand for Nitrogen for a corn plant occurs starting at V10 up thru pollination, which usually falls between the middle of June and first parts of August in most parts of the Corn Belt. Multiple trips to apply nitrogen might be inconvenient, but they will lower the risk of losing excess nitrogen while ensuring the corn plant has the nutrients it needs all the way through the end of the growing season.

3. Disease Management – Start by controlling residue to lower the chances of infection. Then work with your seed supplier to select hybrids that are naturally more tolerant to prevalent diseases in your area. Still select for top end yield, but disease tolerance can help you choose between top end products.  Finally, consider fungicide.  Fungicide has become an important part of most corn-on-corn systems because it can reduce the damage from a multitude of common corn diseases we see in the Midwest.  It can also improve overall plant health and late season standability. Scouting is still the best way to tell whether a fungicide application is worth the investment, as well as insure it’s correctly timed.

4. Insect Management – In corn-on-corn fields, public enemy number one is still the corn rootworm. Having a healthy and substantial root mass is very important in corn-on-corn. The past several years have made it clear:  When drier conditions persist during the last half of the growing season, root shortcomings we may not have noticed in years with adequate rainfall are amplified. In some fields, where there has been a history of increased rootworm pressure, a soil insecticide on top of rootworm Bt traits may pencil out as an investment that increases yield and your bottom line. For more information, read this Wyffels Hybrids Between the Rows paper.

5. Hybrid Selection – Every variable I have listed above has one thing in common:  They stress the corn plant, especially in a corn-on-corn environment.  Thankfully corn hybrids today manage stress much better than 20 years ago.  But there are still a few things to select for when choosing hybrids to maximize corn-on-corn yield.  Look for great disease tolerance ratings, early vigor, stalk and root strength, and stress tolerance. Not all hybrids will be a winner in every category, but combining this knowledge with your management plan will be your best recipe for success.

Continuous corn is a challenge, with big rewards, and that’s why I enjoy it so much.  When done well, and the stars line up, you get paid and have the satisfaction of a job well done.  Plus, when managing for the variables, you can significantly tilt the odds in your favor. 

Growing corn after corn does require a solid management plan, and attention to the details. Although risks are higher, as the poet Erica Jong said “… the trouble is, if you don’t risk anything, you risk even more.”

Post co-authored by Bob Wyffels, VP Production and Joel Francque, Field Operations.

How many of you enjoy roller coasters? Space Mountain, The Beast? Do you enjoy hair raising turns, ridiculous ups and downs, that gnawing fear of what lays beyond the next turn? If so, then seed corn production is the place to be, because the most amazing roller coasters simply can't compare to what producing seed is like.

Wyffels Hybrids, along with the seed industry, has been challenged the last couple of seasons to produce enough seed to plant into an expanding corn market. The weather challenges facing corn growers are even more challenging from a seed corn perspective. Hot weather, and warm nights in particular, are detrimental to corn yield. In seed production, these same environmental conditions can be devastating. This isn't a "manufacturing" process, but an organic, living organism that we carefully multiply.

In 2011, we planted what was expected to be our largest seed crop ever. After a good start, July and August dealt us a pretty rough hand. Windstorms topping 100 mph, coupled with record setting heat translated into a sub-par seed crop. When the dust settled, we produced about 25% less than what we set out to make.

This was an industry wide situation. In my opinion the U.S. seed crop was down about 35% from normal, contrary to what some “big guys” were admitting. It's these situations where experience and being "close to the ground" really pays off.

With multi-nationals, seed yield estimates are done by a myriad of personnel, including trainees, college kids, interns, etc. We do it differently. I own the company and I do yield estimates (35 years of experience), along with Joel Francque (20+ years). By August, I probably shucked 1,000 ears checking yields, but Joel had done 10times that. If you do this enough, your thumbs will be stained by browning silk for a couple weeks.

What does that gain for us? Knowledge. We knew the status of this year’s seed crop well before the rest of the industry. The benefit of this knowledge? Tremendous competitive advantage.

By the time September rolled around the rest of the world learned what we figured out a month earlier. Demand for seed acres in South America skyrocketed.

Fortunately, we already had our acres placed. Our long term partner in Chile ensured our seed was planted on the best fields and in the earliest window. This put us in a position to achieve normal yields in Chile while the rest of the industry will probably harvest approximately 90% of their target. Having our seed planted in a timely manner means the seed returns to us in a timely manner by ocean freight, putting us in an enviable supply situation.

The disparity in Argentina is even more glaring. Generally, all of our contra season production takes place in Chile. This year, due to the volume of seed acres we decided to place seed in Argentina to spread the risk. Again, these decisions made in August provided the best fields and the best growers. We were ahead of the pack.

But, why does this matter? Because, it quit raining in Argentina mid-November.

While seed in Argentina is all irrigated, not all irrigators are created equal. There are differences in well capacity and pump capacity; in fact many irrigation systems are only considered "supplemental" to expected rainfall. These things don't matter in a normal year, but when it doesn't rain for six consecutive weeks it certainly does. There will be seed fields in Argentina that won't be harvested due to drought stress. And, did I mention the temperature was between 90-100 degrees during most of the pollination period?

Our production in Argentina will yield about 85- 90% of target. This compares to the rest of the industry at about 70% of target and commercial corn production (largely not irrigated) at about 60-65% of normal.

Our harvest has just begun. In a few days the first seed lot will be on the ocean headed for a an all-expenses paid cruise to Philly, where it will then be transloaded (1 metric ton bags) onto van trailers for a short two day trip to our seed plant in Atkinson, IL. Within 24 hours it will be cleaned, sized, conditioned with your favorite seed applied insecticide and shipped to your farm. That process will continue daily until the first part of April, when all seed is back home in our Atkinson facility.

So, what's the point? To illustrate the differences in production and supply management between companies. While we don't have the perfect supply of every hybrid, we are sitting in a far better position than most.

Is it luck? No. It’s experience, hard work, and a passion for sweating the details. I’ve been doing this my entire life and our production department is filled with crazies who have been doing this 20+ years. We are all a little odd in that we actually enjoy this job.

When you buy your seed from Wyffels, you can trust that it was produced, conditioned, and shipped by someone who has a passion for it. Not by someone who just needs the checkmark on a fast track resume. We all have choices as customers.

You can buy your seed from a company where inventory decisions are made by people who have never been in a seed field. Or you can buy from a company where the owner is in every field on a weekly basis. We hope you can see and feel the difference when you do business with the latter.

In today’s market how does a corn grower decide where to buy seed?  Wow, what a question after the growing season we just went through.  I am from Northwest Iowa, and we had one of the most complex growing seasons that farmers have seen for a long time. 

After harvest, growers decide what hybrids they want to plant for the following year.  This decision becomes more complex every year.  Seed companies have fancy slogans, yield data, advertisements everywhere, and, of course, the price per bag is an issue as well.  So what is my point to all of this?  Well, let me tell you a little story.

This is my story of working at Wyffels Hybrids.  I came to work for Wyffels Hybrids in the Fall of 2008.  I began working District 42 around Spencer, Iowa.  Things were going well and I was truly enjoying my role at Wyffels and so the next two years came and went.  Things in the seed business weren’t perfect, but sales, customer, and seed rep numbers were growing.  In the Fall of 2010 my phone rang, opportunity was knocking, and I decided to listen.  My wife and I decided that sometimes you need to take risks in life.  Therefore, in December 2010 I left Wyffels Hybrids for another job in the Ag industry outside of the seed business.  About four months went by in my new position and things just weren’t right.  I am not one for clichés but the old saying sometimes you don’t know what you had until it’s gone was very appropriate. 

One day I was driving down I-80 and happened to be thinking about my days at Wyffels.  About that time I met a Wyffels pick-up, a couple miles later a Wyffels Semi, and then a few more miles down the road another Wyffels pick-up.   I thought to myself, “I think someone is trying to tell me something.”  So, I decided to call Bill Wyffels and visit with him.  It took some courage and I really had to swallow my pride.  One thing led to another and here we are today, with Matt Conlon being a Wyffels DSM again.

So what is my point to all of this?  I am not going to tell you that Wyffels is the best seed company out there, that we have the best corn, or the cheapest seed corn.  My point is that Wyffels Hybrids has many good people that truly enjoy being a part of this independent family owned company.  I want to say Thank You to all of our current customers, and to anyone looking for new hybrids or another seed brand on their farm.  Why not take a look at Wyffels?  You might be surprised and pleased with what you find.

On most days I’m pretty convinced I have one of the best jobs in the Midwest.  Seems like everyone wants to work at the places everyone inside and even outside agriculture has heard of. Thing is, working for the biggest seed corn company in the Midwest isn’t important to me.  Working for the best is. And if you get to know me, you’ll know I really don’t care to mess around with stuff that doesn’t matter. You don’t have time for bullshit and bureaucracy, and neither do I.

The only reason I bring this is up is that the reason I work here is the answer to one of the toughest questions I get from farmers I work with. On the surface, nobody cares why I’m here. But almost every day I meet with skeptical corn growers who question how an independently owned company like Wyffels can compete with multinational corporations with multi-billion dollar budgets. Like most of my thoughts, it’s pretty darn simple.

1. There are 110 or so employees I work with who know more and care more than any of the seed brands I compete with. If you’re big, you can afford to lose a customer. We can’t. And most of the time that simple thought shows.

2. We have a diverse offering of the most advanced traits and genetics that larger competitors may not be in position to offer. 

3. We invest in research and test sites within Iowa and Illinois as if we were the 800 lb gorilla.  We ensure we have the opportunity to know how our hybrids will perform in more conditions in more local areas – or, where you live.

4. While most of the other seed brands our size have been gobbled up, we have remained independent – because we offer products that are just as good, and in many cases better, than our larger competitors. And then we have the people and a brand that will stand behind those products, and know how to service and grow with customers.

So, if you care about that stuff – and not how many people can recall your name as the first seed brand they remember – you’d think you have the one of the best jobs too. Like our best customers we have to be free thinkers, and most of the people I work with are never satisfied either. Like we’ve said before, we know we’ll never be the biggest. Which is why we fight like crazy to be the best.

The best way to see what I mean, is with your own two eyes and your own set of standards. Give us a shot on your farm and I think you’ll see what it means to not be the biggest, just the best.

Here at Wyffels we know that there is no second chance, no redo when it comes to a corn crop. The fact is the average farmer will have about 40 chances to do it right the first time. That is why we make providing you with the best possible hybrids in the industry a priority. Dr. Fritz Behr and his team of 6 Product Development Managers (PDM) have used their close to 150 years of experience to create one of the most extensive and progressive research programs in the seed industry.

With a significant number of research sites all across the heart of the Corn Belt, we have a research program that will rival any of our larger competitors. We do this because we know the importance of not only bringing the best hybrids to the market, but also knowing how they will perform on the varying soils and conditions that they will be subjected to. We go the extra mile to make sure that we know as much about these hybrids as possible.

Not just any hybrid can earn the privilege of having the “W” in its name. As an independent company, outside of our own breeding program, we also have the ability to access traits, technologies, and germplasms from multiple sources worldwide. This allows us to create hybrids that are truly unique and proprietary. Our PDMs along with the entire Research Team spend a lot of time in the fields to see how all of the hybrids are reacting to ups and downs we have become accustomed to here in the Corn Belt. It would not be a stretch to say they know these hybrids like the back of their hands. After multiple years of proving itself up against the leading hybrids in the industry, then and only then, will a hybrid have the opportunity to earn its “W”.

It doesn’t stop there. As you all know, there are a lot of choices out there. As we are working to develop leading hybrids, we are also evaluating the multiple options available to protect it. Now, we aren’t in the business of pushing traits or seed treatments; we are in the business of giving corn growers the best possible product on the market today. We conduct unbiased evaluations of seed traits and treatments available to make sure that we deliver. We are also continually looking at new products and evaluating whether we should bring them into our lineup. If there is a product out there that can make corn growers more money, we want it to be a part of what we offer.

So, why do we do this? The answer is quite simple, really. We are in business to give corn growers the best return for their seed investment. When our customers are successful, we are successful. We don’t have to answer to investors, shareholders, or quarterly balance sheets. We answer to YOU, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

The first time I heard it, I was sold on it. It exemplified what I stand for in this business. At my core, I always try to be “just me” on a sales call. Wyffels customers in southern Illinois know I’m an advocate of great hybrids and when you ask me a question, you get my honest feelings on the subject. Sometimes those answers go against what the competition is saying. Heck, sometimes it goes against what Wyffels is saying. When I hear More Than A Number it strikes at the very core of who I am.

More Than A Number is simply a tag line, but it means much more. As a company only selling corn, More Than A Number, means we aren’t a company that is built around just one hybrid. In my seven years with Wyffels Hybrids, I’ve never been more proud of our lineup. Even today, late December, I have a hard time settling on just a couple of hybrids for many orders. We are a company of numbers —hybrids, to be specific, and we’ve got one hell of an arsenal of them. More Than A Number? You bet. We’ve got the deepest lineup in the industry of big yielding numbers.

No one ever said, “Hey! I love buying corn from a giant faceless corporation.” I love that Wyffels ad. It leads to another meaning of More Than A Number. When you call Wyffels you talk with a person who takes pride in their work. You don’t just get a recorder asking you to choose from a long list of options and with no choices. You’ll always get someone to talk to who knows you are More Than A Number.

As you get to know Wyffels Hybrids, you’ll notice the difference. Yes, I work for Wyffels Hybrids, but when you work for Bill and Bob Wyffels, you get to provide input and shape the direction of the company. I’ve routinely been asked what I think and we’ve had some colorful conversations over ideas- it’s brutally honest truth. So as another of our ads states, “Come see what we’re building, right here in the Corn Belt.” Experience what it’s like to be More Than A Number.

I have great news.  We are now offering all our seed corn with a new blog.  No extra charge.
 
I know this is a big deal and holds value for corn growers because, well, our young hot shot Digital Media Manager told me so.  She said we needed to do it because we’re different.  Which just about got this little idea killed before the first word was ever considered.  There are tons of great blogs all over our industry.  I even follow a few.  Do we really need another?

So I’m a little cynical because, well, that’s what marketing people are.  Or should be.  Most of us have seen so many “we have to do this” ideas that the smell of an “everyone is doing it” or “this is can't-miss” rationale makes us cringe like we’ve just seen a limit down corn market text.   

But when push came to shove, she won.  She eventually came up with something that stopped my serial dismissals.  We would write this blog each week because this company is filled with people who have unique passion and perspective which have no good outlet today.  And that passion and those perspectives have value. 

Now, I’m not sure what value this particular post provides, but the job today is more or less just to introduce the thing to you.  Regardless, she has a point. 

This place, Wyffels Hybrids, is filled to the hilt with a group of people that care more about the people they serve than I have ever seen.  And there is incredible knowledge, light years of experience and perspectives as straight and true as mile long corn rows inside this place.  It is unique.  It does have value.  And we take it so much for granted that we usually don’t think to share it.  It’s just the way we work.  We ain’t all that flashy. 
But there is substance sunk far deeper into the ground than you’ll find just about anywhere else you can do business in this industry.

I’ll be the first to admit, you can’t buy a doughnut with all that talk.  It doesn’t necessarily mean we have better hybrids than anyone else, or that we’ll make you more money.  But it’s the backbone of our effort to do both.  And given the choice, aren’t these the kind of people you’d rather work with anyway? 

So, I figure our young hot shot might be on to something.  And to make sure you get candid thoughts that are worth something, we assembled a cast of employees not likely to be scared of many topics.  Which may make all this a little bit more fun than our chipper Digital Media Manager bargained for.  But don’t worry.  If it all goes south, we’ll still be having a little bit of fun with those stodgy old print ads. 

Welcome to The Dirt.  We’ll tell you what we think.  And you can tell us what you think.  Just send us your comments.  If they’re intelligent, well written and add to the discussion, we may even post them.  If not, well, we can do that by ourselves.