In Beijing, China, the Artex Barn Solutions staff hosted approximately forty people from around the world, from Dec. 4 through 8. The main celebration of the week focused on the grand opening of the new Artex manufacturing facility in Tianjin, China. With 10,000 square meters of manufacturing capacity, the new facility is designed to support global growth for Artex in the dairy industry. Computer-aided machinery will also increase efficiencies in the new factory.
Currently, Artex supplies dairy products to thirty countries around the world serviced by about 150 dealers in those countries.
Represented countries on the Global Dealer Days trip were: U.S., Canada, The Netherlands, Estonia, Germany, New Zealand, Australia, Korea and China.
The agenda for the week included a day to tour the Forbidden City and the Great Wall so that everyone could get a feel for the culture and history of Beijing. It was a good chance to get to know everyone.
The second day the group travelled to the factory for the opening ceremonies. The bus was greeted by a police escort and factory workers lined the driveway shooting off fireworks. Local television crews and city officials were also there to greet the group.
Speeches were given by East Rock, Artex, and representatives from the local government. Rinse Andringa, of Cow House International in the Netherlands, spoke on behalf of the Artex dealers on the trip.
The afternoon key speaker was Nicola Morris, general manager for Fonterra Farming in China. She spoke to the group on the challenges and rewards of farming in China.
Eugene Asnong, Artex territory manager, led the rest of the afternoon at the factory educating the group on different Artex products and projects. His presentations also took the group out into the showroom were samples of the products where set up.
The final day took the Dealer Days group to Huaxia Dairy, run by Charles Shoa, who spoke about the lack of dairy knowledge in China and trouble accessing quality feed.
That afternoon, the group met in a conference room at the Holiday Inn, Beijing, to listen to presentations from the dealers in attendance.
Markus Straub from Foerster Tecknik spoke about the importance of calf feeding and on the new 40FIT calf feeding program.
The keynote speaker on this final day was Robert Erhardt, from Nestlé China. He presented on Nestlé’s plan to expand their farms and dairies in China for the exploding market.
Overall, the trip provided the Artex dealers with an overabundance of new information and a new appreciation for Artex as a company and for China as an upcoming agricultural nation. Many new relationships were formed between the Artex staff and their East Rock Partners and with the dealers in attendance. PD
—From Artex news release
PHOTOS
TOP RIGHT: Grand opening of new Artex factory.
MIDDLE RIGHT: Grand opening ceremony: Rinse Andringa, Cowhouse International; John De Jonge, Artex Barn Solutions; Nicola Morris, Fonterra Farms China; Li Runde deputy Mayor of Tianjin; Tiger, President of East Rock; Mr. Lee Jr., East Rock. Photos courtesy of Artex.
