CentralStar Cooperative has hired additional employees to continue serving dairy and beef producers in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Indiana. Artificial insemination (A.I.), milk testing, laboratory, consulting services, and office staff have all gained specialized team members.

A.I. specialists and team A.I. technicians work together at maximizing reproductive success on dairy farms and beef ranches in CentralStar’s territory. Jamie Hosch, Cuba City, Wis.; Emily Teehan, Manitowoc, Wis.; Kyle Sprengeler, Marshfield, Wis.; Derrick Bauer, Eleva, Wis.; Nathan Thomas, Argyle, Wis.; Mike Grinnell, Mineral Point, Wis.; Josh Keller, Sterling, Mich.; Damon Smith, Lodi, Wis.; Ben Veum, Stoughton, Wis.; Kelsey Row, Belleville, Wis.; Chakayla Stanek, Blue River, Wis.; and Lyle Schultz, Waupun, Wis., are all working to fill both new positions and those vacated by promotions and retirements. Alyssa Gantner, Beaver Dam, Wis., was hired to help with scheduling team A.I. technicians to fill in for A.I. specialists, so skilled staff is always available for breeding needs at customer farms.

CentralStar’s Dairy Herd Information (DHI) milk- and diagnostic-testing services continue to be in high demand, since an exceptional amount of information can be learned about a cow’s health from one small sample of milk. New DHI specialists have been added to the employee team. They include Taylor Black, Eaton Rapids, Mich.; Brittany Coop, Eau Claire, Wis.; Danielle Schlueter, Hortonville, Wis.; and Chloe Sanford, Parma, Mich.

With two state-of-the-art milk- and diagnostic-testing laboratories in Kaukauna, Wis., and Grand Ledge, Mich., CentralStar is continually looking to hire laboratory technicians. Desarie Hagenow, Chilton, Wis.; Kristin Fuller, Kalamazoo, Mich.; and Taylor Koltz, Greenleaf, Wis., were all recently hired to fill this need.

A strong consulting and sales staff is necessary at CentralStar so the cooperative can work to make sure customer herds are healthy and productive. Emily Middleton-Gyomory, Kingston, Mich., has been hired as a reproductive specialist, and Jim Kelroy, Fond du Lac, Wis. is providing part-time relief help for the area sales managers in south-east Wisconsin.

“As more and more dairy and beef producers turn to CentralStar for A.I., DHI, and consulting services, we must make sure we can provide the skilled staff needed to serve our customers,” said Phil Dieter, CentralStar chief operating officer. “CentralStar has a very strong and talented family of employees, and we’re having a great time training and introducing these new team members to our customers.”

CentralStar’s goal of enhancing producer profitability through integrated services is fulfilled by incorporating an array of products and services critical to dairy-and-beef-farm prosperity. CentralStar’s product and service offerings include Accelerated Genetics, GenerVations and Select Sires genetics; extensive artificial-insemination (A.I.) technician service; genetic, reproduction, and dairy records consultation; DHI services; diagnostic testing; herd-management products; research and development; and more. CentralStar’s administration and warehouse facilities are located in Lansing, Mich., and Waupun, Wis., with laboratories in Grand Ledge, Mich., and Kaukauna, Wis. For more information, visit CentralStar Cooperative Inc. at www.mycentralstar.com.