2011 March/April Issue - Land O'Lakes Inc.

outbreak near our plant was so broad that20 percent of the cows in the area wereculled and even quality producers werenot allowing feed salespeople to visittheir farms to avoid contamination fromoutside parties.This outbreak affected the volumesin our business. We responded by continuingto work with those producerswho had healthy cows, demonstratingour understanding of biosecurity issues.We also took a step back to analyzewhat kinds of customers survivedthis disease and developed a new productto reach some new customers toreplace the volume we lost. This newproduct has now added nearly 1,000metric tons per month.What are some of the things youconsider before entering aninternational venture?While international business is rewardingand can bring a lot of growthto our business, there are also risks. Welook at government stability – even inexport opportunities we adapt as appropriate– as well as the ability to complywith all necessary laws and regulations.We also look at background analysis ofpotential partners; employee personaland overall business security; abilityto manage and protect our intellectualproperty; acceptance of our products inthe country, especially around geneticallymodified organisms and technologydrivenproducts; and the reputation ofour partners. As our international businessgrows, we continue to expand ourability to use the appropriate channelsto mitigate these risks.What are some lessons learned increating successful internationalalliances?Patience is required. Growth andemerging markets are more volatile thanmature markets like the U.S. Also, selectinga partner is one of the most importantsteps in the process. Both parties shouldhave complementary things they bring tothe venture, and trust is extremely important.Finally, customers are lookingfor the same things regardless of wherethey are. They want good value, and goodproduct performance that they can see.What do you like best about your job?As much as it is difficult to be awayfrom my family, I have enjoyed getting tosee culture and agriculture in many settings,particularly seeing the advancementof the Chinese dairy industry.Carol Kitchen: VicePresident of International,Land O’Lakes, Inc.Education: Bachelor’s degree in accountancyfrom the University of Illinois; CertifiedPublic Accountant (CPA) in Illinois; MBAfrom the University of Minnesota.Background: Kitchen worked atGROWMARK Inc. for seven years inaccounting, where she gained experiencein the cooperative model with feed, cropinputs and retail stores business. She joinedLand O’Lakes in 1998 in Ontario, and soonbecame the Western Feed Division controller.She then transferred to Shoreview,Minn., where she provided financial analysisThese advances have a direct impact oneveryday peoples’ lives.I like the opportunity to create new opportunitiesfor Land O’Lakes, as well as for localproducers, by taking things that we haveAs much as it is difficult tobe away from my family,I have enjoyed getting to seeculture and agriculture inmany settings, particularlyseeing the advancement ofthe Chinese dairy industry.developed or learned in the U.S. and applyingthem in different markets. I get to useall the skills I have developed – from financialto management to marketing – to movefrom an idea to an operating business. ■and support to several areas in Feed beforetransitioning into strategy and long-termplanning. Kitchen then ran the Land O’LakesB2B businesses (premix, lab diet, plasma,and international) – all with internationalcomponents, either export sales or importingkey ingredients.Personal passions: Reading, working outand family.Area of international growth she’s mostinterested in: Brazil. “This is such a huge agmarket, and is a huge player on the globalstage. It seems like a great opportunity forLand O’Lakes,” she said.Fun fact: Kitchen grew up on a corn andsoybean farm in Illinois.www.landolakesinc.com MARCH/APRIL 2011 25