Q: Animal feed manufacturing operations like ours have been impacted with higher input costs over the last year from several directions. Feed volume is also lower as companies reduce animal and bird numbers. This double hit can be devastating for feed mill operations managers like me trying to control operating costs and meet a budget plan. What can I do to be sure I'm operating at maximum efficiency or maximum utilization of current assets?

A: Many input costs cannot be controlled by the feed mill management team. What this team can do is to be sure their operation is operating at maximum efficiency or maximum utilization of current assets.

Increasing efficiency is simply manufacturing a fixed amount of feed in less operating time. Maximum utilization is operation of equipment or equipment systems at or above the design level for the longest period of time possible. Most feed mill managers know where their "bottleneck" is when it comes to producing more feed per hour or day. In many cases the...Read More>>>

Halloween is a holiday celebrated each year on October 31, and Halloween 2023 will occur on Tuesday, October 31. The tradition originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints. Soon, All Saints Day incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows Eve, and later Halloween. Over time, Halloween evolved into a day of activities like trick-or-treating, carving jack-o-lanterns, festive gatherings, donning costumes and eating treats.