Feedstuffs articles from September 2005

Feedstuffs archives from September 2005

Aviagen gains 'unparalleled' investment.(British United Turkeys Ltd.)
September 5, 2005... AVIAGEN Group and Merial Ltd. announced last week that Aviagen acquired Merial's turkey breeding business, British United Turkeys (B.U.T.). B.U.T. will be partnered with Aviagen's turkey breeding business, Nicholas Turkey Breeding Farms,...

Katrina clouds grain harvest.(crop losses)
September 5, 2005... IN the grim aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the U.S. agricultural commodity complex could face major challenges. Damage to grain shipping and energy supplies in the Gulf of Mexico could add major costs. U.S. Department of Agriculture chief...

Johanns tags industry for identification.(Mike Johanns, National Animal Identification System )
September 5, 2005... THE U.S. Department of Agriculture is asking for proposals from private industry--not just from one livestock organization--on the development of an animal tracking database for the long-awaited National Animal Identification System (NAIS). ...

Baytril extension.(petitions)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... The Food & Drug Administration received a petition from poultry and veterinary associations asking for an extension on the use of the antibiotic, Baytril, in poultry. Bayer Corp. spokesman Bob Walker said the company and the Animal Health...

Russian FMD.(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Russia has reported a "growing number" of cattle infected with foot and mouth disease (FMD) in the Primorye territory of far eastern Russia. Russian veterinary authorities said cattle vaccination is going on in all districts of the territory,...

WTO negotiation.(World Trade Organization )(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... World Trade Organization agricultural negotiations will resume Sept. 13 in Geneva, Switzerland, but the Agriculture Committee chairman, New Zealand's Crawford Falconer, warned that he only wants to hear from "those who have genuinely new things...

Animal identification walks tortured path.(livestock industry)
September 5, 2005... THERE was a whole range of reactions in the livestock industry to Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns' decision last week to enlist a "public/private partnership" to operate the nation's proposed animal identification system. Many producer...

FAO calls bird flu international issue.(Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)
September 5, 2005... THE deadly strain of avian influenza that has hit several countries in Asia is likely to be carried long distances along the flyways (map) of wild water birds to the Middle East, Europe, South Asia and Africa, the Food & Agriculture...

NCBA system is now database in the hand.(News)(National Cattlemen's Beef Assn)
September 5, 2005... AGRICULTURE Secretary Mike Johanns' announcement last week that the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) will be a private-public partnership was well received at the headquarters of the National Cattlemen's Beef Assn. (NCBA), which has...

Source of BSE case unknown.(News)(bovine spongiform encephalopathy)
September 5, 2005... REVISIONS to the 1997 feed rule are not expected for at least another month or two, according to Dr. Stephen Sundlof, director of the Food & Drug Administration's Center for Veterinary Medicine. "I can report that there's been a great deal...

Congress returns for hurry-up Katrina relief.(News)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Congress was expected to pass a $10.5 billion down payment last Friday on disaster assistance for damage from Hurricane Katrina sending it to the President for quick signature. President George Bush notified Congress last Thursday morning that...

Smithfield to shift Virginia operations.(Smithfield Packing Co.)
September 5, 2005... SMITHFIELD Packing Co., a division of Smithfield Foods Inc., reported that it will close down kill operations at its south hog plant in Smithfield, Va., in late October to convert the facility to added-value fresh pork processing and further...

Smithfield cites lower hog prices.
September 5, 2005... Smithfield Foods Inc. has reported a decline in earnings for its first fiscal 2006 quarter on higher sales due largely to a loss in its international operations and lower U.S. hog prices. For its quarter ended July 31, Smithfield reported...

Advanced Bionutrition Corp.(Alfred J. Discepolo appointed)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... ADVANCED BIONUTRITION CORP., Columbia, Md.--Alfred J. Discepolo has joined the company as chief financial officer. Discepolo was previously with COLA Inc.

Alltech.(Appointments)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... ALLTECH, Lexington, Ky.--Jessica Belsito has joined the company as territory sales manager for Florida. Belsito will work primarily in the dairy industry. Dusty Oliver has joined the company as territory sales manager for New York. Oliver will...

Blue Seal Feeds Inc.(Richard Elliott Rejoined)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... BLUE SEAL FEEDS INC., Londonderry, N.H. -- Richard Elliott has rejoined the dairy division as dairy sales representative in Richford, Vt. Brad Forsythe has joined the dairy division as a dairy sales representative in Massachusetts. James Stone...

Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc.(David B. Gocken appointed)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM VETMEDICA INC., St. Joseph, Mo. -- David B. Gocken has been named national sales manager for the swine division. Gocken will provide sales management and direction in the distribution and sales of swine vaccine and feed...

Dow Agrosciences.(Damon Palmer appointed)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... DOW AGROSCIENCES, Indianapolis, Ind. --Damon Palmer been named marketing specialist for corn herbicides in the agriculture business. Palmer will manage the Keystone, Keystone LA, Surpass, FulTime and TopNotch brands and Hornet WDG. He was most...

Land O'Lakes Inc.(Promotions)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... LAND O'LAKES INC., Arden Hills, Minn. -- Steve Dunphy has been promoted to executive vice president and chief operating officer of dairy foods value-added business. Dunphy will be responsible for dairy foods branded retail businesses,...

Montana Stockgrowers Assn.(Christie Messer appointed)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... MONTANA STOCKGROWERS ASSN., Helena, Mont. -- Christie Messer has joined the association as communications coordinator. Messer will be publications editor and will coordinate media relations. Elizabeth Wheeler has joined the association as...

South Dakota State University.(Eric Mousel appointed)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY, Brookings, S.D. -- Eric Mousel has joined the university as range livestock production specialist for the Cooperative Extension. Mousel will help ranchers troubleshoot issues of raising livestock on pasture or...

U.S. Grains Council.(Kevin Natz appointed)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... U.S. GRAINS COUNCIL, Washington, D.C. -- Kevin Natz has been named director of trade policy. Natz will serve as the primary contact for trade policy issues and direction. He was most recently special assistant--trade policy. Andrew Pepito has...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
September 5, 2005... CORRECTION -- Leah Schomburg has been promoted to vice president for marketing services at Trilix Marketing Group. Feedstuffs incorrectly reported in the Aug. 22 issue that Schomburg had joined the company as director of marketing services.

Tyson.(Dividends)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Tyson: The board of directors of Tyson Foods Inc. has approved cash dividends of 4 cents per share on the company's Class A common stock and 3.6 cents per share on Class B common stock, payable Dec. 15 to holders of record Dec. 1, according to...

CSX.(announced a regular quarterly dividend of 10 cents per share)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... CSX: CSX Corp. announced a regular quarterly dividend of 10 cents per share, payable Sept. 15 to shareholders of record Aug. 25.

Norfolk Southern.(has announced a quarterly dividend )(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Norfolk Southern: Norfolk Southern Corp. has announced a quarterly dividend of 13 cents per share on the company's common stock, which is payable Sept. 10 to stockholders of record Aug. 5.

Bob Evans.(has approved a cash dividend )(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Bob Evans: The board of directors of Bob Evans Farms has approved a cash dividend of 12 cents per share on the company's common stock, paid Sept. 1 to holders of record Aug. 19, according to an announcement.

ADM.(Archer Daniels Midland Co's Shares)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... ADM: Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM) said it approved a dividend of 8.5 cents per share on the company's stock, payable Sept. 9 to shareholders of record Aug. 19. This is the company's 315th cash dividend and 295th consecutive quarterly...

Pension plan buys Doane.(Teachers' Private Capital, Doane Pet Care Co.)
September 5, 2005... THE largest manufacturer of private-label pet food in the U.S., Doane Pet Care Co., has been purchased by Teachers' Private Capital, the private investment arm of the Ontario Teacher's Pension Plan, for $840 million ($1 billion Canadian), the...

Dean names White Wave CEO.(Joseph E. Scalzo Appointed in DEAN Foods Co)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... DEAN Foods Co. has named consumer marketing specialist Joseph E. Scalzo as president and chief executive officer of White Wave Foods, the company's branded products segment, which also houses its major organic and soy products. Scalzo...

Merger completed.(American Foods Group merged with Rosen's Diversified Inc)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Merger completed: American Foods Group in Green Bay, Wis., and Rosen's Diversified Inc. in Fairmont, Minn., announced last week that they have completed a merger, forming American Foods Group LLC to produce fresh, frozen, case-ready and cooked...

Sale completed.(Ventura Foods LLC acquired Dean Foods Co)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Sale completed: Ventura Foods LLC--a joint venture of CHS Inc. in Inver Grove Heights, Minn., and Mitsui & Co. in Tokyo, Japan--announced last week that it has completed the acquisition of the dips and dressings business of Dean Foods Co....

Fraud settled.(In 60 seconds)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Fraud settled: A bankruptcy court judge has approved paying $5.6 million to victims of a Missouri cattle fraud scheme in which a partnership of Kathleen O'Connell and George Young accepted investors' money to market "phantom cattle" that...

Beef and stocks.(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Beef and stocks: The effect of current high beef prices on company share prices was clearly demonstrated in a recent report by food stocks analyst Mark Wiltamuth, who noted that for every 5% change in beef prices, there is a 22 cent-per-share...

Brazilian poultry industry expands.(Poultry)
September 5, 2005... BRAZILIAN poultry production continues to expand and increase shipments to international markets, becoming more and more of a competitor to U.S. poultry producers, according to a report from the U.S. Embassy in Brasilia, Brazil. Chicken...

Trade agreement won.(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... MEXICAN and U.S. authorities have reached an agreement in which Mexico will end its longstanding ban on poultry imports from nine U.S. states next month and will align its import policies with a new guideline on avian influenza the World...

Backyard flocks found close to poultry farms.(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... A SURVEY by the Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has found that 62% of all commercial chicken, layer and turkey farms in the U.S. have backyard bird flocks located within a mile, the owners of which are unlikely to practice...

Animal care hits.(web site designed to explain to consumers)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Animal care hits: The web site designed to explain to consumers the egg industry's layer welfare program, www.animalcarecertified.com, is drawing exciting interest, according to the United Egg Producers (UEP), which manages the program. In July...

Winged milestone.(celebrated its 250th store opening last month)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Winged milestone: Wingstop Restaurants Inc. celebrated its 250th store opening last month, with chief executive officer Jim Flynn and spokesperson Troy Aikman, former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, championing the company. Flynn projected...

Whose wind is worse?(Loos Tales)(ban on the use of antibiotics in animal agriculture)
September 5, 2005... AS I travel around the country, I am frequently asked about my buddy Robert F. Kennedy Jr. To be honest, his involvement lately with issues related to agriculture has been behind the scenes rather than on the front page, which could be even...

Some regulations are difficult to finalize.(Food and Drug Administration)
September 5, 2005... WE, as an industry, have been anticipating some new regulatory initiatives on a modified "feed rule" from the Food & Drug Administration for so long that time no longer seems important or a significant dimension in the process. Actually,...

Food aid is no substitute for cash.(Letter to the Editor)(Letter to the Editor)
September 5, 2005... Dear editor: Your Aug. 22 editorial, "Food aid: Thoughtful ideas only," was right on the mark. The U.S. has no better weapon in its arsenal than food aid that represents the goodwill and compassion of the American people toward those...

Solanum may help hens utilize vitamin D3.(feeding Solanum glaucophyllum)
September 5, 2005... A MEMBER of the potato family may help laying hens utilize vitamin D3 and improve calcium metabolism. At the 2005 Poultry Science Assn. meeting in Auburn, Ala., J. Fuller Jr., MTI, Ames, Iowa: J. Goff and R. Horst, National Animal Disease...

Swine enzymes.( authorization )(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Swine enzymes: Following the authorization for piglets a few months ago, Adisseo has been granted European authorization (EC No 1206/2005) without time limits for the use of Rovabio Excel in feeds for fattening pigs. This new authorization...

Proportional injector.(Product Inforamation)
September 5, 2005... Proportional injector: Dosmatic U.S.A./International Inc., Carrollton, Texas, has unveiled its new professional line of non-electrical, water-driven proportional injectors. The new MiniDosT professional series operates at a higher pressure; its...

Synthetic methionine use reviewed for organic birds.(Bottom Line)
September 5, 2005... POULTRY scientists gathered July 31-Aug. 3 for the annual Poultry Science Assn. meeting at Auburn University. Of the 699 that attended the meeting, 360 were Poultry Science Assn. members while 514 were from the U.S., 41 from Canada, 10 from...

Iowa official weighs crop versus livestock pollution.(Department of Natural Resources)
September 5, 2005... ONE of the higher-ups in the I Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) said hog barns are not the biggest source of water pollution and small "family" farms are not more environmentally friendly than large operations. The real problem, he...

Dairy goes beyond milk.(Whitesides Dairy)
September 5, 2005... AN Idaho dairy is looking to sell more than just milk once its new facility is completed next year. By expanding a high-rate anaerobic digester on the dairy, the facility hopes to produce more than 100,000 cu. ft. of pipeline-quality methane...

Broin unveils ethanol process.(Facilities: News)(Broin Co's new biorefining technology)
September 5, 2005... JUST months after announcing its Project X ethanol refining technology, Sioux Fails, S.D.-based Broin Companies unveiled another technology known as Broin Fractionation, trademarked as BFRAC. Basically, the new biorefining technology...

Books detail dairy construction, environmental factors.
September 5, 2005... FOR those looking to expand their dairy operation, two books from the Natural Resource, Agriculture & Engineering Service (NRAES) may be of use. Building Freestall Barns & Milking Centers: Methods & Materials is the proceedings of a...

Rotex opens overseas offices.(announced the opening of its Japan and Germany offices)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... ROTEX Inc., a global supplier of screening equipment, announced the opening of its Japan and Germany offices--a key move in the company's growing competitive position in both the Asian and European screening equipment markets. Yoshihiro...

Northeast Agri Systems opens Delaware facility.(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... NORTHEAST Agri Systems Inc. of Lititz, Pa., recently opened a new 10,000 sq. ft. office, store and warehouse in Laurel, Del. This new facility (pictured) serves customers on the Delmarva Peninsula. Northeast Agri Systems has had a...

Heiskell, Simplot open plant.(J.D. Heiskell and Co. and Simplot Land & Livestock opened their joint venture )
September 5, 2005... J.D. Heiskell & Co. and Simplot Land & Livestock, a unit of J.R. Simplot Co., opened their joint venture corn processing plant in Mountain Home, Ida., earlier this year. The corn plant, built by Top O' Texas Inc. of Hereford, Texas,...

Cargill, EPA reach air deal.(Environmental Protection Agency)
September 5, 2005... CARGILL said last week it had agreed with regulators to pay a $1.6 million cash penalty and $3.5 million to fund community-based environmental projects and environmental improvements at Cargill plants in order to settle Clean Air Act issues at...

GIPSA raises fees 28%.(Grain Inspection, Packers & Stockyards Administration)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... THE Grain Inspection, Packers & Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) has published a final rule that increases, by 28%, its fee charged to oversee state and private agency official grain inspection and weighing services at non-export facilities....

GSI Group names CEO.(Richard M. Christman joined as chief executive officer)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... THE GSI Group, a leading worldwide manufacturer and supplier of agricultural equipment, today announced the appointment of Richard M. Christman as chief executive officer. With more than 30 years of global experience, Christman (pictured)...

Deal completed.(Refco Group Ltd. closed its acquisition of Cargill Investor Services Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Deal completed: Refco Group Ltd. LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Refco Inc., said Sept. 1 it closed onits acquisition of the global brokerage operations of Cargill Investor Services (CIS). The closing enables Refco and CIS to consolidate...

BioPlus increase.(the price increases)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... BioPlus increase: Chr. Hansen announced last week that it will raise prices on its BioPlus 2B direct-fed microbial product line. The price increase takes effect Sept. 1 for customers in the U.S. and Oct. 1 for customers in Canada.

American Seeds.(Monsanto Co. Agricultural Group subsidiary made five additions to its seed companies)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... American Seeds: Monsanto Co.'s American Seeds Inc. (ASI) subsidiary said it made five additions to its growing list of regional seed companies. In separate transactions, ASI acquired four companies that are shareowners of the CORE Group, an...

Record volume.(Minneapolis Grain Exchange board established its trading volume record)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2005... Record volume: The Minneapolis Grain Exchange (MGEX) said last week it has established a new fiscal year trading volume record. Trading volume totaled 1,451,150 contracts for the 2004-05 fiscal year, which ended Aug. 31. The previous record was...

Ingredient market.(Illustration)
September 5, 2005... Ingredient MARKET The following prices, which include delivery, were obtained Aug. 31 from feed and grain vendors in the U.S. and Canada. The prices represent current trading values, but are not guaranteed. The second column shows...

Katrina's wrath affects demand.(livestock and poultry affected more by Hurricane Katrina)
September 5, 2005... HURRICANE Katrina, which came cruelly crushing into Louisiana and Mississippi last week, may have long-term adverse effects on the livestock and poultry sectors, not due as much to storm-related damage but to lost oil production in the Gulf of...

Markets on hold amid chaos.(Grains/Ingredients)(influence of hurricane Katrina on grain industry)
September 5, 2005... SOMETIMES, it can seem a bit callous. Companies are desperately trying to reach employees to see if they are okay, then help them find a better shelter and start to rebuild. Then, a reporter calls to ask about business. Although companies...

Hormone dispute takes new step.(News)
September 12, 2005... KEY POINTS * EU said it has now conducted required risk assessments. * Lawyers to argue for a ban on some beef products. ********** THE decades-old trade dispute over the use of growth-promoting hormones in cattle will break...

Top business leaders press for WTO action.(World Trade Organization )
September 12, 2005... LEADERS of six of the world's biggest business groups told governments that delays in deciding on agricultural reform are putting in jeopardy global trade talks and their "significant potential value" to the economies of rich and poor...

Old Man shows life.(News)
September 12, 2005... ALTHOUGH significant progress was made last week in cleaning up the Mississippi River and restoring power to several grain export facilities in the New Orleans, La., area, it will be some time before grain movements through the region and up...

WTO cases settled.(World Trade Organization)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... The Canadian and Japanese governments told the World Trade Organization's Dispute Settlement Body that they have settled their trade differences with the U.S. over the way wheat and apples are treated. Canadian authorities said amendments to...

Price reporting.(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... With the nation's mandatory livestock reporting law set to expire the end of the month, Iowa Sens. Chuck Grassley (R.) and Tom Harkin (D.) have introduced a one-year extension. They want to await a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report...

Safe seal.(Food safety Certification)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... At the request of member firms wishing to use the Safe Feed/Safe Food (SF/SF) certification seal on finished meat/poultry product, the American Feed Industry Assn. (AFIA) recently met with the Food Safety & Inspection Service (FSIS) to detail...

Doane poised for growth.(News Watch)
September 12, 2005... OPERATING with a new owner and an improved balance sheet should allow Doane Pet Care Co. to make acquisitions in Europe and the U.S., as well as build a new plant, Dave Horton, company vice president and North American general manager, told...

Katrina upends budget cuts.
September 12, 2005... KEY POINTS * Congress so far authorized two supplemental spending bills. * Disaster spending for ag losses could be included. ********** THE Bush Administration and Congress face an entirely new agenda for federal spending in...

Exporting: anything but usual.(Inside Washington)
September 12, 2005... AGRICULTURE Secretary Mike Johanns had a serious message last week for international buyers of U.S. grain: The full force of the federal government is behind restoring the infrastructure for transporting grain exports through New Orleans, La....

Baytril battle ends.(News)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... THE sale and use of Baytril for poultry is now illegal as of Sept. 12 following Bayer Corp.'s decision to end a five-year legal battle with the Food & Drug Administration. In late July, following the prolonged legal battle, FDA...

Rail rates keep inching up.(railroads)
September 12, 2005... RAIL fuel surcharges next month will creep to nearly 17% in some cases, but if the post-hurricane spike in crude oil and diesel prices holds, surcharges could rise significantly, according to Kendell Keith, president of the National Grain &...

R-CALF appeals to full circuit.(R-CALF USA, Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit)
September 12, 2005... R-CALF USA last Thursday appealed a ruling by a panel of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that dismissed a district court's injunction and permitted the reopening of the U.S. border to young cattle from Canada to the full ninth circuit,...

West Virginia CWD.(chronic wasting disease )(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... West Virginia CWD: The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources announced Sept. 2 that a road-killed deer in Hampshire County was confirmed to have tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD). "This is the first known occurrence of CWD...

Air ruling.(Clean Air Act)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... Air ruling: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld a judge's decision giving the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District until 2010 to reduce particulate matter (PM10) emissions in the air basin. Several environmental...

Cargill in Russia.(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... Cargill in Russia: Cargill has purchased, from Rusagro, two privately held grain elevators in the Krasnodar region of Russia and a new river grain import/export terminal in Rostov. Cargill said the elevators are both operational and well...

Prion size.(National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... Prion size: Researchers affiliated with the National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases said a new prion study shows that the size of prions relates to their infectivity. They said small prions are "much more efficiently infectious than...

Moark manager to get new judge.(Dan Hudgens)
September 12, 2005... KEY POINTS * Co-defendants also file motions. * Moark has been charged separately. ********** MOARK LLC general manager Dan Hudgens has been granted a change of judge in his trial over charges of animal abuse at one of the...

Farmland, Morrell launch expansions.(Business)
September 12, 2005... KEY POINTS * Farmland to expand at Denison to add further processing and slaughter. * Morrell to add bacon, ham and sausage capacity at Sioux Falls location. * Smithfield announced $243.5 million in new construction spending. ...

AGCO Corp.(Names in the News)(Mark Sharitz and Arnie Sinclair appointed)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... AGCO CORP., Duluth, Ca. -- Mark Sharitz has been named director of AgChem marketing. Sharitz was previously with Same/Duetz-Fahr, North America. Arnie Sinclair has been promoted to director of Ag-Chem sales. Sinclair will coordinate sales...

AllTech.(Names in the News)(Euclides Fortunato and Laurentian van Rensburg appointed)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... ALLTECH, Lexington, Ky. -- Euclides Fortunato has joined the company as technical sales manager covering western Iowa and southwest Minnesota. Fortunate will primarily work with the swine industry and also with dairy and beef. Laurentian...

Gold Kist Inc.(Names in the News)(Phyllis D. Thomas, Paul E. White and Don Wisdom appointed)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2005... GOLD KIST INC., Atlanta, Ga. -- Phyllis D. Thomas has been named northwest Alabama division manager. Thomas will oversee the division, including chicken growout operations. She was most recently operations manager. Paul E. White has joined...