Company News

The International Friend of Dairy Breeding award recognizes the outstanding contribution of an international personality in the promotion of dairy breeding in Québec. This year, Mr Jan Gowenius is being honoured as part of the 19th edition of the Québec International Holstein Show (EIHQ). An accomplished breeder, Mr Gowenius has become renowned internationally while maintaining good relations within the Canadian genetics industry.

The Swedish-born breeder has been visiting with his Canadian counterparts since 1983. Mr Gowenius who is the easiest visitor to pick out in a crowd because he always wears a red toque, has paid visits to Québec and to CIAQ every year since the beginning of the International Holstein Québec Show, which is his favourite event and the place where he has the most Canadian friends!

Jan Gowenius saw his first Canadian cattle while he was taking an AI course in England. Impressed by their quality, he came to Canada and imported 40 purebred Holstein calves to fulfill his goal and build a purebred Canadian herd in Sweden based on Canadian genetics. In 1983, when the first purebred calf was born, the Gardsby Holstein herd was created and given a new prefix. In order to increase the herd faster, Mr Gowenius and his wife Monika went to Canada in 1986 to take a course in embryo transplant. This course was the first of its kind and marked the beginning of the Semex ILMS school!

In 1987, the Goweniuses became Semex’s representatives in Sweden. Another key moment in the herd’s development was the beginning of embryo exportation which started in 1996. In 2000, Semex asked the Goweniuses to start selling embryos in Finland, and so they did. After 10 years, Semex Finland was established. The company now stands on its own thanks to the work of this pioneer who transmitted to the Finns his passion for Canadian genetics. In 2012, Semex Sweden celebrated its 25 years of existence within a most ... Read More...

        Each year, Semex invites dairymen from around the world to visit Semex while at the Royal. This year hundreds of Semex’s international guests are planning to converge in Toronto for the 91st edition of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, the world’s largest combined indoor agricultural and equestrian show. As November’s ‘must attend’ event in the dairy industry, Semex plans to introduce and feature key products and services designed to increase dairy profitability to guests from Canada, the US and dozens of countries worldwide including: Immunity+™: A 2013 Dairy Herd Management Innovation Award Winner, Semex's patented Immunity+ sires have a naturally high immune response and will improve the health of the next generation  SemexWorks™: Visitors can step up to our interactive station and use a simple touch, step-by-step process to define their own genetic strategy  Semex Premier™ Daughters: This year we're featuring daughters from our Premier Young Sire Sampling Program, including the following sires offering genetics with both profitability and longevity: 0200HO00546 DE-SU BOWMAN: HealthSmart™ & Calving Ease™ 0200HO05929 GEN-I-BEQ BRAWLER (2): HealthSmart & Robot Ready™ 0200HO03648 DOMICOLE CHELIOS: Repromax™, Calving Ease & Show Time™ 0200HO05592 CRACKHOLM FEVER: HealthSmart, Calving Ease, Robot Ready & Show Time 0200HO02399 OCONNORS JAY 0200HO05575 GILLETTE JORDAN: HealthSmart & Calving Ease 0200HO02600 O-BEE KRUSADER: HealthSmart & Calving Ease 0200HO05630 COMESTAR LAVANGUARD: Calving Ease, Robot Ready & Show Time 0200HO05584 FLEURY MATHYS: HealthSmart & Calving Ease 0200HO05567 R-E-W SEAVER: Immunity+™, Repromax, HealthSmart & Show Time 0200HO02137 PINE-TREE SID: Repromax & Show Time Semex is a proud sponsor of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair and invites attendees to visit the Semex booth and the Walk of Fame display located adjacent to the entrance to the cattle barns. For more information on any of the ... Read More...

The “International Friend in Dairy Breeding Award” acknowledges the significant contribution of a person from outside Québec to the promotion of Québec dairy breeding. Mr. Jan Gowenius from Sweden will be named the 2013 recipient within the 19th edition of EIHQ. A highly skilled man, Mr. Gowenius has left his mark on the international level while maintaining good relationships with the world of Canadian genetics.

Jan Gowenius saw his first Canadian cattle while he was following an AI course in England. Impressed by their quality, he went to Canada and imported 40 purebred Holstein calves. He had a goal: to build a herd of purebred animals out of Canadian genetics in Sweden. In 1983, when the first purebred calf was born, the new “Gårdsby Holstein” herd was established. In order to increase the herd more rapidly, Mr. Goewnium and his wife Monika went to Canada in 1986 to take an embryo transfer course. This was the first course and the beginning of the Semex ILMS School!

In 1987, they were chosen to be Semex representatives in Sweden for the Holstein breed. In 2000, Semex asked them to start selling in Finland, and so they did. After 10 years, “Semex Finland” was established as a new company. In 2012, they completed 25 years with Semex Sweden. 

Mr. Gowenius has been visiting Canada and Canadian breeders since 1983. He came to Québec and CIAQ each year since the beginning of the Québec International Holstein Show. This is his favorite place, the place where he has the most Canadian friends!

The organisers of the Québec International Holstein Show raise their hats to this highly skilled man for his work in cattle breeding!
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Known as the ‘Center of the Dairy Universe,’ World Dairy Expo (WDE) 2013 will certainly go down in the record books as one of the very best ever at Semex. With thousands of people visiting with us in order to find out more about our products, programs and services, the Semex Tent and our booth in the exhibition hall were the places to be at WDE. Both locations showcased Semex’s key products and services including: Immunity+™ (a Top 10 Winner of the 2013 Dairy Herd Management Innovation Awards); Semex Works™ (an easy, interactive, flexible program that will keep dairies a step ahead); Semex ai24™ (the SCR-HR® tag was a Top 10 Winner of the 2013 Dairy Herd Management Innovation Awards); and daughters of our Premier™ program graduates. The Premier program is the fastest growing in the US and the display included daughters by: 0200HO09901   CLAYTON-CREST ACE: HealthSmart™ sire graduating in December 2013 0200HO05929     GEN-I-BEQ BRAWLER: HealthSmart™ sire 0200HO03648     DOMICOLE CHELIOS: Repromax, Calving Ease and Show Time sire 0200HO05592     CRACKHOLM FEVER: Repromax™, HealthSmart, Robot Ready™ and Show Time™ sire 0200HO00528     SILDAHL JETT AIR: HealthSmart and Calving Ease sire 0200HO05549     REGANCREST REGINALD: Repromax, Calving Ease™, Robot Ready and Show Time sire “Our guests and visitors were extremely impressed with the time they spent with us at World Dairy Expo,” says Paul Krueger, Semex Director, Sales & Business Development, USA. “Semex and Genetics for Life™ is about genetic solutions, our commitment to research & development, developing long-lasting, profitable herds and lifelong partnerships. Dairymen saw that Semex’s programs and services are their best option when it comes to building long-lasting, healthy and profitable herds. Our team was excited to share our story with these folks and looks forward to visiting with them more in the future.” For more information on any of Semex’s brands or the products, programs and services ... Read More...

Semex’s Braedale Goldwyn once again showed his prowess on the coloured shavings, siring nearly 25% of the entire show, with daughters capturing nearly every award possible.  Capturing the Premier Sire Banner for a record sixth consecutive year, (dating back to 2008 when he was one of the youngest and highest ranking TPI sires to ever win the award), Goldwyn daughters were certainly some of the most anticipated to enter the ring again this year, with many returning year after year. With statistics nearly matching previous years, 47 Goldwyn daughters placed in the top 10 of their classes, 25 in the top five and eight placing first. Once again, for the third year in a row, a Goldwyn daughter was named Supreme Champion Female. Bonaccueil Maya Goldwyn EX-95-2E-CAN owned by Ty-D Holsteins, Drolet & Fils, Ferme Jacobs, A. & R. Boulet Inc of Cap-Sante, QC placed 1st in her Mature Cow Class, was named Champion Bred & Owned, Senior Champion, Grand Champion and later that day Supreme Champion of the entire show.         Other Goldwyn winnings include: 1st Winter Calf: Jacobs Goldwyn Lenny 1st Fall Calf: Petitclerc Gold Saltalamacchia 1st Jr 2 Yr Old: Belfast Goldwyn Lasenza HM Inter Champ & 1st Jr 3 Yr Old: Ehrhardt Gold Beauty Inter Champion & 1st Sr 3 Yr Old: Butz-Butler Gold Barbara 1st 4 Yr Old, Res Sr & Res Grand Champ: Cookview Goldwyn Monique 1st 5 Yr Old: Rosedale Lexington WDE Supreme Champion, Holstein Grand & Sr Champion & 1st Aged Cow: Bonaccueil Maya Goldwyn Aged Cow Class: Nine Goldwyns shown Grand & Intermediate Champion of the Jr. Holstein Show, Whitaker-KK Goldie Rose Semex’s lineup of Show Time™ sires is much more than just Goldwyn, with many other stud code 200 sires rising to the top with impressive results: International Holstein Show: 204 head or nearly 50% of the show were 200HO daughters 25 different Semex sires were ... Read More...

During their Innovation Awards ceremony last night at World Dairy Expo, Dairy Herd Management announced that Semex’s Immunity+™ was named a Top 10 Innovative Product of the Year.

“Immunity genetics is an emerging technology that provides dairymen with an effective means to improve the health of their dairy cattle with each generation,” says Jay Shannon, Semex Global Dairy Solutions Manager. “At Semex, we’re extremely excited to have acquired this technology for our customers, who can now utilize Immunity+ sires that combine high overall genetic merit in a package with the added benefit of higher immunity.”

Using a patented technology, Semex is now able to measure an animal’s immune response and their ability to combat infection and disease. These animals are considered High Immune Responders (HIR) and Semex’s HIR sires are known as Immunity+ bulls.

By using this information in breeding decisions, dairymen can ask how well a bull’s daughters respond to infection instead of how often they get diseases like mastitis. This is important because traditional health-related genetic traits such as Productive Life, Somatic Cell Score and Daughter Pregnancy Rate are result-oriented measurements, with an indirect association to health. Even more restrictive, these traits are less than 10% heritable. By contrast, immune response is highly heritable at 25%, making genetic gain in health traits much easier.

To find out more about Immunity+ or any of Semex’s suite of solutions, stop by Semex at World Dairy Expo at the Semex Tent or in the Exhibition Hall at booth #2608-2709 or by visiting www.semex.com

 
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Known as the 'Center of the Dairy Universe,' World Dairy Expo (WDE) is the international dairy meeting place, and this year Semex is inviting dairymen to 'Get To Know Us Better' as we introduce and feature the following key products and services designed to increase dairy profitability:


Semex ai24™: A whole herd management solution with both rumination monitoring and heat detection capabilities
Immunity+™: A nominee for the 2013 Dairy Herd Management's Innovation Award, Semex's patented Immunity+ sires have a naturally high immune response and will improve the health of the next generation 
SemexWorks™: Visitors can step up to our interactive station and use a simple touch, step-by-step process to define their own genetic strategy 
Semex Premier™ Daughters: This year we're featuring daughters from our Premier Young Sire Sampling Program including:

0200HO09901 Clayton-Crest Ace: HealthSmart™ sire graduating in December 2013
0200HO00546 De-Su Bowman: HealthSmart and Calving Ease™ sire
0200HO05929 Gen-I-Beq Brawler: HealthSmart and Robot Ready™ sire
0200HO03648 Domicole Chelios: Repromax™, Calving Ease™ and Show Time™ sire
0200HO00528 Sildahl Jett Air: HealthSmart and Calving Ease sire
0200HO09225 Ladys-Manor Shane




“We’re extremely excited to meet with our customers and friends from coast to coast and around the world again this year at World Dairy Expo,” comments Paul Krueger, Semex Business Unit Development Manager, USA. “Semex is a company on the move and our lineup, products and services are all designed to be the best options for dairymen looking to increase their profitability, and for those looking to partner with a company offering valuable reproductive solutions. If you’re coming to World Dairy Expo, Semex should be on your ‘must do’ list!”

Semex is a proud, three star ... Read More...

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Semex is pleased to announce that David Ertl has joined the Semex Jersey Team as the US Jersey Sire Analyst effective Monday, September 30, 2013.

In this role, David will report directly to the Jersey Program Manager, and will be responsible for executing Semex’s Jersey sire selection and acquisition strategy in the US. This newly created position supports Semex’s growing Jersey Genomax™ program, ensuring Semex continues to obtain the breed’s best genetics. Additionally, David will be working directly with the Semex Team from coast to coast, supporting sales and providing Jersey knowledge and genetic expertise. 

David was born and raised in Ohio, attending The Ohio State University where he obtained a bachelor of animal science degree with a minor in agricultural business. Following graduation, David was a herdsman at a central Ohio commercial dairy, providing cow-side diagnostics and treatment as well as whole herd and employee management. His own herd, Ertl Jerseys, has ranked in the top 25% in the nation for JPI, and has had numerous bulls enter stud including 0200JE00180 Ertl Mantra, a top 20 G-code bull that is part of Semex’s Genomax and Immunity+™ lineups. Additionally, David was awarded the 2011 Young Jersey Breeder Award from the American Jersey Cattle Association. Most recently, David worked for Sexing Technologies as Director of Nutrient Management at their Ohio Heifer Center.

“We could not be more excited to add David to our Jersey Team,” says Russell Gammon, Semex Jersey Program Manager. “With his practical knowledge of modern dairy farming, a world of energy and drive, and an ocean-deep knowledge of the Jersey breed, David is the perfect choice for this position! Semex’s Jersey program is expanding year after year and now with David on board, we look forward to even greater successes and accomplishments.”

David, his wife Beth and three children reside in Edison, ... Read More...