Supplier Spotlight: Diamond V
At Eldon C. Stutsman Inc we pride ourselves on our ability to provide a wide variety of products, equipment, and services. However, we know this wouldn’t be possible without the companies and connections that we have made in years past. We wanted to take time to recognize some of our vendors through our supplier spotlight series. Next up is a feed department vendor, Diamond V from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. We have a long-standing history with our neighbors to the North; learn more about Diamond V, their products, and our partnership.
Company History
C.W. Bloomhall drew on his farm experience and nearly 40 years working in Iowa’s grain milling industry to lay the foundation for Diamond V. He discovered that he could help livestock producers by means of a fermentation-based nutritional solution to increase the efficacy of their feeding program using existing rations.
In 1943, C.W. established Diamond V in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and began manufacturing a unique microbial fermentation product for American livestock producers. Diamond V’s “original” product quickly set the standard for the U.S. feed industry.
In the decades that followed, Diamond V further developed and refined the original proprietary fermentation process and worked hard to build business relationships that would become long-standing partnerships — like that with Eldon C. Stutsman, Inc. Diamond V also continued to invest in scientific talent and research, created new proprietary microbial fermentation technologies, and helped lead science-based initiatives to sustain and improve livestock and poultry production. Diamond V grew to become the world’s largest and most respected manufacturer of microbial fermentation-based products for food animals and companion animals.
In the late 1990s, the extraordinary good health of Diamond V plant employees led to the development of the human product company, Embria® Health Sciences, and the unique human immune-support product EpiCor®.
While Diamond V facilities, research capabilities, manufacturing technologies, technical expertise, product portfolio, and customer services have expanded significantly over the years, the Bloomhall family tradition of quality, value, and purpose has been steadfast for three generations. Former president and chief executive officer John C. Bloomhall continues to serve the company as Chairman of the Board. Today, Diamond V is a family-owned, professionally managed company under the leadership of president and CEO Jeff Cannon. Diamond V maintains its headquarters in Cedar Rapids and has offices in strategic locations around the world, currently marketing products in more than 60 countries.
Six core values define how Diamond V executes its mission, conducts business, and develops partnerships at home in Iowa and around the world:
- Honesty and integrity
- Respect for each individual
- Stewardship
- Passion for excellence
- Progress through growth
- Good corporate citizenship
As with Eldon C. Stutsman, Inc, quality in every aspect remains the cornerstone of Diamond V success. They take great pride in their brand as The Trusted Experts in Nutrition and Health®.
Diamond V Products & Eldon C. Stutsman, Inc
We have been selling Diamond V products on a wholesale basis for at least several decades, probably dating back to when we became a wholesale distributor in the feed industry. We don’t know exactly because Diamond V hard copy records were lost in the Cedar Rapids flood of 2008, which inundated the original Diamond V headquarters building. One of Diamond V’s long serving employees, Kevin Larson, director of national accounts, recalls that we were already a well-established distributor when he started with Diamond V in 1991.
- Original Line products — Original XP™, XP™ Green, Original XPC™, XPC™ Green, Original YC™, XP DFM™
- Next Generation species-specific products — NutriTek® for all dairy animals
How the Partnership Began
We don’t know this for a fact, but it is likely that Eldon C. Stutsman and C.W. Bloomhall knew each other personally, perhaps even did business together as early as the 1930’s. In any case, the business practices and culture established by these two company founders — Eldon in the depth of the Great Depression and C.W. a decade later during World War Two — were very similar from the start and have continued to guide these family-owned companies ever since.
Again, the precise history is lost because of the 2008 flood. However, we think Diamond V Yeast Culture was incorporated in the Sweet Lassy brand of dairy feed products. So, the Diamond V Yeast Culture product was likely one of the first products used in the Stutsman wholesale distribution business. The two businesses complimented each other very well: Diamond V as primary manufacturer and Stutsmans as a leading regional wholesale distributor.
For more information on Diamond V products, contact a Stutsman Feed Territory Sales Manager here.