Dave Eastman, CEO of GenerVations Inc., Campbellville, Ont., and Albert Cormier, CEO and co-owner of Sire Lodge Inc., announced on May 27th that an agreement has been reached with Select Sires Inc. to acquire GenerVations and the bull housing facility, Sire Lodge Inc. Select Sires Inc., based in Plain City, Ohio, is North America’s largest A.I. organization and is comprised of nine farmer-owned and controlled cooperatives.
“We are very excited about the growth opportunities for the GenerVations product lines through Select Sires’ large distribution networks in both North America and internationally,” says Dave Eastman of GenerVations. “Both organizations share a very similar sire selection philosophy which was a key factor in the decision to move forward.”
David Thorbahn, president and CEO of Select Sires Inc., says, “We feel this acquisition provides our member organizations and customer’s access to a globally qualified, high ranking sire line-up and gives us more production capacity to meet our growing demand for high quality semen.”
GenerVations was formed in 1999 when a partnership was established between Dave Eastman and Albert Cormier of Cormdale Genetics Inc., Bethany, Ont. Cormier laid the groundwork for GenerVations in 1982 when he started the A.I. company Modern Sires. That company would later evolve into a division of Cormdale Genetics and then GenerVations. In January 2004, Eastman became the sole owner of GenerVations. Sire Lodge, a custom bull housing facility which has always been home to the GenerVations’ bulls, was purchased by Cormier and Eastman in 2002. Located at Cardston, Alta., the facility can house up to 300 bulls.
Since its formation 15 years ago, GenerVations has proven more than 90 Holstein bulls. Of these, seven have become Class Extra, 12 Superior Type and 17 Superior Production, an impressive track record for a small A.I. company which started out sampling just four bulls a year and is now at 20-25 bulls per year.
“Great cow families” and “sire stacks” have always been at the core of GenerVations’ sire selection program. Calbrett-I H H Champion (Ex-Extra), the number one Lifetime Profit Index (LPI) bull in Canada in November 2002 and later a “Millionaire” sire, was among their first proven bulls. Three Class Extra brothers – Gillette Windhammer (Ex-96-Extra), a former number bull for conformation in Canada, Gillette Wildthing (Ex-90-Extra) and Gillette Willrock (Ex-90-Extra) – were a product of the GenerVations proving program. Today, with an aggressive approach to genomics, GenerVations is marketing such well- known young sires as Genervations Epic, Genervations Lexor, Genervations Liquid Gold and Stantons Main Event. Two of their current proven sires, Freurehaven Niagara (Ex-91- SP) and Fleury Gen Le Plan (Ex-90), are among the top 25 LPI sires in Canada.
GenerVations semen will be available in Canada from Select Sires GenerVations, a combination of Select Sires Canada and GenerVations Inc.’s current sales representatives. In the United States, semen will be available from Select Sires’ representatives. Around the world, semen can be purchased through Select Sires distributors in Latin America, World Wide Sires and current international GenerVations Inc. distributors.