Select Sires

Joel Mergler Becomes Vice President of International Development at Select Sires

PLAIN CITY, Ohio, July 3, 2008 — Joel Mergler has been chosen to serve as vice president of international development at Select Sires. In this role, he will assist World Wide Sires with the development of sales and sales training in Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceana. In addition, he will continue to manage Select Sires’ herd-management products and services program. Mergler will remain located at the company’s headquarters in Plain City, Ohio.

Mergler previously served as Select Sires’ vice president of marketing and training and has been a member of the Select Sires family since 1980, when he began his career at East Central/Select Sires as an A.I. technician in Sauk County, Wis. He later became a sales representative and reproductive training specialist at East Central.

“Mergler’s training and marketing skills make him uniquely qualified to manage all of our World Wide Sires market-development activities,” said David Thorbahn, general manager for Select Sires. “His work to grow our brand strategy and train people in international markets has allowed Select Sires to be one of the fastest growing exporters of semen in the world. He is one of the most highly recognized and requested trainers in the world.”

Mergler earned a bachelor’s degree in business communication from Ohio University and is pursuing a master’s degree in management from Indiana Wesleyan University. He also completed the management certificate program from Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business and is a certified A.I. trainer and reproductive specialist.

Based in Plain City, Ohio, Select Sires Inc., is North America’s largest A.I. organization and is comprised of 10 farmer-owned and -controlled cooperatives. As the industry leader, it provides highly fertile semen as well as excellence in service and programs to achieve its basic objective of supplying dairy and beef producers with North America’s best genetics at a reasonable price.

Select Sires Inc., 11740 U.S. 42 North, Plain City, Ohio 43064 / Phone: (614) 873-4683 Fax: (614) 873-5751