Watt Global Media

Poultry Tech Summit 2023 tentative schedule of events

Monday, November 6

5-6:30 p.m.

Registration

5-6:30 p.m.

Opening reception

Tuesday, November 7

7:30-8:30 a.m.

Registration

7:30-8:30 a.m.

Breakfast

8:30-8:45 a.m.

Welcome

Greg Watt, CEO and president, WATT Global Media

8:45-9:15 a.m.

Keynote

Gordon Butland, director, G&S Agriconsultant
More information coming soon

9:15-10 a.m.

Innovation presentations

Artificial intelligence to automate broiler chick sexing
Bowen Cai, research scientist and managing director, Shanghai Xiashu Intelligent Company

A new chicken sex identification machine uses artificial intelligence to accurately identify the sex of one-day-old chicks. It uses industrial cameras to capture images of the vents of chicks, and the sex is identified through algorithms. The machine achieves an accuracy rate of over 99% and can identify 1,000-1,200 chicks per hour. This technology solves the problem of difficult recruitment, high labor cost, poor efficiency and low accuracy in the chick sex identification process.

Precision farming to streamline poultry operations
Marcel Sarzen, president and CEO, AGL Technology

Precision farming provides expert eyes and ears for poultry production facilities through camera, microphone and other internet of things (IoT) sensors. The platform offers growers and integrators fully automated insights and alerts, enabling them to address a wide range of production issues and optimization opportunities. The business model is a monthly subscription service, with positive return on investment (ROI) projected within the first year.

Next-generation coccidia monitoring
Meghan Bowman, product manager, Data Platform, Ancera

Coccidiosis remains a critical challenge in the poultry industry, leading to an estimated $10 billion in economic losses and impacting bird health and welfare. Successful management hinges on timely detection and cost-efficient control, as well as understanding the dynamics of Eimeria spp. populations in the production environment. This presentation will discuss a new way to monitor for coccidia through next-generation diagnostics and probabilistic modeling that classify Eimeria by size and quantify oocysts per gram (OPG) patterns.

10-10:30 a.m.

Networking break

10:30-11:30 a.m.

Technology presentations

Should we move to on-farm hatching of broiler chicks?
Erik Hoeven, general manager, NestBorn

On-farm hatching could help to reduce the various stressors associated with hatcheries, including hunger, thirst, handling and transportation. In this scenario, pre-incubated eggs are shipped to a broiler farm, where they are hatched directly on litter. On top of animal welfare improvements, this could also improve gut health and hatchability, as well as lower mortality.

Rapid Salmonella detection using nanoparticles: A promising technology for safer poultry products
Tina Conklin, vice president, technical services, Michigan Turkey Producers Cooperative

Problems concerning the presence of Salmonella in poultry production and processing have been a constant challenge. One possible reason for these unfortunate occurrences is the gap in monitoring the presence of the pathogen. The technology uses two types of nanoparticles: magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) and gold nanoparticles (GNPs). This technology can be applied to thoroughly monitor the presence of Salmonella in various critical points on poultry farms and in poultry processing plants due to the rapid release of results thereby improving product safety.

Stop the burn: Fire detection in the poultry industry
Brandon Mulnix, director, commercial accounts, Prism Controls

Business interruptions from fires in the agricultural industry are driving up insurance costs to the point some farms may be uninsurable in the future. The cost of a fire event isn’t just affecting the farm that the event occurs at, but also the size of the claims raises the cost of premiums for all farms. The poultry industry needs a solution that reacts the earliest stages of fire, reduces the source of the fire, reduces the oxygen needed to fuel the fire and notifies resources to address the cause of the fire at the maintenance level.

11:30 a.m.-12 p.m.

Tech Talks

Wireless AI-enabled poultry house control system
Mark Maxwell, CEO, Agrimesh Technologies

Agrimesh interconnects the ventilation, heating, feed and water using wireless mesh technology. The system uses algorithms to optimize the environment, improve yields and reduce energy costs. The system dynamically analyzes inside conditions, outside conditions and weather forecasts to proactively adjust the ventilation and heating to constantly reach and maintain the pre-established setpoints.

Cobb Research Initiative: Furthering genetic progress through innovative technology
William Herring, Ph.D., vice president, research and development, Cobb Vantress

Research and genetic progress go hand-in-hand, and it is paramount to invest in new technologies and partnerships to further advance and implement new innovative production techniques, while also amplifying animal health and well-being. The Cobb Research Initiative is a program that seeks partnerships with researchers to further genetic progress and answer key issues facing the global poultry industry. Leaders in basic and applied research are sought to provide solutions and advance poultry care, health and welfare by leveraging advanced technology and innovative thinking.

12-1:30 p.m.

Lunch

1:30-2 p.m.

Innovation presentations

Alternatives to formaldehyde for decontaminating hatchery eggs
Paul Moyer, co-owner, Clean Works Corp., and Keith Warriner, professor, food science, University of Guelph

Pathogens associated with hatchery eggs can negatively affect embryo development and the health of subsequent chicks. Consequently, hatchery egg disinfection is applied at the start of incubation process and again at the transfer point. Formaldehyde, the main disinfection agent used, represents a hazard to workers and can negatively affect chick health. Hydroxyl-radicals are short lived but potent antimicrobial agents that can inactivate a broad spectrum of microbes with no negative effect on the surface being sanitized.

Developing the next economics software
Tristan Bond, data scientist and engineer, Agrinerds

Feed costs represent most of the operating costs associated with raising poultry. Because margins are generally narrow in the poultry industry, it is essential for producers to optimize ration selection. Tristan Bond will discuss Dynamic Nutritional Profitability software that integrates live commodity pricing through an API with ration formulas and poultry meat and/or egg pricing in order to identify current and estimated future profitability, providing producers with useful insights to better maximize the productivity and profitability of their operations.

2-2:30 p.m.

Tech Talks

Integrated Technologies Advancing RNA Vaccines for Poultry
John El Attrache, Ph.D., global director of science and innovation at Ceva Animal Health

RNA vaccines hold great promise for the prevention and control of infectious diseases in poultry. John El-Attrache, global director of science and innovation at Ceva Animal Health, will share examples of this promise as well as co-advancement of integrated technologies that makes the promise of RNA vaccines become a reality. Learn about several technologies that are rapidly enhancing the advancement of RNA vaccine utilization in poultry.

Merging biology and tech to create new capabilities
Ramin Karimpour, founder and CEO, TARGAN

New technologies like artificial intelligence, high speed vision cameras and microfluidics are progressing at an incredible rate. The poultry industry will make significant moves forward by integrating these new tools with advanced mechanical handling to create new capabilities within the hatchery and other areas of live production. Such integrated systems can address issues such as improving vaccine take, enhancing feed efficiency, driving house uniformity and alleviating labor constraints.

2:30-3 p.m.

Panel discussion

Technology and the future of HPAI control

Highly pathogenic avian influenza has become endemic in migratory birds around the globe. Heightened biosecurity, surveillance and rapid stamping-out efforts have not been able to keep the current outbreaks in Europe and North America from becoming the costliest these regions have ever experienced. We will explore new technological applications that could improve biosecurity or enhance resistance to the virus to prevent infection and stop the spread, as well as alternative methods for stamping-out existing outbreaks.

Featured panelists:

• John El Attrache, Ph.D., global director of science and innovation at Ceva Animal Health
• Stephane Lemiere, DVM, global head of veterinary services, avian, Boehringer Ingelheim
• David Suarez, DVM, Ph.D., acting laboratory director, Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory, USDA ARS

3-3:30 p.m.

Networking break

3:30-4 p.m.

Tech Talks

The poultry industry’s evolution towards a more sustainable future
Fernanda Castro, DVM, Ph.D., technical service manager, Evonik

Gain insights into the progression of sustainability initiatives on poultry production and why this is an important topic in current day discussions. Fernanda Castro, DVM, Ph.D., technical service manager, Evonik, will touch on the effect that commonly employed practices have on reducing poultry production’s environmental impact and provide ways to measure and report sustainability achievements.

Using IoT data to drive economic value and performance on broiler sites
Alan Beynon, DVM, CEO, SenseHub Poultry

Data gathered in the broiler house is being used to make simple adjustments to farm management leading to significant impacts on economic performance and improvements in bird health and sustainability. On-farm examples will be demonstrated indicating actions that were taken and the improvements that were made from the deployment of wireless sensors at bird level in broiler sheds.

4-4:30 p.m.

Innovation presentations

Digital tools to improve layer management and performance
Rob Payne, Ph.D., director, poultry nutrition and technical services, Cargill Animal Nutrition

Managing bird performance in real-time is a goal of the poultry industry. However, two of the limitations continue to be the ability to capture data in real-time and the limited ability to accurately predict body condition. Near infrared (NIR) imaging could non-invasively quantify the weight of the fat pad in live laying hens, which helps producers develop custom nutrition programs to optimize flock performance. A cloud-based management tool will aggregate the performance data of a layer house over time, providing an opportunity to address challenges more proactively.

Piloting a novel poultry therapeutic through FDA approval
Yiannis Kaznessis, founder and CEO, General Probiotics and AgThera

The objective of this talk is to present the development and testing of a recombinant antimicrobial live therapeutic for performance improvements and for prevention and control of necrotic enteritis (NE) associated with Clostridia perfringens in broiler chickens. In the U.S., a recombinant live therapeutic is considered an animal drug. In 2020, we opened an Investigational New Animal Drug file with the Center for Veterinary Medicine at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In this presentation, we will discuss how FDA-authorized field trials are demonstrating a strong, dual value proposition for chicken producers: a 6-point average feed conversion ratio and a significant decrease in mortality due to NE.

4:30-4:50 p.m.

Technology presentation

Inversion water cleaning: How water droplets can reduce pathogens, extend shelf life and save water
Twan Koenen, undine process expert, Innovative Water Concepts

Current cleaning methods in poultry processing plants use high volumes of water and are not very effective. Using microdroplets of water alone under the inversion water cleaning method tackles many of these challenges. Because of the microscopic size, the microdroplets can reach much deeper inside microcavities such as skin pores or feather follicles.

4:50-5:30 p.m.

Panel discussion

Overcoming the cage-free challenge

Many egg producers around the globe are converting existing facilities or building new ones to house cage-free hens in response to purchase pledges by major egg buyers, and, in some cases, legislation. Learn how some egg producers and technology providers are identifying the opportunities and finding solutions for the cage-free challenge.

Featured panelists:

• Craig Rowles, DVM, general manager, cage-free production, Versova
• Max Pfund, associate vice president, production, Herbrucks
• Bill Snow, national sales manager, Lubing Systems

5:30-7 p.m.

Networking reception

Wednesday, November 8

7:30-8:30 a.m.

Registration

7:30-8:30 a.m.

Breakfast

8:30-9:15 a.m.

Innovation presentations

Virtual reality to support poultry processing automation
Colin Usher, research scientist, Georgia Tech Research Institute

Tools based on virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) offer the opportunity to provide the collaborative environment needed to generate workable solutions for robotics and automation in poultry processing. The proposed prototype solution will use a virtual reality interface to connect a human operator with a factory robot designed to handle loading and transfer operations within a poultry processing plant. A VR/AR system will create an environment that supports automation to conduct these operations while providing a more comfortable operative experience for human personnel.

Deep serotyping to improve Salmonella preharvest monitoring
Kaitlin Karschner, technical product manager, Ancera

Salmonella is one of the leading causes of foodborne illnesses. Deep serotyping technology tracks granular changes in the Salmonella serotype profile across the supply chain with high throughput monitoring in a scalable approach. The platform provides analytics to food producers so they can understand the dynamics of serovars within their supply chain and improve their intervention efficacy and efficiency, ultimately reducing the load entering downstream processing facilities — including those of high risk such as Human Health Concern (HHC) serotypes.

Machine learning models for poultry weight forecasts
Casey Middlebrooks, data analyst and live production coordinator, Fieldale Farms Corporation; and Caroline Forest, vice president, business development and marketing, Intelia Technologies Inc.

Predicting bird weight is one of the constant challenges facing producers. Artificial intelligence, and namely machine learning models, can perform weight forecasts as accurately, if not more, than a person could, with greater resilience to anomalies and consistency over time. This will help free workers from performing this repetitive task and make predictions more objective. The weight forecasting tool is currently undergoing tests at Fieldale Farms.

9:15-9:45 a.m.

Tech Talks

How heat on demand boosts sustainability, poultry welfare
Shawn Engstrom, product engineer, Diversified Agriculture LLC

Heaters and their controls used to manage the environment for rearing animals has remained relatively unchanged for decades. New technologies that apply heat when and where needed will reduce the amount of fuel used to heat houses, saving the grower money. At the same time, house temperature uniformity will be improved as heaters will run only where it’s needed. This will result in dryer floors, spread birds evenly throughout the house and improve overall animal welfare. Decreasing fuel consumption reduces the burning of fossil fuels and the generation of greenhouse gas emissions. When looking across entire complexes the amount of CO2 reduction can make a major impact on the environment.

Leveraging generative AI to run causal analysis in a poultry operation
Simon Cohen, vice president of sales and marketing, MTech Systems
More information coming soon

9:45-10:15 a.m.

Panel discussion

Increasing automation and food safety in poultry processing

Labor availability and cost are major challenges for poultry processors, at the same time that food safety regulations are changing. Learn about new technologies being developed to help poultry processors automate some labor-intensive tasks and improve food safety outcomes.

Featured panelists:

• Juan DeVillena, Ph.D., senior vice president, quality assurance and food safety, Wayne-Sanderson Farms
• Colin Usher, research scientist, Georgia Tech Research Institute
• Additional panelists to be announced

10:15-10:45 a.m.

Networking break

10:45-11:15 a.m.

Innovation presentations

Yeast as a feed additive to prevent Salmonella in poultry
Bill Potter, Ph.D., food safety technical advisor, Elanco

Live yeasts work to modify the oxygen content in the intestinal tract while agglutinating to Salmonella fimbriae and reducing adherence of pathogens to intestinal walls. Research has shown significant reduction in Salmonella colonization in poultry ceca and other internal organs and reduced fecal coliforms from cloaca swabs. Long-term benefits include not only reduced Salmonella colonization, but also improved gut integrity and physiology, leading to benefits in bird growth performance.

Endolysins as an antibiotic alternative for necrotic enteritis
Kane Miller, Ph.D., CEO and founder, Axitan

Novel antibacterial enzymes, called endolysins, combined with unique strain of microalgae, could target pathogens, like Clostridium perfringens, the bacteria responsible for necrotic enteritis. Endolysins work by rapidly targeting and bonding to the cell wall of the target pathogen, quickly weakening the cell wall causing it to burst and safely disintegrate. This could help better manage necrotic enteritis, which has been historically managed through antibiotic supplementations in animal feed. 

11:15-11:45 a.m.

Panel discussion

Improving health and welfare for broilers and turkeys

The global poultry industry is adjusting to using fewer antibiotics, more rigorous animal welfare schemes, and, in some cases, providing outdoor access for flocks while at the same time striving for continuous improvements in bird health, welfare and performance. Join a discussion of the challenges and opportunities facing broiler and turkey producers, and the promising technologies being researched and developed to foster continuous improvement.

Featured panelists:

• Vernon Felts, Ph.D., senior director of live production, Butterball
• Additional panelists to be announced
  

11:45 a.m.-12 p.m.

Going forward

More information coming soon

Poultry Tech Summit 2023 speakers and panelists

Additional speaker details will be announced soon

Alan Beynon, CEO, SenseHub Poultry

Alan Beynon qualified from the Royal Dick Veterinary College in Edinburgh in 1988. In 1998, he founded a startup business called Prognostix Ltd., which was initiated to harness the availability of real time data transmitted through LoRa Wan communication and to relate this data to a decision-making platform enabling vets and farmers to make decisions in real time to improve animal health, welfare and sustainability. The poultry business branded Sense Hub Poultry was acquired by MSD/ Merck in February 2021.

Presenting: Using IoT data to drive economic value and performance on broiler sites

Tristan Bond, co-founder and chief engineer, Agrinerds

Tristan Bond co-founded AgriNerds, a company that develops technology solutions for the agriculture sector. As chief engineer, he has worked on a variety of projects including a biosecurity tool that tracks waterfowl movement for commercial poultry and, most recently, a tool to improve economic analysis and decision making for feed formulations in commercial poultry. Bond hopes to continue utilizing his talents in engineering and data analysis to develop solutions that meet the ever-changing needs of the agriculture industry.

Presenting: Developing the next generation of poultry economics software

Meghan Bowman, product manager, Data Platform, Ancera

Meghan Bowman has over 15 years’ experience delivering cutting-edge biotech and SaaS solutions to academic, agriculture, pharmaceutical and research organizations. She has been with Ancera since January 2020 and is currently the product manager for the Data Platform. Prior to her time at Ancera, Bowman led product delivery projects at Core Informatics, a cloud Laboratory Information System (LIMS) company, acquired by Thermo Fisher Scientific and was a leader in the Global Support & Training organization at 454 Life Sciences, a next-gen sequencing company acquired by Roche Applied Sciences.

Presenting: Next generation coccidia monitoring

Bowen Cai, research scientist and managing director, Shanghai Xiashu Intelligent Company

Bowen Cai is the research scientist and managing director at Shanghai Xiashu Intelligent Technology Company Co. Ltd. He is also the associate professor and research head of Yangtze Delta Region Agricultural Institute of Tsinghua University. He founded Shanghai Xiashu Intelligent Technology in 2017. In 2020, he was selected into the Shanghai Pujiang Talent Program and won the 7th place in the Global AI Innovation and competition in 2019.

Presenting: Artificial intelligence to automate broiler chick sexing

Fernanda Castro, DVM, Ph.D., technical service manager, Evonik

Fernanda Lima de Souza Castro obtained her DVM and master’s degree in animal science from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil. She continued her education at the University of Georgia where she obtained a Ph.D. in poultry nutrition. After graduation, Castro worked as a research scientist at Azomite Mineral Products, where she served in both research and development and technical services. Currently, Castro is a technical service manager for poultry nutrition with Evonik.

Presenting: The poultry industry’s evolution towards a more sustainable future

Tina Conklin, vice president, technical services, Michigan Turkey Producers Cooperative

Tina Conklin is the vice president of Technical Services at Michigan Turkey Producers Cooperative, a grower-owned turkey processor that harvests more than 5.3 million birds annually. She is responsible for the food safety, quality and regulatory management systems in both the harvest and ready-to-eat facilities. She has spent more than 30 years in the meat and poultry industry and has worked for Keystone Foods as a plant manager and corporate food safety manager, and at Michigan State University as a farm animal welfare educator, food processing specialist and director of the Food Processing and Innovation Center. Conklin received her bachelor’s degree in animal science from Auburn University and a master’s degree in management from Aquinas College.

Presenting: Rapid Salmonella detection in poultry using nanoparticles

Juan DeVillena, Ph.D., senior vice president, quality assurance and food safety, Wayne-Sanderson Farm
Juan “Juanfra” DeVillena, Ph.D., is a renowned food safety professional with well-rounded experience in the poultry industry. He has been working for Wayne-Sanderson Farms since 2004 in various roles with increasing responsibility before moving into his current role of senior vice president of quality assurance and food safety. DeVillena received his bachelor’s degree in food science and his professional degree in food engineering from the Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina in Lima, Peru, and a master’s degree in food science from the University of Maryland. In 2022, he received his doctorate degree animal science at Texas Tech University.

Panel discussion: Challenges and technical solutions for poultry processing

Kurt Dobson, DVM, director of veterinary services, George’s Inc.

Kurt Dobson was born and grew up in Utah raising turkeys. He received a bachelor’s degree from Utah State University, a DVM from Colorado State University and a MAM from the University of Georgia. Dobson is a diplomate in the American College of Poultry Veterinarians and has worked with allied companies in the industry for 19 years, with specific experience in in broiler production for the last 13 years.

Panel discussion: Challenges and technical solutions for meat bird production

John El-Attrache, Ph.D., global director of science and innovation, CEVA

Over the past 12 years at Ceva Animal Health, John El-Attrache, Ph.D., has provided global direction at a corporate level through scientific support and innovation, working strategically to coordinate and prioritize corporate initiatives and projects while facilitating the introduction and development of innovative diagnostics, R&D and business projects. El-Attrache also provides active oversight of four global diagnostic laboratories and a global laboratory network as well as extensive scientific investigation studies.

Tech Talk: Integrated technologies advancing RNA vaccines for poultry

Vernon Felts, senior director of live production, Butterball LLC

Vernon Felts received his Ph.D. in animal/poultry science from Virginia Tech. He joined Butterball LLC in 1993 and served as corporate nutritionist until 2016. Today, he serves as senior director of live operations, responsible for Midwest live operations facilities, oversight of company-wide nutrition programs, live operations research and development, analytical laboratories and various live operations business strategies. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the National Turkey Federation.

Panel discussion: Challenges and technical solutions for meat bird production

Caroline Forest, vice president, business development and marketing, Intelia Technologies Inc.

Caroline Forest is passionate about agricultural technologies and grateful for the hard work farmers do to feed the world. Since 2001, she has been helping farmers become more efficient, profitable, and sustainable using a variety of technologies. Forest joined Intelia in 2015 to help the company revolutionize poultry production by integrating real-time data analytics and artificial intelligence tools on the farm.

Co-presenting: Machine learning models for poultry weight forecasts

William Herring, Ph.D., vice president, research and development, Cobb-Vantress

William Herring, Ph.D., joined Cobb as vice president of research and development in August 2023. In this role, he leads the global R&D team and program for Cobb’s broiler genetics portfolio. Herring has over 30-plus years of experience and leadership in livestock and poultry genetic improvement, and grew up on a cattle, hay and crop farm in Georgia.

Presenting: Furthering genetic progress through innovative technology

Erik Hoeven, general manager, NestBorn

Erik Hoeven is the general manager of NestBorn, where he is responsible for all research and development activities related to the on-farm hatching concept, NestBorn, and also in charge of the international contacts and sales of the system. Hoeven obtained a title of agricultural engineer in livestock production in 1999 at the University of Leuven, Belgium.

Presenting: Should we move to on-farm hatching of broiler chicks?

Ramin Karimpour, founder and CEO, TARGAN

Ramin Karimpour, the founder and CEO of TARGAN, is first and foremost a machine builder. Since designing and constructing his first small-scale airplane as a child, Karimpour’s passion has been conceiving innovative solutions and making them a reality. Karimpour received his bachelor’s and master’s degree in electrical engineering from Boston University, and post-graduate certifications from Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Massachusetts in plasma processing and executive management.

Presenting: Merging biology and tech to create new capabilities

Kaitlin Karschner, technical product manager, Ancera

Kaitlin Karschner is a technical product manager for Ancera with a strong background in both microbiology and software. With a passion for developing solutions that address the challenges faced by food producers, Karschner has led the development of an innovative product that allows for continuous monitoring and detection of human health concern Salmonella serotypes across the production supply chain.

Presenting: Deep serotyping to improve Salmonella preharvest monitoring

Yiannis Kaznessis, founder and CEO, General Probiotics and AgThera

Yiannis Kaznessis is the founder and CEO of General Probiotics and of AgThera. He received a diploma in chemical engineering at the Aristotle University in Greece in 1994, and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering at the University of Notre Dame in 1999. He completed postdoctoral research at Pfizer Global R&D, and at the University of Michigan. He served as the George T. Piercy Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of Minnesota in 2001-2017. He is an expert in recombinant antimicrobial live therapeutics and advanced probiotics in animal health and nutrition, authoring more than 110 refereed papers and the textbook, “Statistical Thermodynamics and Stochastic Kinetics.”

Presenting: Piloting a novel poultry therapeutic through FDA approval

Twan Koenen, undine process expert, Innovative Water Concepts

Twan Koenen is a meat processing specialist at IWC-International with a demonstrated history of working in poultry and red meat processing industries. He is an authority on controlled atmosphere stunning and has extensive experience in live bird handling and primary processing related to meat quality.

Presenting: Microdroplets to improve food safety in poultry processing preharvest monitoring

Casey Middlebrooks, data analyst and live production coordinator, Fieldale Farms Corporation

Casey Middlebrooks is the data analyst and live production coordinator at Fieldale Farms Corporation. Middlebrooks joined Fieldale in September of 2015 and is dedicated to turning data into insights to help the organization make data driven decisions. Middlebrooks is a master business analytics expert, along with experience in data mining, statistical analysis, machine learning and high-performance time series forecasting.

Co-presenting: Machine learning models for poultry weight forecasts

Kane Miller, Ph.D., CEO and founder, Axitan

Kane Miller, Ph.D., obtained his master’s degree and engineering doctorate in biochemical engineering from University College London (UCL). It was during his postdoctoral research studies into the commercial applications of algal biotechnology as a postdoctoral research associate at UCL that the genesis for the concept of applying endolysin biotechnology to manage pathogens in animal agriculture was formed. Miller subsequently authored and co-authored two successful Innovate UK government grant proposals that initially funded the business and has spearheaded Axitan’s drive into the U.S. poultry market, Axitan’s pilot manufacturing center being based in Comer, Georgia.

Presenting: Endolysins as an antibiotic alternative for necrotic enteritis

Paul Moyer, co-owner, Clean Works Corp.

Paul Moyer is a seventh-generation fruit farmer and co-owner of Clean Works Corp. Since its establishment in 2017, Clean Works has expanded with its novel decontamination treatment branded Clean Batch and Clean Flow. The company has operating units in North and South America, Europe and Japan.

Co-presenting: Alternatives to formaldehyde for decontaminating hatchery eggs

Brandon Mulrix, director, commercial accounts, Prism Controls

Brandon Mulnix is the director of Commercial Accounts at Prism Controls. With a diverse background encompassing firefighting, emergency management and technical poultry equipment and controls sales, Mulnix brings a unique and multifaceted perspective to his role. He holds a bachelor’s degree in public safety administration from Sienna Heights University, which has further augmented his expertise in the field.

Presenting: Stop the burn: Fire detection in the poultry industry

Rob Payne, Ph.D., director, poultry nutrition and technical services, Cargill Animal Nutrition

Rob Payne, Ph.D., is the director of poultry nutrition and technical services for Cargill Animal Nutrition – North America. Payne received his bachelor’s degree in animal science from Middle Tennessee State University and his master’s degree and doctorate in non-ruminant nutrition from Louisiana State University. Prior to joining Cargill, Rob spent more than 15 years in various global and regional nutrition, marketing, and technical roles for Elanco Animal Health and Evonik Animal Nutrition.

Presenting: Digital tools to improve layer management and performance

Max Pfund, associate vice president, Production, Herbrucks

Max Pfund has been with Herbrucks for over 10 years and served as a production manager for eight of those years. During this time, he helped transition the main farm complex in adding one million more birds to the site and transitioning from caged production to cage free. Prior to his work at Herbrucks, he served as a complex manager for Moark in southern California for three years. Pfund has been around birds all his life and directly involved in commercial layers and broilers for 15 years. He has experience overseeing logistics, shipping and receiving, processing and production. Pfund graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in animal science/ag-business management and attended the Midwest Poultry Consortium at the University of Wisconsin.

Panel discussion: Challenges and technical solutions for egg production

Bill Potter, Ph.D., food safety technical advisor, Elanco

Bill Potter, Ph.D., has a bachelor’s degree in animal science with an MBA from Texas A&M University, and a master’s degree and Ph.D. in poultry science from the University of Arkansas. Potter has spent three decades developing and leading food safety and quality systems in the poultry industry. Prior to Elanco, Potter held strategic roles in food safety, quality, R&D and technical services at George’s Inc., ConAgra Poultry and Advance Food Company. He also has chaired the NCC Technical and Regulatory Committee and been active in IAFP Food Safety groups.

Presenting: Yeast as a feed additive to prevent Salmonella in poultry

Craig Rowles, DVM, general manager, cage-free operations, Versova Management Company

Craig Rowles graduated from the Iowa State University College of Veterinary medicine in 1982. He moved to Carroll, Iowa, where he entered mixed animal practice with an emphasis in swine until 1996. Rowles then left practice and entered into swine production and served as general manager and partner of Elite Pork Partnership, an 8,000-sow farrow to finish operation until 2014. Since then, he has served as general manager of cage-free operations for Versova Management Company. Versova owns and manages 32 million layers in Iowa, Ohio, Washington and Oregon.

Panel discussion: Challenges and technical solutions for egg production

Marcel Sarzen, president and CEO, AGL Technology

Marcel comes from a Big-4 consulting background and has been president and CEO of AGL Technology since its founding in 2014. Previously, Marcel served as U.S. general manager for ITLogica, where he founded and organically built a software development and analytics company that delivered advanced analytic services to the animal health, nutrition, and production industry, servicing global companies like Elanco Animal Health, Cargill, Lallemand, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Zoetis and more.

Presenting: Precision farming to streamline poultry operations

David Suarez, DVM, Ph.D., acting laboratory director, Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory

David Lee Suarez, DVM, Ph.D., obtained a degree in veterinary medicine from Auburn University, and his Ph.D. in veterinary microbiology from Iowa State University. Suarez is board certified in the American College of Veterinary Microbiology in both Virology and Immunology. From 1988 to 1991, he worked as an associate veterinarian at Quintard Veterinary Hospital in Anniston, Alabama. He remains a licensed veterinarian in the state of Iowa. He joined the Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory, Agriculture Research Service, USDA as a veterinary medical officer in 1995. In 2005, he became research leader of the Exotic and Emerging Avian Viral Disease Research Unit with the same institution. He is currently the acting laboratory director for the Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory. His primary research interests are avian influenza virus (AIV) and Newcastle disease virus (NDV). Since 1996, he has held the position of adjunct instructor in the Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia.

Colin Usher, senior research scientist, Georgia Tech Research Institute

Colin Usher is a senior research scientist and interim branch chief for the robotics branch in the Intelligent Sustainable Technologies Division at the Georgia Tech Research Institute where he has served as a technical lead and project manager for the past 20 years. His technical expertise is in machine vision, robotics, system integration and embedded system development.

Presnting: Virtual reality to support poultry processing automation

Keith Warriner, professor, food science, University of Guelph

Keith Warriner obtained his bachelor’s degree in food science at the University of Nottingham and Ph.D. in microbial physiology at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth. He went onto positions within the Institute of Food Research, University of Manchester and University of Nottingham before becoming part of the faculty of the Department of Food Science, University of Guelph, in 2002. His research team is focused on enhancing food safety through undertaking risk assessment, along with developing diagnostics and intervention controls.

Co-presenting: Alternatives to formaldehyde for decontaminating hatchery eggs

Shawn Engstrom, product engineer, Diversified Agriculture LLC

Shawn Engstrom is the lead product engineer with Diversified Agriculture since 2019. He has been in the poultry industry for nearly 20 years, focusing on product development and integration, ventilation and controls across all segments of poultry and swine production. He has spent significant time maximizing efficiencies of heaters in poultry houses while improving floor temperature uniformity and decreasing overall fuel consumption.

Presenting: How heat on demand boosts sustainability, poultry welfare

Simon Cohen, vice president of sales and marketing, MTech Systems

Simon Cohen is a native of Caracas, Venezuela, and holds a degree in industrial engineering. With decades of experience in the poultry industry, he brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his role as vice president of sales and marketing at MTech Systems. He’s responsible for transforming its profile from a regional company in the Southeastern United States to a global industry leader in agribusiness software. Throughout his career, Cohen has successfully navigated the challenges of the poultry industry, staying ahead of market trends and fostering strong relationships with key stakeholders. His ability to identify opportunities and develop tailored solutions has contributed to the company’s continuous growth and success.

Presenting: Leveraging generative AI to run causal analysis in a poultry operation

Gordon Butland, director, G&S Agriconsultant Co. Ltd.

Gordon Butland is the director at G&S Agriconsultant Co. Ltd. He moved into banking in 1986, and in 1989 he started his association with Rabobank International. In 2004, he retired from the bank and now has advisory positions with companies all along the poultry chain on every continent. The advisory covers both strategic and data analysis areas.

Presenting: Keynote

Bill Snow, national sales and marketing manager, Lubing Systems

Bill Snow started in the agriculture industry in 1994 with Chore-Time in Milford, Indiana. He worked several roles at the company, including selling broiler and turkey equipment in the Midwest territory. In 2007, Snow took a position with Big Dutchman working in the egg division, with a focus on cage-free bird husbandry, helping customers with management that would benefit the flocks and also the customer to become increasingly profitable in regards to best management practices. In 2018, he took a sales position with Hy-Line North America selling baby chicks. Starting in 2021, Snow started a new position working for Lubing Systems as the national sales and marketing manager.

Panel discussion: Overcoming the cage-free challenge

Since its 2018 inception, Poultry Tech Summit has fast-tracked several pioneering ideas from concept to commercialization, transforming the future of the poultry industry through artificial intelligence, robotics, blockchain, sensors, virtual reality, vaccines and more.

The Poultry Tech Summit Hall of Fame showcases the innovation presenters from the annual conference and their success stories. Their early process concepts and prototypes show promise for solving some of the industry’s biggest challenges.

To be considered in this category, presenters must be seeking investment to develop their product for market, looking to license their intellectual property, or recruiting partners to trial their innovation.

Meet the innovators: