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Note: This article was originally published on the News & Insights section of the Wilbur-Ellis Nutrition website on January 10, 2020
At Wilbur-Ellis Nutrition, quality and safety begin with the expertise and dedication that our teams bring to the job every day. Each team member plays an important role to ensure excellence for our customers and partners, and it is their unwavering commitment to quality and safety that makes Wilbur-Ellis Nutrition such a trusted partner among our customers.
In October 2018, Wilbur-Ellis Nutrition made an important investment in our team expertise and capability in the area of safety and quality when we announced our acquisition of Ameri-Pac—a family-owned, value-added manufacturing business renowned in the industry for its attention and best-in-class standards around supporting animal health through the nutrition, mixing and testing it provides.
Over the course of the past year, the Missouri-based Ameri-Pac team of Food, Safety, Quality and Regulatory (FSQR) professionals, highlighted below, have been instrumental in helping to ensure best practices and high-level quality control and safety standards continue to be met and exceeded as a trusted brand of Wilbur-Ellis Nutrition.
- Darcie Searles, Senior Manager of Quality & Compliance: Darcie started at Ameri-Pac in 2007 as a chemist and advanced to the role of Laboratory Manager in 2013, she is credited with initiating the company’s many pre-requisite programs for Ameri-Pac’s global food safety certification. Darcie leads the St. Joseph-based FSQR team.
- LeeAnn Fell, Laboratory Manager: LeeAnn has been a part of the Ameri-Pac team since 2010. She is responsible for many of the day-to-day laboratory operations, Ameri-Pac’s chemical control program and the laboratory’s safety and emergency procedures and processes.
- Maggie Miller, FSQR Leader: Maggie has had a role in quality and food safety since joining Ameri-Pac in 2012, as FSQR Leader, she oversees all aspects of our Safe Food Safe Feed certification at the Ameri-Mills facility.
- Cameron Twombly, FSQR Specialist: Cameron advanced from his roles in production to production-formulation. He is currently an FSQR specialist, overseeing quality line checks and assists with meeting compliance standards on multiple programs such as Environmental Monitoring, Pest Control and Foreign Material as well as Ameri-Pac’s Safe Quality Food certification.
- Drew Williams, Chemist: Drew joined Ameri-Pac in 2017, as a chemist in the laboratory. He is responsible for the testing of finished goods, raw materials, and customer samples. Additional duties include assisting with quality line checks and our Environmental Monitoring Program.
- Brittney Iiams, FSQR Specialist: Our most recent addition to FSQR, Brittney joined Ameri-Pac in 2019 to oversee the company-wide training program and assist with the Safe Quality Food certification. She collaborates with the sanitation team on the Cleaning & Sanitation Program and helps manage the release of raw materials and finished goods.
“We believe providing a quality product goes beyond our certifications,” said Darcie Searles. “As a department, we are all accountable for the quality of each product from the purchase of raw materials to distribution of finished goods. To be the provider of choice we must excel in these areas as they are major components in how our customers judge us.”
As the FSQR team expands and strengthens within Wilbur-Ellis Nutrition, it does so with an eye toward incorporating diversity and celebrating the broad spectrum perspectives it brings to the table.
“The diversity in our team creates a stronger team and a stronger program. Each individual has unique strengths and experiences that can be utilized in various situations,” explained Darcie Searles.
To learn more about our commitment to the quality and safety of our feed, and to explore opportunities for joining our team, visit our website at wilburellisnutrition.com.
