The founders of Performance Livestock Analytics had no intentions of creating a “small” business.
And as of today, they’ve succeeded.
The Ames-based AgTech company uses Bluetooth technology to track each pound of food that goes to each animal, along with each dollar associated with the animal. The technology provides producers with a more accurate, efficient way to feed animals.
Performance Livestock Analytics COO and co-founder Dustin Balsley said they’ve signed partnerships with Cargill, Animal Nutrition and Purina Animal Nutrition to deploy their product to existing customers.
“They work with their producers to use our system on their feedlots,” Balsley says. “Just creating this platform or ecosystem that they can better work together. That’s what got them excited, we are creating a platform that works for the entire industry rather than one segment.”
Balsley says Performance Livestock Analytics now has customers in 11 states plus Canada.
“We didn’t set out to do this in a small way,” Balsley says. “We want to do some big things. I don’t know if I would have imagined this would grow as fast as it has and to continue having this momentum we are having. But our goal is to absolutely grow large and serve as many people as we possibly can.”
Word of mouth marketing
Balsley says the team at Performance Livestock Analytics has grown from six people in September to 15 employees. He said while they are always looking to improve the system for producers, they are also trying to create tools other can work together on.
“A lot of the custom feed yards feel like they are seeing an ROI directly and getting paid for what they are truly feeding,” Balsley explained. “But most of our growth is a testament to our producers talking to one another. That’s what drives our sales, these neighbors and producers speaking highly of us.”
Balsley says he can scan Twitter and see what customers are saying about their product.
“We don’t have to travel but we choose to as much as we can because it’s an opportunity to build that relationship while also allowing them to have a better understanding of the software,” Balsley says. “So these customers become advocates of ours faster.”
And when the company is recognized at the Prometheus Awards as the “Most Outstanding Startup” of the year by the Technology Association of Iowa, it’s a confirmation of the great work being done by the team.
“We are excited to grow this business here in Iowa,” Balsley says. “This entrepreneurial community we have in Iowa is amazing.”
Balsley said the software will continue to be expanded with the potential of becoming a multi-species software.
Previous coverage
AgTech startup is eliminating paper from the farm – Sept. 18, 2017