Monday, 5 April 2010

CATCH THE BUZZ - THE BIGGEST GETS BIGGER

CATCH THE BUZZ

Groeb Farms Inc., a portfolio company of Horizon Partners, has acquired Miller’s American Honey Inc., a Colton, Calif.-based honey producer. No financial terms were disclosed. Houlihan Smith & Co. advised Miller’s American Honey on the deal.

Houlihan Smith & Company, Inc. (Houlihan Smith) acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Miller’s American Honey, Inc. in their sale to Groeb Farms, Inc., a portfolio company of Horizon Partners Ltd. The announcement was made by Charles Botchway, Group Managing Director and Vice Chairman of Houlihan Smith. The transaction was led by Houlihan Smith Managing Director Lester (Jay) Rodgers. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

George Murdock, Miller’s American Honey’s Board Chairman, issued the following statement: “The deal team at Houlihan Smith made extraordinary efforts to work towards “win-win” solutions in effecting our sale to Groeb Farms. Their approach cautiously avoided hyperbole, relying instead on honest, straightforward presentation of facts, supported by their ability to communicate complex financial data into evidence of true value.”

In announcing the acquisition, Ernie Groeb, Groeb Farms President and Chief Executive Officer said “Merging these two businesses who share a common family legacy of commitment to the production of high-quality products will benefit our customers and their consumers.” He continued: “We are honored that the Murdock family has entrusted the Miller legacy to us”.

Houlihan Smith Vice President Matthew Thomason stated: “We are pleased to have had the opportunity to assist the Murdock family achieve their goals and realize an outcome fitting of the rich, 116-year heritage of Miller’s American Honey.”

About Houlihan Smith & Company
Houlihan Smith & Company, Inc. is a specialized investment banking firm that provides financial advisory and valuation services to public and private businesses. Houlihan Smith is a registered broker-dealer and also a member of FINRA/SIPC.

Houlihan Smith understands the time sensitivity related to corporate finance transactions and responds quickly and effectively to new opportunities. The Houlihan Smith approach creates corporate finance transactions in which business owners and investors mutually benefit. Having the knowledge, experience and relationships to match buyers and sellers, as well as the ability to match the appropriate financing and capitalization structure to each unique client situation, is a strength that differentiates Houlihan Smith from the competition. Houlihan Smith provides cost-effective fairness and solvency opinions, as well as valuations for tax reporting and financial reporting for some of the largest NYSE/NASDAQ companies and small private businesses. (www.houlihansmith.com)

About Groeb Farms, Inc.
Groeb Farms, Inc. (www.groebfarms.com) began as a family-owned business in 1973. In 2007, the company joined forces with private equity company, Horizon Partners. Groeb Farms is the world’s largest Industrial and Foodservice processor of honey, selling approximately 70M pounds of honey in 2009. In addition to honey, Groeb Farms also distributes peanut butter, molasses, mustard and vinegar. These Groeb Farms products are used for direct consumption or as ingredients in products such as salad dressings, sauces, snacks, bread, cookies, crackers, beverages, and meat. Groeb Farms, Inc. is headquartered in Onsted, MI, with locations in Belleview, FL and Baytown, TX.

About Miller’s American Honey Company
Miller’s American Honey Company is a family owned business which began in 1894. From humble beginnings as a Beekeeping enterprise, Miller’s has grown into a $30M operation, with domestic as well as international customers. The Company’s primary product line is honey; however, customers are also serviced with products, such as, peanut butter, molasses and agave syrup. Products range from retail packages for grocery store shelves to tanker loads of honey for bakeries. Miller’s American Honey Company is headquartered in Colton, CA with a second location in Oakland, CA.

Find out What’s New At Mann Lake right Here

Subscribe to Malcolm Sanford’s Apis Newsletter right here For a comprehensive listing of beekeeping events around the country and around the globe, check out Bee Culture’s Global Beekeeping Calendar

This message brought to you by Bee Culture, The Magazine Of American Beekeeping, published by the A.I. Root Company. Is beekeeping not legal where you are, or do you know somewhere it's not? Help us help beekeepers everywhere...tell us the name of the city, town, or county and we'll get it on the list. Send an email to Kim@Beeculture.com today!

 

 

Thursday, 1 April 2010

CATCH THE BUZZ - 2 Year Rule Set

CATCH THE BUZZ

Egg Laying Union Set To Strike. Two Years And Out Rule Contested.

 EGGLAYERS UNION SETS STRIKE VOTE: Mandatory Retirement Age at Issue

Submitted by Eugene Makovec, Newsletter Editor, Missouri State Beekeepers Association, April 1, 2010, St. Louis, Missouri


Members of the International Sisterhood of Egglayers, Local 1851, are set to vote this week on a strike action against SweetBee Honey Corporation.

At issue is SweetBee’s new mandatory retirement age of two years for queen bees. The policy was announced on March 1, and drew an ominous hum of indignation from egglayers across the company’s 1200-hive operation.

“It’s completely arbitrary – it’s not even a matter of individual ability,” buzzed Myrtle, a 26-month-old queen who declined to give her last name. “They just assume we’re too old and can no longer do the job.”

Myrtle was summarily dismissed as she reached her second anniversary at SweetBee, just weeks after the new policy took effect. She was able to find work in a nearby observation hive, and while she considers herself lucky, she acknowledges that this is a huge demotion for her. “This used to be where old, worn-out queens went to die,” she mused. “I love my hive-mates and am treated well by my keeper, but it’s not the same as running a full-scale production hive. I need to be challenged.”

“It’s just not fair,” complained Rosie Romano-Ortis-Petrova-Schultz-Bertolli-Bremer-Maggiano-Boehner-Milosevic-Anderssen-Bommarito-Yurovich-Hegel, a 22-month-old single mother of 54,371. “I feel like I’m just coming into prime production age. I’ve got a lot of mouths to feed, and now I have to worry about one day being plucked out of my work station like some yellow jacket, and tossed out into the grass … or worse.”

SweetBee officials declined to comment for the record, citing ongoing negotiations. But one high-level manager, speaking on condition of anonymity, called it “a matter of simple economics…. It is true that you can’t put a definitive age on productivity,” he said. “But the simple fact is, once they get beyond that two-year point, it’s really hit-or-miss.” And since the union has consistently resisted the idea of its older members submitting to viability testing, he added, “This was our only option.”

Another company official concurred. “Close to 50 percent of queens experience significant production declines in their third year, and the worst part is, it’s so unpredictable. You have a queen who looks to be doing a great job, and suddenly she starts producing nothing but drones. It’s very difficult, and very expensive, to replace her when that happens in mid-season.”

It is widely acknowledged that queen productivity declines with age, often during the third year and almost always by the fourth. The reasons are complex, but experts agree that the largest issue is a decreasing supply of sperm in the egg-layer’s spermatheca. This organ is supplied on a mating flight within the first two weeks of a queen’s life, and is never replenished. (Sperm is required for fertilization of worker eggs, while unfertilized eggs develop into drones.)

In previous labor negotiations, management has floated the idea of requiring queens to make additional mating flights, possibly annually, in order to circumvent this supply issue. But while drones have generally supported that proposal, the egglayers’ union has been vehemently opposed. Some members object on ethical grounds. “It’s just not natural,” said one queen. “No queen in nature has ever been subjected to this ritual more than once, and we shouldn’t have to start now.”

Then there is the safety issue.  There are occasional reports of virgin queens falling victim to birds or other predators during mating flights. “Foragers deal with this danger as a part of their job,” said Myrtle, “but they’re also more nimble than we are, and have extensive flight training to boot.” After mating, the only time a queen would typically leave the hive is in a swarm, when she’s surrounded by a large contingent of workers.

The last time the apiculture industry saw open labor strife was in 1962, when the International Union of Drones (DUI) declared a general strike, protesting the industry-wide policy of releasing drones in the autumn months in preparation for the winter dearth period. But the ill-fated strike occurred in late September, at a time when apiaries had little to gain from negotiation with the union. The action was settled within days in a humiliating defeat for the union. In an effort to save face, and in exchange for a promise not to strike the following spring when a work stoppage would have had more serious repercussions, DUI leaders asked for and obtained an unrelated concession -- the free-agent status that their membership enjoys to this day. (Some conspiracy theorists maintain that this was the result the union had in mind at the outset, though most experts agree that drones are just not that intelligent.)

Under the free agent policy, drones are allowed to drift from hive to hive as they see fit. It is not uncommon for a drone to leave his home hive in the morning, visit several drone congregation areas during the course of the day and then follow other drones back to a different hive in the evening. In recent years this state of affairs has been blamed in part for the spread of mites and disease conditions between hives, but there has been no serious discussion about amending the policy.

As far as the impending strike vote is concerned, most believe the motion will pass easily. “It’s just too much,” said an executive at another apiary. “SweetBee can’t expect this big a change to go uncontested. But (a strike) won’t last long,” he added. “The company certainly can’t do without the queens’ services this time of year. I’m guessing management will cave quickly – if they let them walk out at all.”

Meanwhile, Romano-Ortis-Petrova-Schultz-Bertolli-Bremer-Maggiano-Boehner-Milosevic-Anderssen-Bommarito-Yurovich-Hegel, the 22-month-old soon-to-be retiree, is busy planning for life after SweetBee. She’s developing a plan for a pheromone-marketing business, and is looking for consulting work.


Protein feeding pays off with better bee health, better survival, better production, and better wintering.  Learn More.

 Find out What’s New At Mann Lake right Here

Subscribe to Malcolm Sanford’s Apis Newsletter right here For a comprehensive listing of beekeeping events around the country and around the globe, check out Bee Culture’s Global Beekeeping Calendar

This message brought to you by Bee Culture, The Magazine Of American Beekeeping, published by the A.I. Root Company.

 

Wednesday, 31 March 2010

CATCH THE BUZZ - Quarantine Issues in OZ

CATCH THE BUZZ

Who's Mnding The Store? And Who's Looking For Bees?


The following story was taken from the Editorial Notes section of THE AUSTRALASIAN BEEKEEPER, April, 2010 Edition.

The trucking magazine "Big Rigs" issue of 21 January 2010 contained two reports from truckers who, on going to the wharf (it is not clear what wharf, but one in Australia somewhere), containers being collected were NOT being inspected if collected between 10 PM and 6 AM. One truck driver, leaving the wharf at 5:30 AM was waved through, as the quarantine office was not open until 6 AM. The second driver interviewed pointed out to the quarantine staff the hypocrisy of only being inspected after 6 AM, and was told to take it up with the Federal Government.

To this the Editor of THE AUSTRALAIAN BEEKEEPER added:

"All very well, but what happens when a swarm of Apis mellifera carrying Varroa destructor happens to be on a container leaving the quarantine area at 5:30 AM?"

Australia does not have, and does not want Varroa destructor on its soil.

And to this Bee Culture magazine adds:

"All very well, but what happens when a swarm of Apis cerana, without any mites, viruses, pests, diseases or any problems whatsoever happens to be on a container leaving the quarantine area at 5:30 AM?"

Two years after the first find of A. cerana in Australia authorities still are finding swarms from the initial incursion...yet incidents such as recorded above continue. The issue here isn't only whether there are mites or other problems associated with these bees, but that they can't even find all the bees, and quarantine situations are apparently not considered a serious security issue. And U.S. beekeepers do not want cerana bees in the U.S., nor do U.S. beekeepers want new pests in the U.S. Still, Australian authorities continue to say this cannot occur because the bees are located so far from any areas honey bees are exported from.

Until they get on a truck.

There is currently an ongoing comment period to APHIS on the safety of importing Australian honey bees into the U.S. Find out how to make a commont on how safe you feel about these bees. Got to www.Beeculture.com, click the BUZZ archives link and then the original story with the link to to the APHIS page. How safe do you feel?

Central Beekeepers Alliance : Beekeeper ALERT: March 2010

Central Beekeepers Alliance : Beekeeper ALERT: March 2010


Beekeeper ALERT: March 2010

Posted: 30 Mar 2010 10:11 AM PDT

Report from Fletcher Colpitts,
Chief Apiary Inspector for New Brunswick
30 March, 2010
:

After checking my own hives in the last warm spell and talking to some of the larger beekeepers, it may be a good idea to make beekeepers aware of the possibility of their colonies running short of food supplies.

In this part of NB, in Westmorland County, the pollen in the colonies is almost non-existent, which is unusual before spring brood rearing (April). Syrup and honey supplies are not exhausted yet, however, the present supplies will be quickly used up during brood rearing.

Beekeepers should monitor their hives and feed if necessary.

Feeding with pollen substitute patties is necessary if beekeepers find their hives in the same conditions as I have been seeing them.

If they feed, syrup feeders are not the best to use in cooler temperatures. Frame feeders placed next to the cluster and / or pail feeders above the cluster are best for cool weather feeding. (Temperature less than 10 to 15 degrees Celsius.)

The weather this winter has been unusual in every regard which has caused this unusual condition of lack of pollen and little syrup and honey supplies in colonies at this time of year.

Fletcher 

Beekeeper ALERT: March 2010 was written and published by the Central Beekeepers Alliance - Honey Bees & Beekeeping in New Brunswick, Canada. For more information, please visit http://cba.stonehavenlife.com.

Tuesday, 30 March 2010

CATCH THE BUZZ - Bee Loss Survey Needs YOU!

CATCH THE BUZZ

Take the survey. Get Counted.


Dear Beekeeper:

The Apiary Inspectors of America and the USDA-ARS Beltsville Bee Research Laboratory are seeking your help in tabulating the winter losses that occurred over the winter of 2009-2010. This continues the AIA/USDA survey efforts from the past 3 years which has been important in quantifying the losses of honey bees for government, media, and researchers.

This year’s survey is faster, easier and does not require your time on the phone. It is all web based and automatic, just fill and click.

 

Please take a few moments to fill out our winter loss survey at:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/beeloss0910

 

This survey will be conducted until April 16th, 2010.

 

We would also appreciate it if you would forward this email to other beekeepers. The more  responses the better.

If you have any questions or concerns please email beeloss@gmail.com., or Honeybee.Survey@aphis.usda.gov

 

Thanks in advance for your assistance.

 

Jeff Pettis; USDA-ARS Beltsville Bee Research Laboratory

 

Dennis vanEngelsdorp; Penn State University

Jerry Hayes; Florida Department of Agriculture

Dewey Caron; University of Delaware and Oregon State University


Protein feeding pays off with better bee health, better survival, better production, and better wintering.  Learn More.

 

 Find out What’s New At Mann Lake right Here

Subscribe to Malcolm Sanford’s Apis Newsletter right here For a comprehensive listing of beekeeping events around the country and around the globe, check out Bee Culture’s Global Beekeeping Calendar

This message brought to you by Bee Culture, The Magazine Of American Beekeeping, published by the A.I. Root Company.

 

 

Monday, 29 March 2010

Central Beekeepers Alliance : Special Gear for Central Beekeepers

Central Beekeepers Alliance : Special Gear for Central Beekeepers


Special Gear for Central Beekeepers

Posted: 28 Mar 2010 07:35 PM PDT

The new CBA logo makes its first appearance in a selection of custom t-shirts and caps produced for us by Valley Graphics. There’s a wide variety of colour combinations to choose from for the clothing, and sew-on patches are also available. Here’s just a sample of the great-looking gear that our beekeepers will be sporting this summer!

beekeepers-clothing

If you are a member of the Central Beekeepers Alliance and you’d like to order any of these shirts, caps or badges, just speak to VP Christine Dembenski at the next CBA meeting.

Special Gear for Central Beekeepers was written and published by the Central Beekeepers Alliance - Honey Bees & Beekeeping in New Brunswick, Canada. For more information, please visit http://cba.stonehavenlife.com.

Tuesday, 23 March 2010

CATCH THE BUZZ - LETS END THE NO BUZZ ZONES!

CATCH THE BUZZ

Let's make every county, every city and town, street and backyard, rooftop, balcony, front porch and empty lot a legal place to let honey bees be home!


New York City, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Denver…There’s no telling which city or county will be next to allow bees, beekeepers and beekeeping in backyards, on rooftops and vacant lots. But there are still a host of cities and towns and other places that haven’t seen the light. They’ve put up that NO BUZZ ZONE sign and have no intent of taking it down anytime soon.

The Dailygreen.com and Bee Culture magazine want to find those cities and towns and make a list. We’ll make a map and we’ll get it on our web pages for all to see. We want YOUR help with this. Know a city or town that doesn’t allow beekeeping yet? Let us know. Help us identify those burgs that want no bees.

If you know a city or town…maybe it’s yours or one nearby…send me an email and let me know. But so I can identify what it’s about put NO BUZZ in the subject line. Then, put in the city, and the state and your first and last name (or just your first name if you want). Then we’ll start mapping them and get the map up for everybody to see. Send your emails to Kim@BeeCulture.com today!

Help us help the honey bees, the beekeepers and beekeeping. Let’s make every  beekeeper legal!

This Call To Bees is brought to you by Bee Culture, The Magazine Of American Beekeeping. www.BeeCulture.com