Progressive Dairy Solutions

Matt Budine, the co-founder and CEO of Progressive Dairy Solutions, is renowned for transforming visionary ideas into actionable strategies. His innovative venture transcends traditional ration balancing, offering a comprehensive approach to dairy management that has disrupted the industry.

Progressive Dairy Solutions addresses pressing challenges like rising feed costs and shifting milk production dynamics. In an era of declining milk prices and shrinking cow profitability, dairy farms face unprecedented financial strain. This pioneering consultancy serves as a dependable ally, armed with the knowledge and foresight needed to steer toward improved profitability and sustainability.

The Evolution and Vision of Progressive Dairy Solutions

Sixteen years ago, Progressive Dairy Solutions embarked on a mission to revolutionize dairy nutrition. The company’s vision extended beyond ration optimization, encompassing a holistic evaluation of cow well-being and forage quality, culminating in personalized dairy improvement plans.

Throughout its journey, it prioritized client education, emphasizing the importance of highly engaged employees who understand their pivotal role in the operation's success. “We want every owner, manager and dairy employee to know “why they matter and how they fit” in the dairy operation” says Budine. Today, it guides dairy producers away from prevalent misconceptions, ushering them toward a prosperous future. With nearly 1,000 years of combine dairy production medicine and dairy herd nutrition experience, the company aspires to cultivate the most successful and efficient global dairy producers. The core belief is this happens through excellent cow care and cow comfort, this the foundation for elite herd performance on their clients dairy operations.

Nurturing Client Success

The triumph of Progressive Dairy Solutions is inherently linked to client success. This symbiotic relationship relies on a business model anchored in technical expertise, tailored solutions, and unyielding commitment to customer satisfaction. The company crafts customized strategies addressing each dairy producer’s distinct needs by harnessing the prowess of seasoned dairy management consultants and nutritionists.

“We’ve steadily grown over 16 years to become one of the world’s largest independent dairy nutrition companies. What differentiates us is our ability to economically provide all the services and advice to dairy producers,” says Matt Budine, co-founder and CEO.

Unraveling the Tapestry of Excellence

Progress Dairy Solutions distinguishes itself through exceptional customer service, long-term relationship building, and a commitment to cost-efficiency. A key offering is the meticulous redesign of cow diets, a linchpin in dairy success. Feeding cows presents a significant cost challenge, and Progressive Dairy Solutions excels in identifying cost-effective dietary options and optimizing resource utilization.
It ensures that redesigned diets are nutritionally balanced, leveraging the latest scientific research, data analysis, and cutting-edge feed formulation software. Rigorous monitoring protocols continuously track cow performance and health, allowing timely diet adjustments to consistently meet nutritional requirements.

The company employs advanced tools that include computerized nutrient analysis software, data loggers for tracking cow intake and milk production, herd management software, and environmental monitoring systems. Such sophisticated tech solutions empower the company to offer insights and strategies that enhance dairy operations. These insights are presented through intuitive dashboards and comprehensive reports, providing clients with key performance indicators, trends, benchmarks, and alerts.

To further fortify its approach, the company has implemented a groundbreaking tracking program called Cow Tracks, designed to meticulously monitor the use of vitamin trace minerals in each feed mill. This initiative ensures quality control and prepares clients for future advancements like precise tracking systems for enteric methane feed additives.

Progressive Dairy Solutions extends its impact beyond nutrition and dietetics by empowering dairy producer workforces. Comprehensive feed and labor management guidelines are provided, along with robust employee training initiatives, covering milk, health records and financial data. These initiatives empower clients to effectively monitor their operations.

Key Steps to scaling success

At the cornerstone of Progressive Dairy Solutions’ is its distinct approach of six pivotal steps that pave the way for successful scaling. It starts with identifying the challenges in the industry. From the escalation of feed costs to the downward trajectory of milk prices, the company is adept at pinpointing the nucleus of the issues, laying the groundwork for effective solutions.

Going beyond conventional boundaries, it seeks innovative resolutions that transcend ration balancing. Using a blend of cutting-edge technologies, data analytics and forward-thinking methodologies, it has established a reputation for delivering solutions that surpass industry standards.

A notable attribute of the company is its exceptional team of dairy nutritionists and consultants. A combined force of 39 nutritionists across the U.S. and a global team of 47, position it as a repository of unrivaled knowledge and experience. The collaborative relationship fostered among these experts ensures that clients have a panoramic view of their challenges, enabling them to make well-informed decisions.

Team members are empowered to focus on what matters, collaborating with clients. By streamlining administrative processes, it guarantees that its nutrition professionals can dedicate their energy to crafting tailor-made solutions for each dairy producer.

The commitment to education and perpetual advancement distinguishes Progressive Dairy Solutions as an industry leader. Dedicated investments in the ongoing development of its team guarantee that its experts remain at the forefront of dairy management practices.

Whether pioneering solutions for milk processing supply obstacles or spearheading initiatives to mitigate methane emissions, Progressive Dairy Solutions takes up the mantle of leadership. In doing so, it optimizes individual dairy ventures and catalyzes positive advancements across the dairy community.

Cultivating Success through Collaboration

Progressive Dairy Solutions thrives on a dynamic team of distinguished nutritionists who blend science, innovation, creativity, and determination. The company’s unparalleled reservoir of intellectual capital and experience, bolstered by its significant purchasing power derived from servicing 1.1 million lactating cows in the U.S., positions it for excellence. A tangible testament to its effectiveness lies in benchmarking 227,000 cows spanning various dairies. Through the transformative influence of Progressive Dairy Solutions, these herds soared to an astonishing average of 98 pounds of energy-corrected milk—an accomplishment that dwarfs the national average range of 66 to 70 pounds.

An ecosystem designed for efficiency empowers its nutritionists to operate autonomously while benefiting from the collective wisdom of the larger team, unburdened by corporate bureaucracy.

Brian Sundberg and Luciana Jonkman, both co-founders, contribute unparalleled expertise to the team. With over two decades in dairy science and nutrition, Brian excels in driving herd performance and profitability for clients in California and Texas, utilizing his exceptional motivational skills. Luciana specializes in transition cow management, drawing from diverse international farm experiences and prestigious academic backgrounds, offering uniquely detailed solutions crucial for client profitability.

“Our leadership and the combined knowledge of our nutritionists and consultants are paramount to our client’s success. As a result, our services remain adaptable and responsive to the evolving demands of the dairy industry,” adds Budine.

He also emphasizes the importance of cultivating positive change at every level of dairy operations. By empowering individuals to understand and participate in fostering improvements, Progressive Dairy Solutions aims to usher in a new era in dairy management. Budine’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of dairy leaders through initiatives like the North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge highlights his dedication to industry advancement. This program engages numerous universities, grooming over 4,000 students as future leaders in dairy consulting.

Addressing methane production and its role in greenhouse gas emissions is another focus. Its active role in projects that find profitable uses for methane demonstrates a commitment to a greener, more sustainable future for the dairy industry. Progressive Dairy Solutions Top Producing Herds have competitive advantage in 26% reduction of enteric methane per unit of milk over the average US dairy herd.

Under Budine’s leadership, the dairy industry’s transformation is poised for a positive trajectory. Through a holistic approach to dairy management, Progressive Dairy Solutions serves as an innovator, fostering a healthier and more prosperous future for dairy operations nationwide.