A NOTE FROM THE SALE MANAGER
Welcome to the 2026 Great Lakes Beef Connection Bull Sale. The commitment to providing unprecedented service and genetic advancement has made Great Lakes Beef Connection a top choice for commercial cattlemen to source their bulls not only in Michigan, but across the great nation. Similar customers come first; mindsets coupled with disciplined breeding programs are represented in each of the genetic providers’ herds. If you have never made the journey up to Clare, this will be the year to make the voyage. The consistency and quality from lot 1 to 105 is easily the best to date. Make plans to come and see for yourself! Genetically, the bull offering at Great Lakes Beef Connection raises the bar for the Simmental breed. Balanced EPD profiles with giant indexes are littered throughout the catalog in 2026. The robust embryo program is allowing each of the genetic providers in the sale to push forward at a rapid pace. Ultimately, culminating in a better genetic offering for commercial customers to source superior bulls to create more profits at the ranch level. Buyers have come to expect excellent bulls coming out of Clare, but the service the group is committed to providing is unrivaled for producers. Not only will you find free delivery and a strong bull warranty, but the genetic providers have a strong desire to source feeder cattle sired by their bulls to create more premiums for ranchers. Many loads of Michigan cattle sired by GLBC bulls have been sourced by the group in order to create more value for their customers. Ultimately, if you want a partner to deliver great genetics and service, you have come to the right spot. We hope you will make plans to join us on the second Saturday in March. If you can not be with us, make sure you make plans to join us online at DV. As always, if we can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.
Sincerely, Marty Ropp, Corey Wilkins and Jared Murnin
RIGHTMATE AND RIGHTCHOICE COMPLEX TECHNOLOGIES, SIMPLE APPLICATIONS by Marty Ropp In 2026, we are entering into our eighth full year of cooperation with Dr. Mahdi Saatchi and Top Genomics LLC on genomic selection opportunities poised to literally change the way we view genetic improvement programs. Our seedstock businesses have always been focused on providing a more profitable genetic product each new generation for the long-term success of our vital commercial customer base. These new, cutting-edge genomic services usher in a new world of potential to make producers and ultimately this industry more profitable. By combining the science associated with large effect gene combinations with the power of highly proven traditional genetic evaluation tools, new thresholds of performance and progress are being realized. RightMate prescribed mating technologies ensure maximum genetic progress for economically crucial traits, while at the same time reducing calf crop variation. The 2021 Gibbs Farms offering is a testament to the results of getting the matings more right, more often. The one-year level of improvement in value and uniformity is easy to see both physically and in terms of printed genetic evaluation. Successful seedstock producers have been successful largely because they do a great job of selecting the next generation of sires. These selection decisions must be based squarely on the needs of their customers along with their own wise planning for the future of the beef business. RightMate just helps get the right bulls on a breeders list prescribed and mated to the most logical and genomically complimentary females. RightMate even helps producers to reduce and even eliminate expensive wasted matings. That’s right, wasted matings! To achieve maximum progress and greatly reduce variation, some matings just need to be avoided, even when both parents are genetically valuable independently and could contribute progress simply with different breeding choices. Our data is showing clearly that the bulls you choose not to mate to specific females is almost as important as finding the perfect choice for each one. The results have exceeded even our hopes. RightChoice programs are based on the same genomic improvement principles, but are designed to make commercial sire selection simpler and more precise to meet the needs of our most important customers. Simply choosing the shields of certification genomically assigned to each possible choice in this offering takes out the selection guesswork and helps commercial customers find the genetics that address needs more precisely and more often. The large effect genes, the EPDs and all performance information is included in the designation of ACE, G+ and ATM individuals. With this technology applied, customers can more easily identify and purchase the seedstock they want without always having to work through 20+ pieces of provided information. Just pick the bulls you like from the group whose logo fit your needs. Success simplified. Our focus and commitment to the commercial beef business highlighted now by RightChoice and RightMate technologies, has not and will not change. Today’s Allied business offers opportunities to enhance genetic improvement through genomics, add market value to customer feeder cattle production, offer some of this industry’s best through All Beef and Allied Semen and Genetics, provide fast and efficient data services from Data Genie, offer seedstock marketing assistance and provide the Commercial industry with future focused genetic planning from our experienced and growing staff. Becoming full service genetic providers has always been our goal, because it’s always been important.
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