Back to News Dirk Van Kessel joins UFAC-UK in a new position created to build on upcoming and existing market opportunities across Europe
UK nutritional supplement manufacturer and supplier to the animal feed industry, UFAC-UK has appointed Dirk Van Kessel as its new European Development Manager, to support in its ongoing development plans that have been transforming the business over the past few years.
Operating from the UFAC-UK Newmarket headquarters in Suffolk, and from his home in Lithuania, Netherlands-born Dirk officially started the new role at the beginning of October 2023 after an education and extensive career in ruminant and monogastric nutrition. Spending 10 years alone working for LNB International Feed, which has now been acquired by Cargill, and a further four years working for Keenan, now owned by Alltech, means Dirk is a well-recognised face in the industry.
Dirk’s enthusiasm for sales later led him to develop his own consultancy company in Poland before joining Micron Bio Systems, the UK-based bio solutions business that was acquired by Volac, for a further three years. His previous experience in Europe, Russia and the Middle East has allowed him to build strong cultural connections that he believes will be beneficial during the first few months of his role, as UFAC-UK looks to build and develop new business relationships in Europe.
“UFAC-UK operates in over 25 countries worldwide with huge potential to expand further into Europe. I’m looking forward to developing the sales strategies and markets here, seeking more business in Western and Eastern European countries, and I’m excited to take on the challenges that present themselves on the way,” says Dirk.
Robert Jones, UFAC-UK managing director, comments, “We are delighted to welcome Dirk to the team at this exciting time for UFAC-UK as we expand into Europe. We will be developing our partnership ethos with European distributors, livestock farmers and their nutritionists, providing solutions to current issues in the market.”
A leader in sustainable animal nutrition, UFAC-UK is constantly looking to improve efficiency and reduce carbon footprints whilst maintaining performance.
For Europe, the main offering will be a substantial cost benefit, as well as increased efficiency, performance and sustainability through products such as the palm-free supplement envirolac, and a brand-new product named cholymet which will be launched soon to deliver yet another solution to sustainability.
“With existing challenges in the European market with flexibility, working with a smaller company comes with huge benefits, giving an opportunity to grow new business and allowing us to provide extra service to customers through offering bespoke formulations for farms or farm groups,” adds Dirk.
envirolac will be a key player in improving efficiency in Europe. UFAC-UK recently completed a significant upgrade to its unique UK manufacturing facility, enhancing production efficiencies and helping to reduce its carbon footprint through utilising intelligent control systems.
“With the upgrades to our UK production facility, we are perfectly positioned to meet growing international demand, but also further invest in the research and product development that has been the cornerstone of the business success,” explains Robert.
“I am really looking forward to taking on this role. UFAC-UK has a unique knowledge of feed blends and nutritional value which look to transform the sector and offer new sustainable approaches to feeding livestock across Europe,” concludes Dirk.
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