Ty Groshans has established a reliable reputation in the industry, serving producers in a multitude of ways for more than 15 years. His latest endeavor is bringing him to the Western Livestock Journal team.
WLJ is pleased to welcome Ty as the field representative for producers in southern Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Nebraska, South Dakota and Kansas. Ty brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the team and is ready to begin building relationships with WLJ readers and advertisers alike.
Ty and his wife, Jamie, live near Akron, CO, with their two daughters, Sophie and Emma, and run a small cow-calf herd. He said while Sophie and Emma are still young, they are learning about the quality of cattle and the value of keeping the Western heritage alive into the next generation.
Ty has strong agricultural roots in the state of Colorado. His family can be traced back to the original Wildcat Ranch homestead northwest of Fort Morgan. His grandfather raised and showed Hereford cattle on the Groshans Hereford operation near Holyoke, CO.
“I fell in love and found a passion for cattle and horses early on in life,” Ty told WLJ. “Learning to care for livestock and knowing the value of the hard work that it takes to be in the industry is something that I learned at a young age and carry with me today.”
That passion inspired Ty to further his education at Colorado State University (CSU), where he received degrees in animal science and agricultural business, while also being a part of the seedstock merchandising team. While at CSU, Ty worked at both the CSU research farm and the meat lab on campus, gaining experience from cow-calf to feedlot, to meat cutability and quality standards.
Following his time at CSU, Ty went on to work at the American Angus Association in St. Joseph, MO, as the director of Commercial Programs and assistant director of Performance Programs.
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“I worked with a really great group of regional managers who would connect me with various producers in their territories, and visit with not only commercial operations, but also Angus operations,” Ty said.
“I gave marketing presentations, planned feeder calf sales and developed a very well-rounded knowledge of performance programs and a more in-depth knowledge of EPDs,” he said. “I have carried that knowledge with me throughout my career in marketing cattle and will continue to utilize it in future endeavors,” he continued.
Following his time at the American Angus Association, Ty moved back to Colorado and began working for DVAuction, producing production sales online, including shooting video and taking pictures. He expressed his appreciation for the rapid advancement in technology while he worked at the company, along with the marketing knowledge he gained.
“Working with purebred breeders and helping them market their cattle and watching their success once the cattle sold was a tremendous opportunity,” he said.
Bringing value to WLJ
Ty brings extensive experience in digital and video marketing to WLJ. While he recognizes the importance and prominence of print publications in the industry, Ty is excited for the potential of digital growth. He emphasized the value of having a well-rounded marketing program, utilizing both print and digital components.
“When I first started at DV, I started calling producers and their reaction was ‘Internet? I don’t need it at my sale. Video? Why? No one’s looking at them,’” Ty recalled. “And then about 10 years ago, they started realizing those videos were making a large impact on the selection decisions of their buyers.”
Buyers suddenly had the ability to conveniently pull up a catalog online, look over EPDs and view a picture or short video and make a better-informed decision on sale day.
“There’s a generation of decision makers that are confident in looking at videos and EPDs and buying those bulls sight unseen,” he said.
However, Ty noted, “We have to recognize and remember the heritage and tradition that have gotten us to this point and continue to build in a direction of new-aged marketing.”
Ty expressed admiration for his predecessor, Jim Gies, who served WLJ for 30-plus years. “Jim had a huge impact on the success of producers not only in his region but throughout the nation due in large to the trusted relationships he developed over the years,” Ty said. “This opportunity to represent WLJ would not be possible had it not been for Jim’s dedication to the industry.”
Ty said he is looking forward to starting the next chapter with WLJ. “I’m excited to be on the team and to be a part of what is going on at WLJ,” he finished. “I’ve followed the history of WLJ for many years and I’m honored to be a part of it.” — Anna Miller, WLJ managing editor
