CentralStar Awards Employees

CentralStar Cooperative, serving dairy and beef producers across the Upper Midwest, including Wisconsin, has announced their employee team-member award winners for the 2020-2021 fiscal year.

At almost 400 employees strong, CentralStar recognizes team members for everything from work anniversaries to sales, service, and outstanding-effort achievements. 

Jim Neuser of Cato was among three winners of the Artificial Insemination Specialist of the Year. Tyler Vande Wettering of Greenleaf was named Team A.I. Technician of the Year. And Nathan Ellerbrock of Osseo was Runner-Up Team A.I. Technician of the Year.

Continuing with CentralStar’s Dairy Herd Information milk-testing business unit, DHI Specialist of the Year recognition went to two people, including Lexi DuSell of New Richmond. Brittany Coop of Eau Claire was one of two named First-Year DHI Specialist of the Year.

Teams are critical to CentralStar’s success. Employee team members are asked to vote for Team Star-Member Award winners who exemplify teamwork, dedication to customers, and overall enthusiasm for the company. The Team Star-Member Award went to a dozen winners including Kyle Nackers of Kaukauna, Mike Kutz of New Holsteins, Dan Zernicke of Bonduel, Matt Staner of Potosi and Victor Lopez of Beaver Dam.

CentralStar recognizes A.I. specialists and team A.I. technicians for number of A.I. services. Achieving major A.I.-service milestones during the last fiscal year: Garret Carnahan of Hilbert, 100,000 A.I. services; James Tiffany of Spring Valley, 100,000 A.I. services; Sandy Hoppmann of Wilton, 100,000 A.I. services; Aaron McMillan of Oshkosh, 150,000 A.I. services; Chris Meyer of Loganville, 150,000 A.I. services; and Dan Zernicke, 175,000 A.I. services.

Area Sales Manager Brad Fossum of Lodi was recognized for achieving a career milestone of 1 million semen-units sold.

In CentralStar’s DHI business unit, employees are honored for number of cows tested. Major milestones in this area include those who’ve tested 1 million cows so far in their careers included Dennis Holterman of Watertown. In addition, Jayne Steuer-Birkholz of Elkhart Lake, 4 million cows; and Rick Huth of Green Bay, 6 million cows.

CentralStar Cooperative has tremendous longevity among employees, and several were honored for major levels in years of service. Those with the most tenure include Dale Griebenow of Watertown, 25 years; Ben Slack of Viroqua, 25 years; Carol Decker of Menasha, 30 years; Scott Woepse of Kiel, 30 years; Frank Blahnik of Cuba City, 40 years; Kris Kimball of Seymour, 45 years; and James Iverson of Mindoro, 45 years.