Cobb Europe plans for growth - US - Growth of sales of the Cobb 500 broiler breeder in Europe and the Middle East has led to the creation of a new Cobb Europe business development group and twin technical service divisions.

The business development group, led by director John Vincent, will be responsible for marketing, regional strategy, business planning and technical support.

The changes bring back to Cobb Europe Jonathan Cade who becomes manager of one of the two divisional technical teams after spending a year in the USA gaining experience with Cobb-Vantress and its customers in North America.

"The new structure will assist us in building the Cobb 500 market share across the region as well as developing sales where appropriate of our other products, the Cobb 700 and the Avian lines," says Brian Cosgriff, general manager of Cobb Europe. "It will benefit customers, too, in providing more data and support to help them take full advantage of Cobb."

Members of the business development group are product manager Euan Meldrum, product adviser Katie Hollands and administrative assistant Sam Harding.

John Vincent, who joined Cobb in 1983, has been technical director of Cobb Europe for the past two and a half years, and was formerly general manager of the European-based research and development programme. Euan Meldrum joined Cobb in 2002 with ten years' experience in the UK poultry industry, taking up a new position as product manager.

Katie Hollands started with Cobb in 1998 after graduating in zoology and has worked in roles involving research, broiler trials, data analysis and technical advice. Sam Harding joined the company in 1998 after studying business and finance and has held several roles, most recently technical services co-ordinator.

In the new technical service divisions the team led by Jonathan Cade will cover Eastern Europe, UK, Ireland, Belgium, Holland and southern Africa. Jonathan is also the UK market business manager responsible for sales and technical service, and will have Kevin Lennon and Alan Meldrum working alongside him. Jonathan joined Cobb in 1995 and over the last eight years he has had responsibilities for technical service in the UK, Ireland, and US markets before rejoining Cobb Europe as divisional technical manager.

The second technical service team is led by Pelayo Casanovas, divisional technical manager, who will be responsible for Mediterranean Europe, Middle East, Germany and Scandinavia. After graduating with a Masters Degree in Poultry Science, Pelayo joined Cobb in the USA in 1999 for one year as production area manager moving on to technical service for six months. In 2001 Pelayo joined Cobb in the UK working in production and technical service before becoming regional technical manager for Western Europe.

Cobb Europe's new business development group - from left Sam Harding, John Vincent, Katie Hollands and Euan Meldrum

Jonathan Cade (right) returning to Cobb Europe after a year with Cobb-Vantress in the USA, pictured with Pelayo Casanovas (left) and Brian Cosgriff

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Source: Cobb-Vantress - 23rd April 2004