Kyle Imel promoted to Area Sales Manager for Select Sires Member Cooperative

Select Sires Member Cooperative (SSMC) is pleased to announce the promotion of Kyle Imel to an area sales manager. In this role, Kyle serves dairy and beef customers in northern Illinois. In addition to cattle genetic sales, Kyle also markets SSMC’s herd management products, CowManager®, embryos, genomic tests, and ProfitSOURCE^TM. He provides leadership, performance management, and business development in this role. Additionally, he manages the schedules of his area A.I. technicians and builds distributor relationships within his team. This territory has been covered by Gordon Leader, and after 35 years with the cooperative, Gordon will retire at the end of the year. Kyle will now serve the SSMC customers for all their genetic needs.

Kyle started with Select Sires Member Cooperative as a relief technician at 19 years of age. He covered four routes in northern Illinois, three in southern Illinois, and three in northeast Iowa. Kyle also assisted with large beef synchronizations. As the years progressed, so did his responsibilities. He began doing on-farm training, A.I. schools, preparing animals for marketing purposes, and delivering supplies for the cooperative. For the past five years, Kyle has had a full-time route as a ProTECH Professional A.I. Technician, covering six counties in northern Illinois.

While Kyle thoroughly enjoyed his time as a technician, he is looking forward to his new role as an area sales manager. “I am most excited to travel outside of my current area, seeing new country, and meeting new customers. It will also be a treat to work with customers again that I haven't seen in over five years,” shared Imel on his new responsibilities.

“We are excited to promote Kyle to area sales manager. He has spent 12 years with the company and has worked his way up the ranks. His strong customer service skills will be a benefit to our member-owners and customers.” stated Chris Lahmers, Area 3 Business Director.

Kyle and his wife have four children, and together they raise Simmental cattle and Boer goats. Their children show both species at multiple shows throughout the summer. In his free time, Kyle also enjoys deer and coyote hunting. 

Select Sires Member Cooperative (SSMC) was established on October 1, 2023, representing the Select Sires federation in 27 U.S. states and the country of Mexico. SSMC delivers excellence in personalized service, quality offerings, and cattle genetics. They are committed to expanding knowledge and providing professional development opportunities for their team. This promise ensures the highest quality service to their members-owners while enhancing the team’s growth and experience. Select Sires Member Cooperative operates as a true cooperative while striving to inspire the excellence of producers, herds, and communities. To learn more about SSMC, visit ssmcoop.com.