Nilson Bros - XL beef

[ALLFARMER]

My uncle just bought some newborn calves from Nilson bros Clyde. They charged him $0.50/head/day for feeding them, and he picked them up the day he bought them, add to that there is no way these calves were ever fed. How long do you think the charge will stay at 50 cents 6-months?

XL just tripled their profits,they bought the new $12 million dollar Barrhead pork plant for what $1.9 million I though I heard? These guys are pretty smooth operators!

[wd40]

check the record I think in the middle of BSE they jacked up their commissions and sent out an ultimatium to producers that no cattle will be accepted at their plants unless hauled by Roberge either. Free Enterprise

[kato]

I was told by a trucker that they were also charging about twice the freight they should have to truck cattle from Manitoba. And they still do.

[cowman]

All I know about Nilson Bros. is they took our local mart and turned it around in a big way! Under Hartland Livestock it went from being one of the very top marts in the province to one of the worst!
They also took a complete loser of a packing plant(XL Calgary) and turned it around?
I wonder why people expect a Canadian company should act any different than an American company? Isn't that why most of our companies went belly up and were bought out by Americans? Because they couldn't compete?
If people don't like the way Nilsons do business is there any reason they can't take their business down the road? Why would you take your cattle to their mart if you thought you could get a better commission at the next place over? No one holds a gun to your head and forces you to sell through a Nilson mart? Or buy there either.

[cswilson]

Exactly cowman thats why I don't-it's amazing though the guys that trip over themselves to bendover for a Nilson special.

[BigMuddyrancher]

Rigth behind you on that CSW. OOPS maybe not the right words for the situation.

[Willowcreek]

csWilson- Big Muddy Rancher-- I'm starting to wonder about you guys. Seen on ranchers.net where this csWilson fellow keeps sleeping with a northern ranchers wife. Now all this. Hasn't even been a long winter yet! LOL

[whiteface]

Thanks for the laugh, willowcreek! Hey CS, BMR, you all want to give us any explanations!

[jensend]

i'd rather they didn't. my computer and i might both need therapy.

[cswilson]

Come on WillowCreek you'll figure it out if you try hard lol.

[ALICIA]

ccwilson_ seems to me awail back, you said that you got ruffed up by a unrully colt. Broken ribs or something. I'm wondering now.

[cswilson]

Ohh wasn't an unruly colt was probably one of the best horses i've ever rode-she was going flatout and turned a cow back when my front cinch broke. Saddle rolled under her then flanked her-kids said it was wild too watch lol.

[cowman]

The important thing to remember here is we still have options? If you don't like Nilsons then don't deal with them...that is your right? If you don't like Cargill/IBP then don't deal with them either. They may look like they have a monopoly but in reality they don't? Nerves, rpkaiser, whiteface and grassfarmer are all moving toward a system where they don't have to deal with them. Anyone who wants to put in the effort can do the same? I guess it just comes down to how committed you are to your industry and how far you want to take it?
When the dust settles on this thing, many Canadian cattlemen will be gone...either of there own choice or because they couldn't hang in there. Not pretty but then major change is always tough to accept?