What We Offer
Innovation Stockyard will help bring your innovation to market. We specialize in animal health ideas, but can also provide a “total package” of support services for any idea. We will work with you one-on-one to test, develop and prepare your idea for market launch—giving your innovation the best chance for success. Our team and board members have extensive animal health industry experience in all aspects of business management and scientific research, with the added benefit of managing a 25,000 sq. ft. on Missouri Western State University’s campus. The Innovation Stockyard team can provide support and assistance to you in the following areas, as well as many others:
- Business plan
- Marketing
- Grant writing
- Product distribution
- Guidance to capital sources
- Extensive network connections
- Laboratories and office space
- Strategic partnership development
- Study design
- Regulatory assistance
- Intellectual property
- Product commercialization
Who We Are
Sara Hagen
Incubator Manager
Sara Hagen has been a part of the Kit Bond Incubator since it opened in the summer of 2008. As Incubator Manager, she oversees the management of all activities in the facility. She is typically the first contact for clients and virtual clients upon arrival at Innovation Stockyard. With dual Bachelor’s degrees in Mathematics and Accounting from the University of North Dakota, Sara provides critical support to clients in the areas of cost analysis, bookkeeping, budgeting, and financial planning, helping businesses to develop a financial road map. She recently received her Incubator Manager Certificate through the National Business Incubator Association.
Mentoring Stakeholders
Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. (BIVI)
BIVI is a leader in the animal health industry with its portfolio of innovative vaccine and pharmaceutical solutions for the prevention and treatment of disease within the swine, cattle, equine and pet markets. BIVI is the U.S. division of the global Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health GmbH. Its U.S. headquarters are located within the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor in St. Joseph, Missouri, with other sites in Ames, Fort Dodge and Sioux Center, Iowa. Since it was founded in 1885, the family-owned company has been committed to researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing new medications of high therapeutic value for human and veterinary medicine. The BIVI team of experts is available to help coach a new company.
Buchanan County
Buchanan County can help a new company secure economic incentives that will make their move to St. Joseph easier and more affordable. These incentives can also help make building a new business here much easier.
Clipper Distributing
Clipper Distributing works with some of the largest names in the animal health field. They bring products to veterinarians and animal owners through a national network of distributor partners. Clipper represents a wide range of products from hard to find specialty items to money-saving generics with a concentration on companion animal.
ICM Biofuels
ICM Biofuels, LLC (ICM Biofuels) integrates new products and technologies from ICM, Inc into its facility to be the initial adopter in the market. The 50-MGY ethanol biorefinery, located in St. Joseph, MO., was initially built in 2006 and started production in October 2007 to take advantage of the available starch stream from Lifeline Foods. In 2014, ICM Biofuels began managing the ethanol production portion of the Lifeline Foods facility. Currently, it produces ethanol, wet and dry distiller grains, distillers corn syrup, and high-quality corn oil.
LifeLine Foods
In 1996, progressive corn producers from the central United States formed AgraMarke, an Identity Preserved production cooperative. In June of 2001, the progressive cooperative purchased the 750,000 square foot manufacturing facility located in Saint Joseph, Missouri and formed what is now known as LifeLine Foods, LLC. This level of vertical integration combined the talents and visions of the farmers with a processing facility capable of producing high quality food ingredients. Our 600+ progressive farmers participate in globally recognized, sustainable agriculture practices. LifeLine’s farmers are located in the Heartland of America, sourcing corn from Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska. Our farmers use innovative farming techniques, as well as globally recognized sustainable agriculture practices, that continue to drive their farms forward.
Commerce Bank
Commerce Bancshares, Inc. operates as a super-community bank and offers a range of financial products to consumer and commercial customers. It has approximately 275 locations in Missouri, Kansas, Illinois, Oklahoma and Colorado and commercial offices. The Company’s segments include Commercial, Consumer, and Wealth. The Commercial segment provides a full array of corporate lending, merchant and commercial bank card products, payment solutions, leasing, and international services, as well as business and government deposit, investment, and cash management services. The Consumer segment includes the retail branch network, consumer instalment lending, personal mortgage banking, and consumer debit and credit bank card activities. The Wealth segment provides traditional trust and estate planning services, brokerage services, and advisory and discretionary investment portfolio management services to both personal and institutional corporate customers.
Albaugh
Albaugh is the global leader in the production and sale of post-patent crop protection products and is uniquely positioned to service farmers, distributors and partners in all our markets with a broad portfolio of high quality, competitively priced products. Success is achieved through Albaugh’s strategic focus areas: high quality products trusted by farmers for decades, outstanding customer service and reliability, competitive sourcing and supply chain for key ingredients, flexible and efficient manufacturing operations in all markets, low cost sales and support structure ensuring long term competitiveness. The continued addition of new products to the portfolio and expansion into more segments will secure future strong growth benefitting the farmers, distributors and partners we serve around the world.
Hillyard
Founded in 1907, Hillyard is a leading manufacturer and distributor of cleaning and hygiene solutions. Helping our customers deliver clean, safe, healthy facilities is our purpose, passion and focus. It’s what we do. It’s everything we do-every day! We have the cleaning expertise, focus and know-how that matters. It’s how we help improve outcomes, lower cleaning costs, and deliver enhanced hygiene cleaning and disinfection results that all stakeholders demand.
Missouri Western State University
Missouri Western State University offers certificates, associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees. This regional university focuses on student-centered, high-quality instruction and emphasizes experience-based learning and community service. The partnership with MWSU offers prospective tenants and clients access to academic insight and expertise as well as student interns.
Nestlé Purina PetCare Company
Nestlé Purina—a global leader in the pet products industry—promotes responsible pet care, humane education, community involvement and the positive bond between people and their pets. In the U.S., Nestlé Purina Pet Care Company is the number one pet care company in sales, volume and market share. Some of our most popular and trusted pet food brands include: Purina® Dog Chow® brand dog food, Purina Cat Chow® brand cat food; Friskies® brand cat food and treats; Fancy Feast® gourmet cat food; Purina Beneful® brand dog food and treats; Purina ONE® brand dog and cat foods and Purina Pro Plan® brand dog and cat foods and treats. Nestlé Purina PetCare Company has a rich history of community involvement in the cities where we have manufacturing and research and development facilities, such as those found in St. Joseph. The Nestlé Purina R&D Center, which is working on innovations in pet health and nutrition, is a stakeholder in the St. Joseph Innovation Stockyard and helps entrepreneurs connect with Purina.
City of St. Joseph
Some things you just can’t learn from a history book. Like seeing where the Pony Express began & Jesse James ended. Today, St. Joseph retains its links to the past while looking toward the future. The city is home to 13 distinctive area museums, 12 annual festivals, and amazing architecture listed on the National Register of Historic Places. You’ll also find great outdoor recreation throughout 48 parks, 26 miles of beautiful Parkway, outdoor concerts, and an arts culture unlike any other. Beyond being a wonderful place to call home, the city can also help a new company secure economic incentives that will make their move to St. Joseph easier and more affordable.
St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce
Since its inception in 1862 as the Board of Trade of St. Joseph, the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce has been the catalyst for economic growth and development in Northwest Missouri. The Chamber strives to be the unified voice of business that advocates, promotes and inspires the St. Joseph area. The Chamber’s mission, supported by more than 1,000 members, is to create partnerships to promote a culture of excellence and an economic environment, allowing businesses to succeed and the St. Joseph area to prosper.
Why St. Joseph
St. Joseph is not only Missouri’s best-kept secret, it’s also where the highest concentration of Animal Health Corridor companies reside. Located only 30 minutes north of Kansas City, you’ll find that St. Joseph is a great place to start a business—with easy access to industrial space, office space, labor, scientific and academic resources, and even the Kansas City International Airport. It’s the ideal spot for starting—or growing—a new business, especially in the field of animal sciences. Better yet, St. Joseph is a wonderful place to live—filled with great restaurants, excellent schools, and national historic treasures, such as the Jesse James and Pony Express museums. Your team will enjoy the sights and sounds of this amazing historic jewel.