Led by Idaho Commerce and the Idaho State Department of Agriculture, 21 organizations representing Idaho’s diverse industries including agriculture, food processing, technology and defense are participating in a trade mission to Taiwan and Vietnam from November 10 – 18, 2017. Trade missions provide Idaho companies with an unparalleled opportunity to pursue potential business partnerships, make contacts, and develop exporting opportunities in foreign markets. Over the next two weeks, we’ll be sharing some of their stories.
Hamilton Manufacturing, Inc. (HMI)
Driscoll TopHay is a premier hay and forage export company – a recent joint venture between Driscoll Brands and TopHay Agri-Industries. Driscoll Brands is the marketing arm for the Driscoll Family of Companies, a multi-generational, diversified business group with agriculture expertise. TopHay Agri-Industries is a Canadian corporation with ties to Asia, particularly China, that has been pressing and exporting alfalfa hay from British Columbia for the past five years. Through this partnership, Driscoll TopHay has been able to make Idaho’s high-quality alfalfa available to global markets. Driscoll TopHay opened their new hay compressing facility in Pocatello, Idaho this past August, which currently exports hay to feed dairy cows in Japan, South Korea and China.
The company is seeking partnerships with countries that already export goods to the U.S., allowing shipping containers to return to Asia with a full load of imported alfalfa hay and other feed products rather than empty. The upcoming trade mission is an opportunity for Driscoll TopHay to expand their reach into two new markets, Vietnam and Taiwan. They are looking forward to introducing their direct to consumer sales model and high-quality dairy feed products to additional overseas partners for the first time alongside Idaho Commerce.
For more information about the 2017 Idaho trade mission to Asia, view our Fact Sheet.