GREEN BAY, Wis. – Alltech is pleased to present the 2025 Most Valuable Employee (MVE) Award to Alejo Gutierrez of Enchanted Dairy in Little Falls, MN. This award recognizes the value of a dairy farm employee with an exceptional work ethic who exhibits integrity and who engages in their responsibilities on a dairy farm. Nominations are made by a farm manager, dairy owner, farm consultant, or nutritionist based on qualities such as perseverance, honesty, and integrity. The finalists were honored during the annual Alltech Dairy Summit on Dec. 11, in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
“Alltech is proud to honor Alejo Gutierrez as this year’s Most Valuable Employee Award winner for his hard work and dedication,” said Jorge Delgado, Alltech on Farm Support, People+. “This award is designed to recognize the people behind the cows and their exceptional work ethic and integrity.”
Brooke Carrow nominated Alejo and said, “Alejo has been a dedicated employee with my family for many years. He is diligent and determined in his work as a herdsman but also works to improve employees based on things he is seeing cow-side. For example, if he sees more mastitis in cows, he investigates the cause and works on fixing the process that is broken whether mechanical, employee, or both. He is always actively engaged in meetings, asks good questions, and helps his fellow co-workers understand by providing additional translation or specific examples that have happened in the dairy to deepen their understanding.
“Alejo's positivity is one of his greatest traits and earns him immense respect. He goes above and beyond by not only reporting the problem, but he also fixes it if he can. The feedback he provides on problems is always constructive and all-encompassing of the entire dairy system (cow, employee, mechanics, flow). His self-discipline, dependability, and honesty are of the highest caliber. If things aren't working right or cows need additional treatments, he will stay until everything is taken care of and working properly.
“He adheres to protocols and standard operating procedures but also asks questions and mention if protocols don't appear to be working so we can dive into the data to confirm, do additional research, and bring in experts in the area and either learn more or modify protocols. Alejo is extraordinary and demonstrates all the qualities of an MVE, perseverance, positivity, honesty, and integrity.
“We feel blessed to have an employee of his caliber that cares as much about the farm and employees as we do! It brings us great peace of mind when we cannot be at the dairy knowing he is there taking care of everything.”
The other finalists honored during the Alltech Dairy Summit included Ken Walsh, of Soaring Eagle Dairy, Newton, WI, nominated by Julie Maurer; and Chris Granius of Ebert Enterprises, Algoma, WI, nominated by Michelle Shambeau, Jordan Ebert and Robb Bender.
“Congratulations to each of these employees on your nomination for this award. We acknowledge the dedicated work that you do every day,” said Delgado. “And thank you to the individuals who nominated each employee and for recognizing their dedication, talent and understanding the importance of employee recognition in our industry.”
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