Forrest Lee Ramser passes away
Forrest Lee Ramser, “The Captain”, 85, of Watkinsville, Georgia, USA, died September 14. Mr. Ramser was Chore-Time’s first employee and shareholder. He was the Senior Vice President of Chore-Time Equipment, Inc., and CTB, Inc.; Executive Vice President of CT Sales, Inc.; and President and Managing Director of Chore-Time Elite, N.V., Maldegem, Belgium until 1985.
In 1968, Chore-Time decided to open a southern division and build a plant in Georgia to be near the expanding commercial egg and poultry industry. The Ramsers and their son Fred, moved to Athens in 1970. Mr. Ramser held the position of Senior Vice President of Chore-Time Brock, Inc., Watkinsville, GA until 1985.
Seeing the market potential in Europe and Asia, Chore-Time Elite, N.V., Maldegem, Belgium, was established in 1967 to manufacture mechanized poultry and pig raising systems. CT Elite was split off from the parent company in 1985 and Mr. Ramser took ownership. Defying the advice of marketing experts, the company’s name was changed to Roxell N.V. and the company’s signature colors of red and white were changed to yellow and gray. Always an innovator in, Roxell N.V. purchased A. Stevens N.V., St. Niklaus, Belgium, an injection molding plastics manufacturer.
The new company, EFG, N.V., manufactured the molded plastic feeding, watering pans and parts for Roxell N.V. and other businesses. Roxell N.V purchased SIPCO Co., Springdale, Arkansas in 1991 and Roxell, Inc. was formed to bring the innovative ideas and products of Roxell N.V. to the North and South American market. In 1997 Mr. Ramser, the Chairman of Roxell N.V., sold his interest in the businesses to the managing partners of Roxell N.V. and his three children. CTB International, the original founding parent company, bought Roxell N.V./Inc. in 1999 and brought those companies back into the CTB fold. These and numerous other agricultural companies owned by CTB International were then purchased by Warren Buffet’s investment company, Berkshire Hathaway.
