Gary Guo appointed to head Cobb joint venture in China

In a move to enhance expansion in China, Cobb-Vantress, Inc. has hired Gary Guo as general manager of a new joint venture company.

The new venture – known as Hubei Tong Xing Cobb Breeding Company — is establishing farm and hatchery facilities in the city of Suizhou in Hubei province, west of Shanghai, in a $35 million project with the initial target of producing five million Cobb500 parents a year from early 2015.

Guo has more than 25 years’ experience in the poultry industry with the Beijing Poultry Breeding Company (BPBC), which is a long-term partner with Cobb in the Chinese market.

“We are excited to have Gary join Cobb to lead our team in China,” said Stan Reid, vice president world sales, marketing and technical support. “Gary’s experience and proven track record will complement our efforts as we expand in this region. He will be responsible for building the team, overseeing sales and production, and providing solutions to a growing China market.”

Guo joined BPBC in 1988 after teaching for five years at Beijing Agricultural College where he gained a degree in animal husbandry.

At BPBC he held a series of roles in production, management of technical support and sales, becoming deputy group general manager of BPBC and Beijing Dafa Livestock Company from 2003 until he joined Hubei Tong Xing Cobb Breeding Company. Guo will report directly to Pelayo Casanovas, who was recently appointed as managing director of Cobb Asia/Pacific.