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How They Work :: Heimer Hamps

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Breeder Central

As a husband, father, pig farmer and agriculture enthusiast, Jesse Heimer has found his way to the top of our business over the years and created a name for the HH brand both in the ring and as a provider of elite genetics. From the Hill in Taylor, MO, Heimer’s progressive approach to all facets of the business and unique take on our industry has provided differentiation for him in the marketplace and one that many look to as a current benchmark. Want to know the inside scoop on how he operates? Well here it is…

One word that best describes how you work: Constantly

Current Mobile Device: iPhone 6 x 2

Current Computer: Trusty OLD Dell Precision laptop with WindowsXP and MacBook Pro…the transition to the Mac world has been slow

Current Camera: Canon Rebel EOS TSi

What websites, apps or tools can’t you live without? Why?
Showpig.com & Pig Planet for the pulse of showpig world, Facebook because that’s where HH fans look for the latest and greatest, Southwest.com because it’s the best way to travel and AccuWeather because the local guy always lets me down.

How do you keep your to-list?
I’m old school with my legal pad/sticky note hand-written approach but I often use Notes on my phone for the important things.

Besides your phone and computer, what gadget can’t you live without and why?
Mophie battery pack because iPhone batteries weren’t designed for Online Pig Sales…the new one even has its own USB and phone plug!

What do you listen to while you work? 
I rarely listen to anything when working or writing but I always enjoyed Colin Cowherd’s perspective while he was at ESPN and I’m patiently waiting for him to be on the air again. Aside from Sports Talk Radio, XM58 Prime Country is usually my first choice when I’m in the truck.

What everyday thing are you better at than everyone else?
Challenge the status quo

What’s your secret?
I probably wouldn’t function very well on a daily basis without AdvoCare Spark

What are you currently reading or watching?
New Boar Catalogs, “American Sniper” by Chris Kyle and “Dream it! Do it! My Half-Century Creating Disney’s Magic Kingdom by Marty Sklar. I regularly read the Post Dispatch, USA Today and Inc. Magazine. I rarely watch any TV besides Cardinals baseball but I do enjoy watching TV series’ on the iPad while I travel. ‘Breaking Bad’, ‘House of Cards’ and ‘True Detective’ have all been on the recent playlist.

How do you recharge?
My son, Max and I go check the cows and that usually cures anything wrong at the pig farm. I wish I had more time to golf and as an avid Cardinals baseball fan, there’s hardly anything better than watching a game at Busch Stadium in St Louis.

What is your favorite and least-favorite chore?
Mating sows, notching pigs and mowing grass all rank high as favorites…I have always hated power washing

How long does it take you to picture, sort and write a description for ONLY one pig in an online sale?
Best guess…10-15 minutes per pig all in

Describe your ideal customer.
There is no ideal. I’ve found that nearly every situation is unique and that is the beauty of this business

Fill in the blank: I’d love to see __Nick Berry__  answer these same questions.   

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received.
The quote by my desk “Winners don’t wait for chances…they take risks” sums up my mantra in this business. I read it years ago and it has served me well.  On a more serious note, during a recent conversation with a good friend about being a parent of two young kids, he reminded me that ‘all they want is your time.’ It was a great reminder for someone who always finds more work to do, and he couldn’t have been more right.