Jim Ashley This is Me

Education

 Web References

1. 1. CropDecisions.com

   www.cropdecisions.com/show_sto - [Cached]

   Published on: 2/1/2001   Last Visited: 1/7/2002

   "We still do consulting, but it represents probably 30 percent of our business," says Jim Ashley, CCA. "I expect by the way the research side is growing, one day the dollar volume will come in at 95 percent from research and five percent from consulting."
   
   The phenomenal growth of the company's business is even more amazing in light of the fact that research dollars are shrinking. Chemical companies are becoming even more selective about the contract researchers they hire.
   
   "They want the highest quality research conducted by companies that are competitive in price," Ashley says. "Our business grew substantially last year. I attribute the growth to our quality work and our marketing program."
   
   AshGrow Crop Management has three full-time principle investigators: Ashley, Tom Rountree and Carl Savage.
   ...
   "Additionally, we contract out our quality assurance work to Crop Management Strategies (CMS), Inc., located in Pennsylvania," Ashley says. "That's Tim White and Dan Ramsdell; their quality assurance (QA) person is Jim Gehman.
   
   "We get a lot of mileage out of them because they are one of the premier contract research firms – if not the best one – on the East Coast. We don't attempt to run our own Quality Assurance Unit. We feel that using a contract QA auditor increases our credibility. Since we're a relatively new firm, and since we are trying to establish ourselves as a premier research firm like CMS, Inc., we are devoting our resources to the integrity of our research."
   ...
   "We have such a diversity of crops within striking distance of our base in Ivor," Ashley says. "As a businessman, I like the diversity because it spreads our risk. With the residue program on experimental compounds, you don't know what work will be available each year. You're better off the more crops you can do research on, the more different types of research you're willing to do, and being willing and able to travel. Diversity enables you to survive."
   
   The bulk of their contract research is foliar residue work.
   ...
   "We have a lot of efficacy business coming on," Ashley says. "It is interesting that the efficacy work is growing so much. I suspect it is simply because we give the customer what he wants. No ifs, ands or buts."
   
   These Virginia consultants started doing fruit research in 2000.
   
   ...
   "We are moving into fruit research on apples and peaches," Ashley says. "We have a very good cooperator up in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. We did one study last year and have had interest in several for the coming year. I think the fruit work will be real good for our business.
   ...
   "Within three hours driving time, we can work in Region I or Region II," Ashley says. "For example, a chemical company might have a new material for apples. To grant a label on apples, the EPA will tell the company to perform two studies in Region I and two in Region II. We can work both regions. We'll be meeting soon with CMS, Inc., to explore possibilities that will allow us to capitalize on knowledge, people and equipment – teaming our resources to provide superior service to clients and increase profitability."
   
   DEVELOPING METHODOLOGY
   ...
   Ashley and his colleagues also are involved in performing residue work in genetically enhanced crops. This work is challenging in that the process to do residue work on biotech crops has not been established.
   
   "We're doing work upon which the scientific method will be developed," Ashley says. "For example, how do you send samples? Do you freeze dry them in the fields? Do you take the samples on blue ice and ship them to the lab where they will freeze dry them?
   
   "The procedure is complicated because it's protein work. When you're isolating a pesticide metabolite in a plant, you can send it frozen.
   ...
   "In addition to herbicide resistance and insect control, we will see pharmaceutical traits carried in the seed," Ashley says.
   
   MARKETING PROGRAM Ashley believes in aggressively marketing his company's contract research program. He is constantly going out and seeing potential clients, and following up with existing ones.
   
   "I explain our research services to them," he says. "I take the experience I learned as a chemical sales rep and show people what we're doing. Considering our personnel and resources, we can stand quite a bit more growth and still deliver a quality product.'"
   
   For example, in mid-November, he attended the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) in Nashville, Tennessee. He talked with several members for potential work in environmental fate research.
   
   ...
   Ashley earned his Bachelor of Science degree in plant protection from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VPI & SU). After graduation, he went into the log woods as a land manager for a lumber company.
   
   "I surveyed, bought timber and built logging roads for four years," he says. "Then I worked a year for U.S. Steel AgriChemicals fertilizer company. I then worked for Rhone-Poulenc for 10 years as a sales rep in the Mid-Atlantic sales region."
   
   Cotton started moving into Virginia in the early 1990s. Nobody in the state really knew much about the crop, including Ashley. He had some experience with cotton, and had always wanted to work in the consulting and research arena. In 1994, he and Tom Rountree started AshGrow Crop Management Systems, Inc.
   
   "Tom is relied on for his intense ability to conduct research while taking care of some of the nuts and bolts activities of running a business," Ashley says.
   ...
   Ashley is a CCA in the Mid-Atlantic district that covers Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. He is also a North Carolina CCA. Additionally, he belongs to the Virginia Agricultural Crop Consultants Association.
   
   "We started walking cotton fields in 1994," Ashley says. "That first year, we did peanut, wheat and cotton consulting. In 1994, Virginia planted 40,000 acres of cotton, and we did about 12,000 acres of cotton and 14,000 acres total. In 2000, the state planted 115,000 acres of cotton, and we did about 5,000 acres, as well as peanuts and wheat."
   
   In late 1994, Ashley became a graduate student in weed science in the plant pathology department at VPI, while continuing to work as a consultant. In 1998, he was awarded a masters degree in weed science from VPI.
   
   "Carl Savage joined us in 1994," Ashley says. "He does consulting and research. Carl's responsibilities run the gamut. In addition to being a principal investigator, he coordinates our research activities on a daily basis and designs the equipment utilized in conducting research." CD