A Passion for Calves, A Commitment to Nutrition
Our story is that of humble beginnings...
Growing up on a dairy and hog farm in central Holland, Henk didn’t dream of starting his own company. He dreamt of working his way around the world, learning as much as he could about what he was passionate about: calves.
And work he did.
After attending agricultural college for animal nutrition and ag business, he took every calf care job he could find. Along the way, he learned new languages and refined the art of caring for calves.
That pursuit of knowledge brought him across Europe and eventually to the United States, where he completed his master’s research in calf nutrition. From there, he became a nutritionist for a large animal nutrition company in the US.
Turning Adversity into Opportunity
When the company was sold and all employees were let go, he suddenly found himself with a brand-new baby to provide for — but no job to do the providing.
Throughout his journey, he had developed a unique set of skills. He also gained the knowledge required to produce a nutritionally sound milk replacer. The goal was simple: raise healthier calves.
Healthier baby animals mean higher growth rates, lower loss, reduced veterinary costs, and less one-on-one care. That idea became the foundation of Esmilco
From Basement Startup to National Presence
Henk started small. He worked out of a home office in his basement and sold custom-manufactured milk replacers out of his trailer.
Patiently and steadily, the company grew. What began in a Minnesota basement office expanded into a larger office in Wisconsin.
After working with a custom manufacturer for the first decade, he purchased his own production facility. This allowed him to service customers across the US while maintaining reasonable freight rates and, as always, delivering a nutritionally sound product at a fair price.
Our Mission Today
The company may have grown in size. However, the goal remains the same: raise healthy animals.
We accomplish this by working one-on-one with our customers to develop a milk replacer tailored to their herd’s specific needs. We ask questions because one formulation does not fit all. Each formulation is carefully matched to feeding schedules, goals, weights, and calf ages.
Healthy calves make for happy calf raisers.
As a family-owned company with Dutch heritage and strong Midwestern values, we go the extra mile to ensure your calves receive exactly what they need — and nothing they don’t.
Want to learn more about who we are, our history, and the values that guide our work?
Visit our About Us page to see how Esmilco has grown over the years while staying true to its mission.
