By Cat Holmes
University of Georgia
Eric J. Joiner, president, COO and co-founder of AJC International, a global frozen food distribution company, will be the featured speaker. Joiner, who received his MBA from Georgia State University, will speak on the "Dynamics of the Global Poultry Market."
A world authority on poultry
"The greatest potential for future growth of the poultry
market lies in other
countries," said Mike Lacy, poultry scientist at UGA. "Eric
Joiner is the former
chairman of the U.S. Poultry and Egg Export Council and is a
member of the board
of directors. He is one of the world's authorities on U.S.
poultry exports."
Georgia is the top-producing poultry state in the country and
economists estimate
the total economic impact of poultry in the state to be over
$13 billion annually.
The topic should be of interest to anyone interested in
Georgia's economy, particularly
those interested in poultry, export business or international
trade, said Fred
White, an agricultural economist with UGA's College of
Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences.
"There is a lot happening now with international trade in
poultry," White said.
"Recent trade disputes with Russia have been resolved. We are
just opening up
the Cuban market. And international trade negotiations are
beginning with the
World Trade Organization."
AJC International was founded in Atlanta in 1972 by Joiner and
Gerald Allison.
They began with a staff of four at a time when American
suppliers focused primarily
on their best market - the U.S.
One of the largest food distributors
In the last thirty years, AJC International has grown with the world economy, evolving its original customer base in Puerto Rico to one that encompasses the globe. Today the company maintains its corporate office in Atlanta and foreign offices in the Netherlands, Puerto Rico, Hong Kong, Argentina and China.
The company is now one of the world's largest food distribution services, marketing poultry, pork, red meat, seafood, vegetables and fruits to North and South America, Europe and Asia. Consumers will recognize AJC International's products under the Amerifoods, Early Dawn, Frosty Acres, Garden Maid, Golden Phoenix, Grande, and Mity Fresh brand names.
The J.W. Fanning Lecture Series is sponsored by the Agricultural Economics Association of Georgia, the departments of Agricultural & Applied Economics and Poultry Science at UGA and the Office of International Public Service and Outreach at UGA.The lecture series is named in honor of Dr. J.W. Fanning, former vice president for services and professor of agricultural and applied economics at UGA. Fanning was instrumental in developing public service and outreach at UGA.
The lecture will begin at 10:30 a.m. in Rooms K/L of the Georgia Center for Continuing Education in Athens on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2002. Registration and a reception will begin at 10:00 a.m. on the 2nd floor concourse.
A luncheon and awards ceremony will follow at noon in the banquet area of the Georgia Center. Gaylord Coan, a distinguished alumnus of UGA's Agricultural and Applied Economics Department, will be presented the CAES Alumni Association 2002 Award of Excellence. For more information call (706)542-2481.
