Yellowstone Livestock Company Offers Video Auction Sales

Under the new management of C.J. Johnsrud, Yellowstone Livestock Company continues to work tirelessly to provide top notch service and protection for its customers. Johnsrud, who assumed responsibilities of manager in June of this year, believes his knowledge of the value of cattle enables Yellowstone Livestock Company to get the best price for cattlemen. “Knowing what an animal is worth is key to managing the market and providing protection for customers,” he remarks. “Management needs to know what cattle are worth so we can protect the market, make sure the animals are sold for their full value and that both buyers and sellers are happy.”

Not only does Yellowstone Livestock Company offer weekly live auctions, held every Wednesday at the Yellowstone Livestock sale barn, but last month management introduced a new tool to better serve customers. On Aug. 3, Yellowstone Livestock Company held its first ever video sale, and Johnsrud says it was a huge success. “By doing this video sale we were able to capture consigners we otherwise would never have had, and to capture buyers from all over the U.S. we otherwise would not have had,” he comments. “The sale was a success. Our competitors had video sales prior, during and after our sale, and our prices were as good if not better. We had a strong buyer base plus we were roughly half the cost of our competitors for this video sale. Also, there is no fee involved if there is no sale.”

To prepare for a video sale, Yellowstone Livestock Company meets with customers, videos the cattle, writes down and compiles information on each animal, creates a sale catalogue, and then sends DVDs to cattle buyers. The day of the sale, Yellowstone Livestock puts the video on its TV and begins the sale. “We take bids by phone and via the Internet,” Johnsrud comments. “We had buyers from Iowa, Colorado and Washington for this sale, as well as local buyers.”

He adds, “The whole point is that more people have the opportunity to view the cattle. This video sale was a success and it is just one more tool we offer to better serve our clientele.”

Yellowstone Livestock Company sold 1842 head of cattle from North Dakota and Montana at this sale, and have the ability to sell more than this at future sales.

Yellowstone Livestock Company will offer monthly video sales from now until spring. People can contact the company at 482-3513 for more information, with any questions they may have, or to consign cattle.

Johnsrud emphasizes that although a success, video sales are only one of the services offered by the company. “Basically we have the ability to offer a sale barn, we have video, we contract cattle, and we are representatives for Superior Livestock,” Johnsrud says. “We believe that we can market livestock in any way, shape or form and do a good job. After all, if we aren’t as good as the competitors, then we are pointless. Therefore we strive to offer superior service and to top the market in cattle.”