40th Anniversary Spotlight – Jose Molina

In honor of Trans Ova’s 40th Anniversary, we have asked team members to reminisce about their time with Trans Ova and what they are excited about for the future.

This week’s team member spotlight to celebrate Trans Ova Genetics’ 40th Anniversary is Jose Molina. Jose joined the team 22 years ago and has made a major impact on our Sioux Center, IA location building a large client base, and giving our in-house donors special care. We are thankful to have him as a Professional Services Tech Scientist working one-on-one with our clients to Multiply Success.

1.   What is your favorite Trans Ova memory? 

Well, there are too many, but one of those favorite memories is traveling with Diane on one of those week-long adventures with several stops. We were coming back from one of our favorite clients, Ed Pinegar at Pinegar Cattle Company, down in Springfield, Missouri. After a dozen flushes and around 80 transfers and some pregnancy checks, it led to a very long day for a crew of two people. We jumped into the “TOG Van” around 8 pm and went on our way to Des Moines, Iowa to stay overnight there for our next stop (about 5 ½ hours). So, after a long day of searching under the microscope, I knew Diane was exhausted, thus I offered to drive if she was willing to be my second pair of eyes on the road because I was tired too. She pulls out of her purse one of those newly in the market 5-hour-power drinks and said “don’t worry Jose with this drink I’ll be awake all night long” and she drank the whole little bottle. It did not take more than 2 minutes when suddenly Diane was out of commission. Right when I was pulling in to the hotel, she said “I am awake. All I could say was, “you better try to get your money back out of that power drink deal.” 

2.   What do you like best about your time at Trans Ova? 

The interaction with the clients and their donors, which bring a lot of diversity along with the gain of knowledge in an area that I am passionate about, Reproductive Technologies. 

3.   What excites you about the future of Trans Ova?

 Our goals, being part of an important sector of Agriculture, helping our clients to be successful in their programs and at the same time, and having a positive impact on the big picture of genetics improvement and efficiency in the cattle industry. 

4.   What thoughts and emotions come to mind when you think about Trans Ova’s 40th anniversary? 

I am very excited about it, it leads me to think about all the changes and challenges we’ve been through to make a better Trans Ova and to better serve our internal and external clients. 

5.   In what different ways has Trans Ova excelled or grown in the last 40 years? 

Technological, with the incorporation of sexed semen technology as well as cloning and IVF technology’s improvements – which lead us to the next level in efficiency and proficiency on those technologies; intellectual, with the addition of the R&D department and the continuous education of each of us to better position ourselves in the future; geographical, with the expansion and improvement of old and new locations to better serve our clients all over the USA and beyond; and last but not least, the human resources that without all of us working as a team can’t be possible to build and maintain today’s TOG. 

6.   What is your biggest accomplishment at Trans Ova? 

Being able to do what I do with excellence! One of our core values …. Happy 40th anniversary TOG!