COLUMBUS — David Thorbahn’s passion for dairy cattle began on his family’s 600-acre registered Holstein dairy farm in north central Ohio.
“I like the cows more than the cropping, and the registered part of the dairy farm was very, very intriguing and a lot of fun,” he said.
Returning to the family farm wasn’t an option for Thorbahn, so he found another way to stay involved in the dairy industry. Today, Thorbahn is the president and chief executive officer of Select Sires, Inc., based in Plain City, Ohio, the country’s largest cattle semen collection and distribution company.
He was selected as the National Dairy Shrine’s 2025 Guest of Honor, which recognizes an exemplary dairy leader for his or her accomplishments and contributions to the dairy industry.
“I cannot think of a more qualified individual who has accomplished so much for the dairy and beef industries,” said Randy Kortus, of the Select Sires Board of Directors, one of the people who nominated Thorbahn for the award.
Thorbahn will receive the Guest of Honor award at the National Dairy Shrine Awards Banquet on Sept. 29 in Madison, Wisconsin. His portrait will be displayed in the National Dairy Shrine’s Dairy Hall of Fame and Museum in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin.
Early career
After graduating from Ohio State University with a degree in dairy science, Thorbahn began his career with American Breeders Service. He spent 15 years with the artificial insemination and distribution company.
After a year in sales management, Thorbahn became a sire analyst and then manager of sire selection at ABS. While there, he earned his master’s in business administration at the University of Wisconsin. After graduating from Wisconsin, ABS was being sold, and some friends and colleagues encouraged him to apply for the general manager position at Select Sires.
“I interviewed and I didn’t think I had much of a chance because the other three finalists were all Select Sires employees,” Thorbahn said. “But I was lucky enough to be selected in the summer of 1999 to come to Select Sires and be the general manager to replace Dick Chichester — and I’ve been here the last 26 years.”
Thorbahn refers to himself as a farm manager because Select Sires, in addition to being an AI company, farms about 1,500 acres and houses about 2,100 bulls that produce over 10 tons of semen annually.
“I do get to enjoy the farming part of it,” he said. “Although I don’t get to do much of the labor part.”
AI Industry
The cattle semen industry remains highly competitive. During Thorbahn’s tenure as CEO, Select Sires increased sales from 6 million to 24.5 million units of semen. That’s why the company can thrive in an industry that has not seen a significant increase in the price of good genetics for decades.
“It’s very similar to how farmers have survived; they either get bigger or they find a niche,” Thorbahn said.
Select Sires’ customer base remains incredibly diverse, for all its growth. It includes some of the world’s largest farms, with thousands of cows, as well as farms with as few as 40 cows.
“I think that goes back to our co-op roots,” Thorbahn said.
In 1965, four farmer-owned AI cooperatives formed Select Sires in Columbus, Ohio. The cooperative’s goal was to gain access to more and better cow genetics while allowing members to operate independently.
Although the company has seen dramatic growth, currently serving over 10,000 cooperative members, it remains farmer-owned and controlled. Customer-owners are represented on the board of directors.
Providing service to such a diverse customer base while trying to grow a business is challenging.
“You can differentiate genetics, you can differentiate service or you can differentiate your price,” Thorbahn said. “When you bundle the genetics and the service together, that makes a strong combination, allowing you to grow your business in this ever-changing economy.”
Dairy accounts for slightly more than 70% of Select Sires’ semen sales. Artificial insemination is easier with dairy cattle, which are handled daily by farmers. It’s also safer.
“In the dairy sector today, there are not many herd bulls left,” Thorbahn said. “Fewer dairy producers are using bulls to clean up or using bulls on heifers because of the danger of them breaking stuff or being a threat to people.”
Leadership
Thorbahn describes his leadership style as that of an enabler. This means he hires talented people and encourages them to set big goals. According to Thorbahn, this does two things. It shows that he believes in them, and it also makes them think a little differently.
“It unshackles you from doing everything traditionally, and it forces you to say, ‘OK, how can we get that done’ rather than, ‘This is why it can’t be done,’” he said.
Enabled leadership has been an evolutionary process for Thorbahn. His leadership style in the early days was about growing the business, but now he focuses more on how to grow their people.
“I went from being an entrepreneurial manager where you’re involved in everything in the business to being a professional business manager where you set the goals and you work with them to set the plans,” Thorbahn said. “Then you get out of their way and watch them grow, develop and improve.”
Dairy Challenge
Thorbahn’s dedication to mentorship and youth development is well-known, particularly through his role as a founding member and first chairman of the North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge.
“I would say the thing I and Select Sires are most proud of is starting the North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge,” Thorbahn said.
The concept came from his MBA program, and he adapted it to the dairy industry.
“It’s a live program where every two weeks you do a case study, then you come back and your team presents it to the class. You’re competing against other teams doing the same case study,” Thorbahn said.
The Dairy Challenge, established in 2002, features three phases. Students tour a dairy operation and review production, herd management and financial records to assess what the dairy does well and where it could improve. They then develop recommendations for the farm to maximize herd profit through nutrition, production, milking procedures, animal health, facilities, cow comfort, farm strategy and more. Teams then present recommendations to a panel of judges, including dairy producers, veterinarians, nutritionists and financial consultants.
Since its inception, regional events have been added where students are placed on aggregate teams with students from other universities. Participants must be knowledgeable about many dairy farming practices to develop successful strategies.
“These students do an amazing job, and it ups their ability,” Thorbahn said.
Recognition
Thorbahn has served on numerous boards, including the National Association of Animal Breeders, the U.S. Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding and World Dairy Expo. He has been honored with several prestigious awards, including the Ohio State University Distinguished Alumni Award and the 2024 Ohio State University Dairy Hall of Service.
“I do this because I love the work,” Thorbahn said. “I love the people I serve, which are the dairymen and the beef producers, and I like the board that I work for and the people I work with, so that maintains my passion, but to get an award like this is just very humbling.”
