Our Team
Troy Wondrasch
With more than 25 years of experience across agriculture, international trade, animal by-products, rendering, refining, logistics, and pet food ingredients, Troy Wondrasch brings a unique, vertically informed perspective to Great Lakes Feed and Energy.
Troy began his career trading produce at C.H. Robinson, where he helped establish the company’s tropical fruit division, importing fruits and vegetables from Central and South America. This early experience provided a strong foundation in international trade, ocean freight, logistics, procurement, and developing long-term supplier relationships.
Troy later transitioned into the animal by-products industry, where he worked with several leading companies and helped develop international transload facilities and markets for rendered animal by-products. Through this work, he developed extensive knowledge of global commodity markets and the specialized analytical requirements of ingredients used in international aquaculture feeds.
As his expertise expanded, Troy spearheaded the development of a pet food ingredients division, gaining hands-on knowledge of the refining, reprocessing, blending, and quality-control techniques required to transform commodity by-products into consistent, premium-grade ingredients.
Today, as the owner and leader of Great Lakes Feed and Energy, Troy combines more than two decades of industry experience with a data-driven approach to procurement. He utilizes market intelligence and supply data from packers and renderers to strategically source premium raw materials at advantageous times. His knowledge of blending, refining, and reprocessing allows Great Lakes Feed and Energy to convert these materials into high-quality, competitively priced ingredients tailored to customer specifications.
Under Troy’s leadership, Great Lakes Feed and Energy has developed its premium line of pet food ingredients under the DeVout label, focused on quality, consistency, and performance.
Troy also serves as the current Protein Chairman and a board member of the American Fats and Oils Association (AFOA). In this role, he is actively involved in reviewing and implementing industry trade rules in collaboration with theNorth American Renderers Association (NARA).
In addition to his work in the feed and ingredient industry, Troy is the owner of Wittstock Ranch, a beef-producing operation in Western Wisconsin. His involvement in cattle production gives him a firsthand understanding of the animal by-product supply chain beginning at its source.
This experience gives Troy a unique perspective—from the rancher and livestock producer, through the packer and renderer, to refining, reprocessing, and ultimately the end customer.
At Great Lakes Feed and Energy, Troy applies this experience to help customers achieve their purchasing, quality, supply-chain, and cost objectives while delivering premium ingredients and dependable service.
From the ranch to the renderer to the finished ingredient, Troy understands the entire supply chain—and uses that knowledge to create value for Great Lakes Feed and Energy’s customers.
Email: troy@greatlakesfeedandenergy.com
Phone: (952) 807-4188
President, CEO & Founder
Jim Fisher
With more than 50 years of experience in the rendering and meatpacking industries, Jim Fisher brings an unmatched depth of practical knowledge, technical expertise, and industry relationships to Great Lakes Feed and Energy.
Jim previously served as Director of Rendering for JBS Swift, one of the world’s largest protein producers. Throughout his career, he has worked with leading organizations including Jennie-O Turkey Store, Smithfield Beef, and JBS Swift, developing an extensive understanding of the entire rendering and animal by-product supply chain.
At Great Lakes Feed and Energy, Jim’s primary focus is developing and strengthening our product supply network while identifying opportunities to improve quality and value at every stage of production. His deep understanding of rendering enables him to work directly with suppliers to address quality and processing challenges and help them produce higher-value by-products.
Jim’s expertise extends from the kill floor through rendering, refining, and reprocessing. He works closely with our suppliers to identify opportunities for improvement at the earliest stages of production, helping establish the processes and procedures necessary to produce the best possible product for its intended market.
By collaborating directly with suppliers, Jim helps bridge the gap between the packer and the end customer. His knowledge of raw material handling, rendering processes, production specifications, and quality controls allows Great Lakes Feed and Energy to identify improvements that can begin at the source and ultimately deliver a more consistent, higher-quality ingredient to our customers.
Jim also serves as a valuable resource for our plant managers, providing guidance on production specifications, quality improvement, and Great Lakes Feed and Energy’s proprietary refining and reprocessing processes. His experience helps our team continually evaluate how we can improve consistency, purity, and performance in our finished ingredients.
One of Jim’s greatest strengths is his ability to recognize where quality can be improved before the material ever reaches the rendering process. By tightening processes beginning on the kill floor and continuing through rendering and refining, Jim helps our suppliers maximize the value of their by-products while helping Great Lakes Feed and Energy produce superior ingredients.
The combination of Jim’s experience and Great Lakes Feed and Energy’s nimble, entrepreneurial approach allows us to respond quickly to opportunities for improvement. We don’t simply purchase ingredients—we work with our supply partners to identify opportunities, improve processes, enhance quality, and create greater value throughout the supply chain.
Jim’s extensive experience closes the gap from the point of production to the customer’s dock, providing Great Lakes Feed and Energy with a distinct advantage in producing consistent, premium-quality pet food ingredients.
From the kill floor to the renderer, from refining to the customer’s dock—Jim brings more than five decades of experience to every step of the process.
Email: jimfi2001@yahoo.com
Phone: (215)-290-5474
Director of Product Supply & Special Projects
With more than 25 years of experience spanning commodity trading, strategic procurement, animal by-products, refining, blending, quality, and operations, Dan Spence is a driving force behind Great Lakes Feed and Energy’s commitment to quality and performance.
Dan began his career in grain commodity trading with ADM, building a strong foundation in commodity markets, procurement, risk management, and supply strategy. Over the course of his career, he has developed an extensive network of relationships with leading packers, renderers, suppliers, and customers throughout the animal by-products industry.
Today, Dan leads Quality and Operations for Great Lakes Feed and Energy, overseeing the company’s facilities, production processes, quality systems, and operational standards. His combination of technical expertise, market knowledge, and hands-on leadership allows Great Lakes to strategically source raw materials and transform them into consistent, high-value ingredients for demanding customers.
Dan’s approach to quality begins the moment a product is picked up and continues through every stage of the supply chain. From supplier selection and incoming inspection to in-house laboratory analysis, refining, reprocessing, blending, and final delivery, Dan maintains a relentless focus on quality, consistency, traceability, and performance.
Under Dan’s leadership, Great Lakes Feed and Energy has developed specialized refining and reprocessing capabilities designed to enhance the quality and value of animal by-product ingredients. Through advanced screening, separation, refining, blending, and quality-control processes, the company is able to take commodity ingredients and develop products specifically suited to the exacting requirements of the pet food, feed, export, and aquaculture industries.
Dan also oversees Great Lakes Feed and Energy’s in-house quality testing capabilities, utilizing accredited AOCS methods to verify critical product characteristics. This analytical approach, combined with decades of hands-on industry experience, enables the company to make informed decisions quickly and maintain rigorous quality standards throughout production.
A key strength Dan brings to Great Lakes is his ability to connect procurement, production, quality, logistics, and customer requirements into one integrated process. He works closely with the logistics team to coordinate supplier pickups and customer deliveries, helping ensure reliable service and continuity of supply.
Just as importantly, Dan understands that quality extends beyond a laboratory specification. It means understanding each customer’s operation, anticipating their needs, responding quickly to challenges, and delivering a product that performs consistently in their facility. His experience working with customers with demanding specifications and high expectations has helped establish a culture of accountability and continuous improvement throughout Great Lakes Feed and Energy.
Dan’s passion for the industry is reflected in the standards he sets for himself and the organization. His hands-on leadership, attention to detail, technical knowledge, and commitment to service have become an important part of the company’s growth and the development of the DeVout brand.
From the initial sourcing of raw materials to the final delivery into our customers’ facilities, Dan’s focus is simple: control every detail, elevate every ingredient, and deliver quality and service that exceeds expectations.
Email: dan@greatlakesfeedandenergy.com
Phone: (205) 305-9084
Dan Spence
Director of Quality & Operations
Tim Sabaliauskas — Logistics Manager
Jordan Eggli — Logistics Coordinator
At Great Lakes Feed and Energy, logistics is more than simply moving a truck from one location to another. It is about understanding our customers’ requirements, anticipating challenges, controlling costs, and delivering a consistently high level of service.
Tim Sabaliauskas and Jordan Eggli bring extensive logistics experience and industry knowledge to Great Lakes Feed and Energy. Their deep carrier network and understanding of freight markets and transportation lanes allow us to secure reliable capacity while remaining competitive in a constantly changing transportation environment.
Tim and Jordan work closely with both customers and carriers to develop efficient transportation solutions. By identifying reload opportunities, connecting compatible lanes, and strategically stringing loads together, they help control freight costs while maximizing equipment utilization.
Their responsibilities extend well beyond traditional freight management. They work directly with customers on unique transportation requirements, including drop-trailer programs, rail transfers, specialized carrier needs, and other customized service solutions.
Their approach is built around the 3E philosophy: Effective, Efficient, and Economical.
Effective — Understanding the customer’s requirements and delivering transportation solutions that work.
Efficient — Utilizing carrier networks, reload opportunities, lane knowledge, and equipment to minimize delays and maximize transportation efficiency.
Economical — Controlling freight costs through strategic planning, market knowledge, and optimized transportation solutions.
Tim and Jordan take the time to understand each customer’s logistical pain points and work to develop practical solutions that improve service while controlling costs. Whether they are arranging transportation for customer-owned products or coordinating the delivery of Great Lakes Feed and Energy and DeVout ingredients, they maintain a strong focus on reliability, communication, and execution.
They also understand that the quality of transportation is an extension of the quality of the product. Carrier selection, trailer condition, cleanliness, loading requirements, and driver expectations are carefully considered to ensure products arrive in the condition our customers require.
With 24-hour load management and immediate communication, Tim and Jordan provide customers with visibility and support throughout the transportation process. Their proactive approach helps identify potential problems early and allows the team to quickly mitigate issues when they arise.
Great Lakes Feed and Energy’s logistics team serves as a critical link between our suppliers, carriers, and customers—providing the communication, flexibility, and transportation expertise necessary to keep products moving.
The goal is simple: the right carrier, the right equipment, the right lane, the right cost—and the highest level of service to our customers.
Email: tim@greatlakesfeedandenergy.com Phone: (402) 708-4881
Email: jordan@greatlakesfeedandenergy.com Phone: (531) 225-6342