Friona Ind. Buys Two Cattle Empire Feedyards

Cattle Empire, LLC announced the sale of two of its feedyard locations with a combined one-time capacity of 139,000 head in Haskell County, Kan., to Amarillo, Texas-based Friona Industries, L.P. The addition of the two Cattle Empire yards boosts Friona Industries to the nation's second-largest cattle feeding entity, with a one-time capacity of 577,000 head in eight yards in Texas and Kansas. Two years ago Friona purchased two Texas feedyards from Cargill with a total one-time capacity of approximately 140,000 head. Cattle Empire sold its Yard 1 and Yard 2 locations, retaining its Yard 3 and Yard 3 North locations with a one-time capacity of 51,500 head. The company will now focus on expanding its customer cattle feeding segment, according to a statement from Cattle Empire. Cattle Empire will continue to be 100% family-owned and -operated with the third generation of the Brown family, Trista and Rebecca, now joining the ownership group. “By retaining Yard 3, which has long been our main facility for customer cattle, we will be able to focus our efforts on improving and expanding that business,” said Roy Brown, CEO. “We will continue to use new technologies and progressive strategies to offer our customers marketing advantages and innovations to help their cattle and businesses thrive. We will use our 40 years of cattle feeding experience as one of the largest cattle feeders in the nation to provide customers with the strategy and efficiency of a large operation combined with the specialization and individual care of a small family feeder.”...MORE