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Feed Facility of the Year Winners

Prior to 2016, the Feed Facility of the Year awards program was called the Feed Mill of the Year. Below, winners are noted with an asterisk (*), followed by the runner-up or “most improved” Feed Mill of the Year. Beginning in 2016, the program was expanded to the Feed Facility of the Year, and began offering awards for an overall winner and four category winners. In 2021, the FFY program separated each category into its own individual program: liquid feed, commercial dry, premix and ingredient, and integrator, with each category having its own facility of the year award. In 2024, the FFY program returned to recognizing one overall Feed Facility of the Year awardee. All proceeds from the FFY program are donated to the AFIA Equipment Manufacturing Committee scholarship fund

2024

Overall winner:
BioZyme’s Stockyard Plant
St. Joseph, Mo.
Plant manager: Jill Vanover 
Highest productivity and efficiency score

Semi-finalists
Westway Feed Products
Houston, Texas
Highest liquid feed facility score & highest sustainability score

Western Milling
Goshen, Calif.
Highest commercial dry facility score

Kent Nutrition Group
Marshall, Mo.

Wenger Feeds
Muncy, Pa. 

2023

Liquid Feed Facility of the Year:
Westway Feed Products
Houston, Texas
Plant manager: Tommy Flowers

Commercial Dry Feed Facility of the Year:
MFA Incorporated
Aurora, Mo. 
Plant manager: Trevor Erwin 

Premix/Ingredient Feed Facility of the Year:
ADM
Bluffton, Ind.
Plant Manager: Brent Weedman

Integrator Feed Facility of the Year:
Mountaire Farms
Maxton, N.C.
Plant Manager: Hector Pacheco

2022

Liquid Feed Facility of the Year:
Quality Liquid Feeds
Comstock Park, Mich.
Plant manager: David Schnicke

Commercial Dry Feed Facility of the Year:
Kent Nutrition Group
Marshall, Mo.
Plant manager: Chris Igo 

Premix/Ingredient Feed Facility of the Year:
Animix
Juneau, Wis.
Direcotor of Operations: Randall Boldt 

Integrator Feed Facility of the Year:
Mountaire Farms
Maxton, N.C.
Plant Manager: Hector Pacheco

2021

Commercial Dry Feed Facility of the Year:
Kent Nutrition Group
Mason, Mich.
Plant manager: Dave Earl

Liquid Feed Facility of the Year:
PerforMix Nutrition Systems
Rupert, Idaho
Plant manager: Ty Cahoon

Premix/Ingredient Feed Facility of the Year:
Belstra Milling
DeMotte, Indiana
Plant manager: Drew Mellon

Integrator Feed Facility of the Year:
Sanderson Farms
Collins, Mississippi
Plant manager: Bill Bray

2019

Overall winner:
Koch Farms
Morton, Miss.
Plant manager: Frank Garczynski

Premix manufacturing plant category:
Trouw Nutrition
Neosho, Mo.
Plant manager: Douglas Vanjoff

Liquid feed plant category:
Quality Liquid Feeds
Clovis, N.M.
Plant manager: Mark Teel

Commercial dry livestock feed plant category:
Western Milling
Goshen, Calif.
Plant manager: Buster Freeman

Integrator category:
Koch Foods
Morton, Miss.
Plant manager: Frank Garczynski

2018

Overall winner:
Famo Feeds
Freeport, Minn.
Plant manager: Kurt Marthaler

Premix manufacturing plant category:
Trouw Nutrition
Highland, Ill.
Plant manager: Monty Barker

Liquid feed plant category:
Quality Liquid Feeds
Clovis, N.M.
Plant manager: Mark Teel

Commercial dry livestock feed plant category:
Famo Feeds 
Freeport, Minn.
Plant manager: Kurt Marthaler

Integrator category:
Koch Foods
Morton, Miss.
Plant manager: Frank Garczynski

2017

Overall winner:
Sanderson Farms
Collins, Miss.
Plant manager: William Bray

Premix manufacturing plant category:
Animix LLC
Juneau, Wis.
Plant manager: Randy Bolt

Liquid feed plant category:
Westway Feed Products
Dimmit, Texas
Plant manager: Phil Thomas

Commercial dry livestock feed plant category:
ADM Animal Nutrition 
Cordele, Ga.
Plant manager: Johnny Childers

Integrator category:
Sanderson Farms
Collins, Miss.
Plant manager: William Bray

2016

Overall winner:
Trouw Nutrition USA
Neosho, Mo.
Plant manager: Douglas Vanjoff

Premix manufacturing plant category:
Trouw Nutrition USA
Neosho, Mo.
Plant manager: Douglas Vanjoff

Liquid feed plant category:
Westway Feed Products
Dimmit, Texas
Plant manager: Phil Thomas

Commercial dry livestock feed plant category:
Tennessee Farmers Cooperative
LaVergne, Tenn.
Plant manager: Bobby Brown

2015

Kent Nutrition Group*
Rockford, Ill.
Plant manager: Tom Smolen

Southern States Cooperative
Valdosta, Ga.
Plant manager: Larry Tabor

2014

Southern States Cooperative*
Park City, Ky.
Plant manager: Gary Huddleston

Kent Nutrition Group
Hagerstown, Md.
Plant manager: Jeremy Ruckman

2013

Tennessee Famers Cooperative*
Rockford, Tenn.
Plant manager: Mark Rule

Hubbard Feeds
Rapid City, S.D.
Plant manager: Thad Olsen

2012

Southern States Cooperative*
Vinton, Va.
Plant manager: Dave Jones

Kent Nutrition Group
Rockford, Ill.
Plant manager: Tom Smolen

2011

Cargill Animal Nutrition*
Wooster, Ohio
Plant manager: Susanna Wright

Southern States Cooperative
Winchester, Ky.
Plant manager: Richard Sladic

2010

Hubbard Feeds*
Bismarck, N.D.
Plant manager: Randy Amelsberg

Cargill Animal Nutrition
Giddings, Texas
Plant manager: Byron Sommerlatte

2009

Southern States Cooperative*
Cleveland, N.C.
Plant manager: Mark Whitaker

Cargill Turkey Production
Harrisonburg, Va.
Plant manager: Grant Martin

2008

Cargill Animal Nutrition*
Martinsburg, Pa.
Plant manager: Charles Lickteig

Ridley Inc.
Beloit, Kan.
Plant managers: Clint Scheck and Jerry Dunno

2007

Southern States Cooperative*
Park City, Ky.
Plant manager: Gary Huddleston

Cargill Animal Nutrition
Seguin, Texas
Plant manager: Paul Yandle

2006

Cargill Animal Nutrition*
Giddings, Texas
Plant manager: Byron Sommerlatte

ADM Alliance Nutrition
Grand Island, Neb.
Plant manager: Darin Sigler

2005

Hubbard Feeds*
Rapid City, S.D.
Operations manager: Paul Hanson

Cargill Animal Nutrition
Montgomery, Ala.
Plant manager: Doug Braden

2004

Blue Seal Feeds*
Bow, N.H.
Plant manager: Greg Guerdet

Cargill Animal Nutrition
Stockton, Calif.
Plant manager: Karl Giacomini

2003

Kent Feeds*
Rockford, Ill.
Plant manager: Craig Evenson

Hubbard Feeds
Worthington, Minn.
Plant manager: Loren Johnson

2002

Westway Feed Products*
Albany, N.Y.
Plant manager: Mark Morris

Kent Feeds
Muscatine, Iowa
Plant manager: Rod Hohenadel

2001

Cargill Animal Nutrition*
Arkona, Ontario, Canada
Plant manager: Henry Van der Wielen

Hubbard Feeds
Rapid City, S.D.
Plant manager: Paul Hanson

2000

Continental Grain-Wayne Feeds*
Atlantic, Iowa
Plant manager: Dave Fairfield

Cargill-Nutrena
Mentone, Ind.
Plant manager: Wayne Schope

1999

Land O’Lakes*
Inver Grove Heights, Minn.
Plant manager: Chuck Jensen

Kent Feeds
Sioux City, Iowa
Plant manager: Denny Blatchford

1998

Southern States Cooperative *
Cleveland, N.C.
Plant manager: Mark Whitaker

Farmland Industries
Fremont, Neb.
Plant manager: Daniel Puffer

1997

Cargill-Nutrena*
New Richland, Minn.
Plant manager: Ruel Wehde

Agway
Sangerfield, N.Y.
Plant manager: Marylou Rhodes

1996

Kent Feeds*
Estherville, Iowa
Plant manager: Bill Augustine

Southern States Cooperative
Barber, N.C.
Plant manager: Mark Whitaker

1995

Purina Mills *
Frankfort, Ind.
Plant manager: Larry Perkins

Kent Feeds
Marshall, Mo.
Plant manager: Ron Jackson

1994

Cargill-Nutrena*
Swanton, Vt.
Plant manager: Steve Osgood

Farmland Industries
Mankato, Minn.
Plant manager: David Marsh

1993

Purina Mills*
Wichita, Kan.
Plant manager: Tom Adams

Farmland Industries
Eagle Grove, Iowa
Plant manager: Steve Combellick

1992

Hubbard Milling*
Watertown, S.D.
Plant manager: Martin Wenes

Cargill-Nutrena
Lethbridge, AB Canada
Plant manager: John Jones

1991

Cargill-Nutrena*
Giddings, Texas
Plant manager: Robert Grimm

Southern States Cooperative
Park City, Ky.
Plant manager: Mark Whitaker

1990

Kent Feeds*
Columbus, Neb.
Plant manager: Dennis Beck

Supersweet Feeds
Madison, Wis.
Plant manager: Dave Rozendaal

1989

GTA Feeds*
Willmar, Minn.
Plant manager: Jim Braun

Cargill-Nutrena
Giddings, Texas
Plant manager: Robert Grimm

1988

Kent Feeds*
Altoona, Iowa
Plant manager: Ron Marshall

Cargill-Nutrena
Sioux City, Iowa
Plant manager: Ruel Wehde

1987

GTA Feeds*
Sioux Falls, S.D.
Plant manager: Vergil Hegna

Kent Feeds
Rockford, Ill.
Plant manager: Herb Kniep

1986

Maple Leaf Farms*
Burlington, Wis.
Plant manager: Roman DeGrave

Hubbard Milling
Watertown, S.D.
Plant manager: Martin Wenes

1985

Cargill-Nutrena*
West Branch, Iowa
Plant manager: Ruel Wehde


GTA Feeds
Willmar, Minn.
Plant manager: Jim Braun