|
 While in Hereford, Texas in 1960, Nebraska Cattleman Paul Engler was
taking delivery on feeder cattle and saw a train headed to California -
half the cars were loaded with cattle and half with milo. He turned to
a local rancher and asked, "Why don't you feed cattle in Texas? You've
got the grain, the cattle and the weather." The rancher replied, "We're
waiting for someone like
you to show us how...".
A Pioneering Force in the Cattle Feeding Industry
His vision to start feeding cattle on a large scale would help reverse
the practice of shipping Texas' raw materials -- namely grain and
home-grown beef--out of the state. His revolutionary ideas helped turn a
fledgling cattle feeding enterprise into a billion-dollar industry for
Texas. In late 1960, Paul Engler and a group of local investors started
Hereford Feedyards and so began an era.
Engler's foresight in developing and promoting large-scale cattle
feeding on the High Plains of Texas had the right formula for success.
With an excellent climate, available feed grain and feeder cattle the
major ingredients for cattle feeding were at hand. Engler believed the
industry would flourish in the Texas Panhandle and he was right.
Engler joined IBP in 1972 and also that year initiated the establishment
of the IBP Plant at Amarillo, Texas--Which was to become the largest
beef slaughtering plant in the U.S. As Head of the carcass division,
Engler was responsible for cattle procurement, operation of eight
slaughter plants, and sales of beef carcasses, offal and by-products.
He was a member of the IBP corporate executive committee and served on
the Board of Directors.
 Engler
returned to the Texas Panhandle in 1975 and co-founded Cactus
Feeders. He, along with his partner, Tom Dittmer began cattle
feeding history. When Cactus Feeders reached a one-time capacity
of 335,000 head in 1985, it became the largest cattle feeding
company in the world, a standing it held until 1990. With a current
capacity of 520,000, Cactus Feeders is again the world's largest
cattle feeder in total pen capacity and remains the world's largest
privately-owned cattle feeding company.
Engler's innovations in cattle feeding and in managing his operations
are well known throughout the industry. He is highly respected by his
peers and is regarded as a pioneering force among cattle feeding
industry leaders. Engler may be the only individual who can claim
industry experience in both the commercial beef processing area and that
of a large-scale cattle feeding operation.
|
