Vote Now: 2010 Cattle Feeders Hall Of Fame Inductees
02/23/2010 10:07AM
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Voting for the 2010 Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame inductees is open on the organization’s new Web site, www.cattlefeeders.org. This year, the second year of nominations, the five nominees continue to represent the principles upon which the Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame was built – great contributions supported by pride and tradition.
“Those being nominated this year for the Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame include visionaries who’s forward thinking and leadership have helped shape where our industry is today,” says Topper Thorpe, member of the Cattle Feeder Hall of Fame nominating committee.
From the five nominees, two inductees will be announced during the Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame banquet on Thursday, June 24 in Denver.
2010 nominees
• E.C. Crofoot – Crofoot Ranches, LLC
E.C. Crofoot began his long career in the cattle-feeding industry in Kansas. In 1962, Crofoot and his son crossed state lines and purchased a feedyard in Texas. Since then the family and partners have owned and operated multiple commercial feedyards.
• Louie Dinklage – Dinklage Feedyards, Inc.
Louie Dinklage was one of the pioneers in the cattle-feeding business in eastern Nebraska. In 1923, he established a 3,000-head operation near Wisner. Through the years he was instrumental in making the area one of the nation's cattle-feeding hubs.
• H.C. (Ladd) Hitch – Hitch Enterprises, Inc.
Ladd Hitch joined the family operation based in Guymon, Okla., in 1953, and was involved in the commercial-feeding operation all of his life. The family operation is now more than 110 years old, consists of three feedyards and has a combined capacity of approximately 160,000 head.
• Kenneth Monfort – Monfort, Inc.
Kenny Monfort joined the family cattle-feeding operation in 1949 and played a key role in its growth, including the company's venture into the meat-packing industry. Monfort was a leader outside the cattle industry too, participating in state and national politics.
• Robert (Bob) Rebholtz, Sr. – Agri Beef Co., Inc.
Bob Rebholtz, Sr. started in the cattle-feeding industry with the purchase of his first feedyard in 1968. Along with a partner, Rebholtz founded Agri Beef Co. in 1978. Today, the company operates a vertically integrated system complementing the feedyards owned by the company.
Note: Voting for the 2010 inductees will close March 5, 2010.
Interactive site provides forum for learning and sharing
Contributions to the U.S. cattle-feeding industry span across decades, and for the first time are captured in one centralized location — the Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame virtual museum. The virtual museum (www.cattlefeeders.org) is the latest feature of the Hall of Fame, which was created in 2009 as a means to salute exceptional visionaries who have played an instrumental role in shaping the direction and success of today’s cattle-feeding business. Visitors to the Web site can peruse the site for news updates, stories, profiles of past Hall of Fame inductees, photos, the 2010 voting ballot and much more.
Future plans for the virtual museum include continually updating the site with entertaining stories, historical milestones and inspiring profiles of cattle-feeder leaders and heroes.
“The outpouring of industry support for the Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame has been very encouraging and rewarding,” says Betty Jo Gigot, nominating committee chair, Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame. “We are excited that so many of our peers share our enthusiasm for this important nod to our industry and its people. The launch of the virtual museum allows us to further connect with others who share our interests, also while providing a platform for many more exciting things to come.”
About the Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame
The Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame was established in March 2009 to recognize individuals who have made extraordinary and lifelong contributions to the cattle-feeding industry.
Candidates selected as nominees for the Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame are chosen by the nominating committee that is composed of five industry leaders: Betty Jo Gigot, editor and publisher of CALF News; Richard McDonald, former CEO of the Texas Cattle Feeders Association; Dr. Del Miles, veterinarian and industry consultant; Terry Stokes, former CEO of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association; and Topper Thorpe, former CEO of Cattle-Fax.
Founding sponsors of the Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame include Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health, CattleNetwork.com and Osborn & Barr.
For more information about the inductees or the Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame, contact Keri Geffert English at geffertenglishk@osborn-barr.com or 816.472.2900.