An eastern Iowa company that got its start in the animal feed business nearly 90 years ago has announced plans to acquire a northwest Iowa firm with feed mills in Ireton and Sheldon.
The Deluxe company was founded in 1972 and sells its livestock feed to swine, dairy and beef producers in northwest Iowa. Deluxe is being acquired by the Kent Nutrition Group, which is based in Muscatine. Kent executives say the Deluxe feed mills are “state of the art” and will help Kent Feeds “bolster” its regional footprint.
In 1927, G.A. Kent produced the first protein-only cattle feed from a mill in Indianola. He moved the business to Muscatine in 1936. His grandson is the company’s chairman and CEO today. Kent Nutrition Group’s deal to acquire Deluxe should be completed in early October.
The Deluxe plant in Sheldon that produces swine and dairy feed was built in 2005. A plant on the same site that makes flakes of soybeans and corn for livestock feed was built in 2003. Another Deluxe plant in Sheldon completed in 2007 makes “texturized” feed for calves. Deluxe operates a livestock feed mill in Ireton, too, which recently has been remodeled.