Ridley Feed Ingredients' Mendota Facility Named 2026 Feed Facility of the Year

Ridley Feed Ingredients' Mendota Facility Named 2026 Feed Facility of the Year

September 17, 2026

Contact Cornelia Poku

The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) and Feedstuffs named Ridley Feed Ingredients' Mendota, Ill., facility as the 2026 Feed Facility of the Year. Each year, the award recognizes a feed facility that exemplifies excellence across its operations, including quality and safety, productivity, regulatory compliance, employee development and customer relations. The Feed Facility of the Year program also benefits the AFIA Equipment Manufacturers Committee (EMC) scholarship fund, helping invest in the education and development of the animal food industry's future leaders.

"Ridley Feed Ingredients' Mendota team has built a culture where safety, quality, operational excellence and customer satisfaction are part of everything they do," said Gary Huddleston, AFIA's senior director of feed manufacturing and regulatory affairs. "Their strong employee involvement in continuous improvement and use of data to guide decision-making demonstrate the kind of leadership and commitment to excellence that this award is designed to recognize."

Under the leadership of facility manager Corey LaBarge, the Mendota facility produces more than 43,000 tons of feed ingredients and premixes annually for multiple animal species. Originally constructed in 1960, the facility has undergone numerous upgrades over the years to support its operations and continued growth. All tonnage produced at the facility is packaged.

The Mendota team has created a culture where employee safety, quality, operational excellence and customer satisfaction are inseparable. Employees are actively involved in continuous improvement initiatives, while the facility embraces data-driven decision making-through key performance indicators and trend analysis.

"Winning the Feed Facility of the Year award is a tremendous source of pride for our entire team," said LaBarge. "This recognition reflects the commitment our employees bring to the facility every day, from maintaining high standards for safety and quality to continuously looking for ways to improve our operations. It takes every member of our team working together to achieve this level of excellence, and we are proud to see the hard work recognized by the industry."

The AFIA and Feedstuffs would also like to extend congratulations to the following facilities in the 2026 Feed Facility of the Year program:

• Famo Feeds, Freeport, Minn. - semifinalist.
• Mountaire Farms, Candor, N.C. - semifinalist.
• Ridley Feed Ingredients, Mendota, Ill. - highest quality and food safety score.
• TransAgra International, Storm Lake, Iowa - semifinalist.
• Wayne-Sanderson Farms, Mineola, Texas - semifinalist.
• Western Milling, Goshen, Calif. - semifinalist and highest productivity and efficiency score.
• Westway Feed Products, Houston, Texas - semifinalist and highest employee safety score.

The AFIA has recognized excellence in feed manufacturing through the Feed Facility of the Year program since 1985. Beyond industry recognition, participating facilities receive comprehensive benchmarking reports that offer valuable insights into their performance compared with their peers and identify opportunities for continuous improvement. Since 2024, proceeds from the program have supported the Equipment Manufacturers Committee scholarship fund, administered through the Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER), which provides scholarships to college students pursuing careers in the animal food industry. Learn more about the Feed Facility of the Year program at afia.org/FFY.

Editorial Note: To obtain a high-resolution image to use for editorial purposes, contact Marisa Halbstein, AFIA's marketing and program development specialist.