Brand History

A legacy of quality animal nutrition

Reputation Matters

A reputation is not a gift — it is earned over time. Gage A. Kent was a visionary who in 1927 sought to do things differently as he worked with his own cattle. His idea was to raise calves on a quality feed made from nutritious ingredients, not loaded with fillers. This seemingly simple notion gave rise to an enduring core value of one of the most trusted feed brands in America. And with that, Kent quality was born.

Originating in the Central-Iowa farming community of Indianola, Gage Kent revolutionized the cattle feeding industry with Kent Baby Beef™, the first “Feed Without a Filler” formula. This advancement was key to the success and growth of the Kent brand and set new industry standards that catapulted Kent into a true leadership position among feed companies.

Following a fire that destroyed the mill in Indianola, Gage Kent established headquarters in Muscatine, Iowa, to take advantage of Mississippi River transportation. Over nine decades later, the Kent brand continues to pioneer new ways to feed America’s livestock with an 800-acre research facility and a team of industry-leading Ph.D. nutritionists.

Over the years, Kent has continued to expand its product offerings with new swine, beef, dairy, poultry, specialty and pet products. As the market for Kent products has grown, additional plants were built to meet demand. Today, Kent Nutrition Group operates plants in Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Nebraska, Missouri, Indiana, New York, Maryland, New Hampshire, and Vermont.

gage a kent founder kent

Like our founder, we focus on innovation, prove its value with research, then formulate, manufacture, deliver and service products that surpass customer expectations. That’s how we earned a reputation that people trust — generation after generation.

1927

Gage A. Kent develops Baby Beef, the original “Feed Without A Filler” using only quality ingredients, and begins manufacturing at a mill in the central Iowa farming community of Indianola.

1927 indianola

1936

After fire destroys the Indianola mill, Kent moves his feed enterprise to Muscatine, Iowa on the banks of the Mississippi River. This allows the company to take advantage of the economical river transportation.

1936 Muscatine, IA

1943

Gage A. Kent and S.G. Stein form Grain Processing Corporation (GPC), build a grain alcohol manufacturing plant in Muscatine to supply the synthetic rubber program during World War II. After leasing the plant for a decade, GPC purchased the facility from the government in 1953.

1952

Kent constructs a modern feed manufacturing plant in Muscatine to meet increasing Midwest demand.

1952 FirstKentPlanGroundBrkg

1955

Kent Feeds buys the first acres for a Product Development Center where feeding trials are conducted by a staff of nutritionists and farm management specialists to evaluate ingredients and new feed formulations and provide research-proven products to producers.

Kent 1955

1956

Kent Precision Beef Feeds, Kent Seasonized Dairy and Poultry Feeds, along with Kent Roto-Biotic Action Swine Feeds prove that Kent Feeds are “Years Ahead Through Research” for Midwestern producers.

1956 RotoBioticCover

1958

Kent builds a revolutionary Feed-Matic Plant in Sioux City, Iowa, introducing an industry-first bagging machine that weighs out the finished feed, selects a bag automatically and fills it in one operation, then tags and sews the bag closed.

1958 BaggerOLD

1961

Kent constructs a second Feed-Matic plant in Waterloo, Iowa, and introduces an industry-first “Micro-Matic Blending” process for bringing all micro-nutrients and additives into the finished ration at maximum strength.

1964

Kent builds a plant in Rockford, Illinois.

1964 Rockford

1966

Kent introduces Flav-R-Ized Pig Nuggets, an improved version of its famous Pig Nuggets.

1967

Kent introduces the NRB (No Roughage Beef) Cattle Feeding Program and GM Base Supplement for grinding and mixing hog rations. Kent adds two plants, one in Altoona, Iowa, and another in Estherville, Iowa.

1967 AltoonaNewspaper

1969

Kent builds a plant in Beardstown, Illinois.

Beardstown Plant

1972

Gage Kent’s son, James H. Kent, assumes leadership of the company after his father’s death.

photos of Jim and Gage Kent

1973

Kent introduces its “Money-Back Guarantee” on up to two tons of every feed it sells or $200 of animal care products, becoming the only major feed company to guarantee every feed it sells.

1973 Kent Guarantee BW

1976

Kent builds a plant in Marshall, Missouri.

1976 Marshall

1977

Kent builds a plant in Logansport, Indiana.

1977 Logansport

1979

Throughout the ’70s, Kent introduces a series of research-based feeding programs and systems to improve the performance of animals and the profitability of livestock producers, including the +1 Sow Feeding Program, All-American Pork System and Stage 4 Beef Feeding System with PNP (Protected Natural Protein).

1983

Kent Feeds Inc. acquires Evergreen Mills to serve customers in Oklahoma and Texas as well as parts of New Mexico, Arkansas, Louisiana and Kansas.

1984

Kent adds a plant in Columbus, Nebraska.

1984 Columbus

1986

Kent Feeds completes extensive remodeling of a plant in Louisville, Kentucky, to manufacture feed and endo-thermal molasses products.

1987

Kent Feeds introduces the industry’s first and only unconditional 6-Ton Money-Back Guarantee on its quality animal nutrition products.

1989

Kent builds a plant in Mason, Michigan.

1989 Mason

1995

Kent launches an advertising and public relations campaign called “Enjoy Pork Often” in 14 states to help support a sagging pork industry.

1995 EnjoyPork

2010

Blue Seal Feeds of Londonderry, New Hampshire, merges with Kent Feeds, Inc. of Muscatine, Iowa, to form Kent Nutrition Group (KNG). KNG was formed to bring out the best in these two highly successful regional feed companies.

KNG "combo" logo

2015

Kent Nutrition Group introduces a new modified regional brand strategy making Blue Seal the KNG brand in the Eastern United States and Kent the KNG brand in the Midwest. 

Kent & Blue Seal 2015

2016

The KNG manufacturing plant at Rockford, Illinois, is named “2015 Feed Mill of the Year” by the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) and Feedstuffs newspaper.

2016 Rockford Plant Crew

2016

KNG acquires Deluxe Feeds, with locations in Sheldon and Ireton, Iowa. The facilities will provide more products and services to customers in northwestern Iowa — one of the most densely populated livestock production areas in the world.

2016 DeluxePlantCOLOR

2017

A new, state-of-the-art swine research facility opened at the Kent Nutrition Group Product Development Center.

swine research facility

2017

Groundbreaking is held for the new KNG manufacturing facility in Sheldon, Iowa.

2017 Groundbreaking Sheldon

2017

Kent Corporation makes an $8 million commitment to the new Grain Science and Feed Mill facility at Iowa State University (ISU) in Ames, Iowa.

Gage Kent

2018

Gage Kent and Jimmy Kent were invited to join President Trump and Vice President Pence at the “Made in America” product showcase at the White House.

Gage Kent Vice President Pence Jimmy Kent

2018

The Kent Innovation Center opened on the Research Park campus of Iowa State University (ISU) in Ames, Iowa.

2018 Innovation Center

2019

Kent Corporation, parent company of Kent Nutrition Group (KNG), attends the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Kent Corporation Feed Mill and Grain Science Complex at Iowa State University (ISU) in Ames, Iowa.

photo of Kent Corporation Feed Mill and Grain Science Complex ground-breaking at Iowa State University

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