Awards Program > Liquid Feed Hall of Fame

Dr. William Kunkle, Ph.D.
2012 Inductee

Dr. William Kunkle, Ph.D., was posthumously inducted into the American Feed Industry Association’s Liquid Feed Hall of Fame, the highest award offered by the AFIA Liquid Feed Committee and the liquid feed industry. The honor was presented to Dr. Kunkle’s wife at the 2012 Liquid Feed Symposium Awards Luncheon in Denver, Colo., by Patrick Whidden and Dr. Chet Fields. The Liquid Feed Symposium is the country’s largest gathering of liquid supplement leaders in manufacturing, nutrition, quality, sales and marketing.

Dr. Kunkle served as the Beef Cattle Extension Specialist at the University of Florida for 22 years, where he worked tirelessly on behalf of the beef cattle industry, researching cattle nutrition. Dr. Kunkle conducted several research projects specific to liquid supplementation funded by the Liquid Feed Committee’s Kenny Berg Research & Education Fund.

His knowledge and skills as a scientist and teacher were exemplary. Dr. Kunkle had the unique ability to understand complex scientific concepts, which he communicated to a general audience. His thought-provoking ideas were a positive stimulus among his academic colleagues and commercial industry associates. In addition to teaching at the graduate level, he served as an adviser and committee member for students pursuing masters and doctorate degrees, and was known as an excellent mentor. He also guest-lectured in beef-stocker and feedyard management and was a member of the National Cattleman’s Beef Association and the American Society of Animal Sciences.

Born in Hudson, Ohio, Dr. Kunkle earned his college degrees from Ohio State University. He served on the faculty of the University of Maryland’s Animal Science department, until relocating to Williston, Fla., from Columbia, Md., in 1980. Dr. Kunkle passed away in 2002 and is survived by his wife Gail and sons Matt and Ben.


Jack Algeo
2011 Inductee

Jack Algeo, former department head of Animal Science and Industry at California State Polytechnic University in San Luis Obispo, Calif., has been inducted into the American Feed Industry Association’s Liquid Feed Hall of Fame. The honor was announced today at AFIA’s Liquid Feed Symposium in Kansas City, Mo., where the award was presented by Tim Bodine, PerforMix Nutrition.

Born in 1921, Algeo has had a lifetime of industry experience over a distinguished career, including educator, consultant, researcher and Marine. After teaching at Washington State College and Cal Poly from 1948 to 1954, he served as the director of research and resident nutritionist for Sinton & Brown Company, Santa Maria, Calif., until 1959, when he started a private consulting and research practice. Algeo has not only consulted for national firms, but also globally, including firms in Jamaica, El Salvador, Sweden, China and Australia. He returned to Cal Poly in 1985, where he was appointed department head of Animal Sciences and Industry until retiring in 1992.

In addition to his induction into the Liquid Feed Hall of Fame, Jack Algeo has been the recipient of several honors, such as the 2010 California Cattlemen’s Association’s Vleck Memorial Award. He is an Honorary Fellow and past director of the American Society of Animal Science and an Honorary Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He is the former national president of the American Society of Agricultural Consultants and retains memberships in several prestigious associations, including the Council for Agricultural Sciences and Technology, the California Cattle Feeders Association and is a past member of the USDA National Advisory Veterinary Medical Committee.

Algeo received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in animal science, production and nutrition, from Washington State University. He served in the Marine Corps Reserve during WWII and the Korean War.


Dr. Findlay M. Pate (1941-2006)
2010 Inductee

Dr. Findlay M. Pate, former Director of the University of Florida’s Range Cattle and Education Center, has been posthumously inducted into the American Feed Industry Association’s Liquid Feed Hall of Fame. The honor was announced earlier today at AFIA’s Liquid Feed Symposium in San Antonio, Texas.

Prior to his death in 2006, Dr. Pate had retired from the University of Florida/IFAS in June 2005 after 35 years of service, with the last 22 years as Center Director at the Range Cattle Research and Education Center in Ona. He was widely recognized for his support of county extension faculty, which was always a visible component of Ona's research and education programs. Findlay conducted numerous research projects involving the use of cane-molasses based supplements for use in private pasture cattle.

Findlay had a least a dozen articles or abstracts published in the Journal of Animal Science as well as a dozen or more published research reports, nearly 20 extension publications and at least four review articles on this subject. He mentored several other researchers on liquid supplementation and was a sought-after speaker on this subject.

Terry Weaver, of Westway Feed Products in Florida, accepted this prestigious award for the wife and family of the late Dr. Findlay Pate at the 2010 Liquid Feed Symposium Awards Lunch, Sept. 15, 2010 in San Antonio, Texas.


Jon Heindselman
2009 Inductee

Jon Heindselman, president of H-H Agri Sales and Services of Durant, Okla., and J and J Agri Services, has been inducted into the American Feed Industry Association’s Liquid Feed Hall of Fame on Sept. 16, 2009 for his significant contributions to the development and science of the liquid feed industry.

Early in his career with Pacific Molasses Company, Heindselman was an important part of that company’s entrance and success in introducing liquid feed as a nutritional supplement for livestock. He pioneered the original “suspension feed” technology and represented the company as a salesman, sales manager and terminal/liquid feed operations manager throughout much of the Southwest during his career with Pacific Molasses. He was employed by the firm from 1971-1992.

In 1993, he founded J and J Agri Services and H-H Agri Sales and Services, and he built his liquid feed plant in Sherman, Texas. He began marketing Nutri-Lix liquid supplements, as well as private-label liquid feed products for other companies. His primary goal has been to provide consistent, high-quality liquid feed products.

In addition, Hindselman has made contributions to the industry by holding positions in various state and regional feed associations. He also is involved in his church and other groups.

Ken Munsch
2008 Inductee

Ken Munsch, co-owner of the Cattleman’s Choice Loomix line of liquid feed products, was honored for his years of accomplishment in the industry when he was inducted into the American Feed Industry Association’s Liquid Feed Hall of Fame at the Liquid Feed Symposium in Austin, Texas, on Sept. 11, 2008.

Munsch began his career in the liquid feed business in 1975, a decision that would lead him to 36 years of success and achievement. In 1997, Munsch and his business partner, Mike Troska, purchased the rights to the Loomix product line and its dealer network to form the CCL line. With Munsch’s efforts, CCL has become a leader in technology and marketing, and brought new business into the liquid feed industry with its innovative products and growth. The company may be the fastest-growing one in the liquid feed industry, as it is eight times larger today than it was at its inception.

Among Munsch’s accomplishments, he initiated open-top trough feeding in feedlots, a concept he introduced to hundreds of markets in many states. He created marketing and distribution programs that have allowed more than 1,000 agricultural businesses to enter the liquid feed sector. He also was instrumental in forming programs that created thousands of employment opportunities in the liquid feed industry.

Munsch is a two-time member of AFIA’s Board of Directors as well as a long time Liquid Feed Committee supporter.


Dr. Dean Hodge
2007 Inductee 

Dr. Dean Hodge, retiring after 26 years with Purina Mills, Inc. as their Director of Beef Cattle Research, was inducted into the Liquid Feed hall of Fame Sept. 6, 2007.

Dr. Hodge was instrumental in redefining the liquid feed industry as early as 1970 with research and development of high performance supplements and in the early 1980, he was involved with the development of chemically hardened molasses blocks and roughage reducing, intake modifying supplements for feedlot cattle.

Although his research has not been published in peer reviews because of confidentiality, Dr. Hodge has written numerous articles for industry publications. He is co-holder of four major feed patents and serves on the Purdue Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Dr. Hodge was a member of the Liquid Feed Committee on several occasions and was elected Chairman of the Liquid Feed Committee for 2 terms.

Dr. R. Hollis Klett
2006 Inductee

Dr. R. Hollis Klett conducted some of his first research projects while he was a faculty member at Louisiana State University. He recognized early in his career the values of liquid supplementation for dairy and beef cattle and continued with countless research projects over the years while on the faculty of Louisiana State University, Texas A&M University, and Texas Tech University.

As President of XF Enterprises, Inc., he started Anipro/Xtraformance Feeds, a national liquid range supplement company. Under his direction and guidance, XF Enterprises, Inc. has expanded its liquid presence and philosophy to Australia and Brazil.

Always an educator at heart, Dr. Klett has aggressively shared his knowledge where ever possible and continues to work as a consulting nutritionist. He has served on the Liquid Feed Committee and served as Chairman of that committee in 2001/2002. He currently serves as an advisor in the development of the new Liquid Feed Handbook.

Paul Duea
2005 Inductee

Paul Duea has actively supported the liquid feed industry for over 50 years. Following his graduation from the University of Minnesota, Paul took a position as the County Extention Director for Selby County, Iowa and later went to work for Cargill where he was involved with the development of their liquid supplement operation. Paul also worked for Pacific Molasses for many years where his work continued to improve the quality, nutrient value, and availability of liquid supplements. His interest in developing and improving markets for liquids over the years has made Paul a highly respected contributor to the industry and after semi-retiring in 1991, Paul continued to work as a consultant for PM Ag and Westway Feed Products for several years.

Paul served 2 terms as the AFIA Liquid Feed Committee Chairman and was awarded AFIA?s Presidents Award in 1989.

Richard Rawlings
2004 Inductee

Richard Rawlings began his career with the liquid feed industry as General Manager of Prescription Premix of Billings where he designed and built a liquid feed blending plant with an annual production of 25,000 tons. Later, while working at Agri Lines Corporation in Billings, Rich was responsible for converting a liquid blending facility into the first suspension feed plant in the state of Montana. In 1980, Rich went to work for Westway and was responsible for designing and building the first chemically hardened liquid block plant in Montana. As President of PerforMix Nutrition Systems, Rich secured a patent for the Regulated Liquid Feed Delivery System and was Co-chairman in drawing up the citizen petition for the medicated feed clearance recently approved by FDA.

In addition to Rich Rawlings successes in the liquid feed business, he served two terms as Chair of the AFIA Liquid Feed Committee and was elected AFIA Member of the Year in 1994. Facilities under his leadership have received the AFIA Food Safety Award and runner-up for the AFIA Truck Fleet of the Year Award.

Jerry Skaggs
2004 Inductee

Shur-Gro was one of the first companies to offer custom blended liquids for use in commercial feedlots. Jerry was a co- founder of the Shur-Gro business, which was established in Hereford, Texas in 1963. By bringing innovation to the liquid feed business, using side mixers on mix tanks to improve stability of mixes, identifying the value of chelated trace minerals in liquids, working with drug and vitamin companies to prove stability and efficacy of their products in liquids, Jerry became a pioneer and leader in the liquid feed business and helped to build the reputation of blends and suspensions within the commercial feedlot industry.

Jerry received his Animal Science degree from Texas Tech University and served two years in the U.S. Army.

Dr. T. Wayne Perry
2004 Inductee

Dr. Perry earned his doctorate of Animal Sciences at Purdue University in 1956 and Professor Emeritus in 1989. Often called Òthe fatherÓ of liquid supplements due to his persistent research of more economical, quality liquid protein supplements. Dr. Perry demonstrated liquid supplements were the only cattle supplements that could be offered on a free choice basis. In 1964, Dr. Perry formulated ÒPerdue 64Ó which serves as a model for todayÕs liquid supplements. His research with xanthum gum and colloidal clays demonstrated how to suspend non-soluble ingredients in liquid supplements. He researched hydrolyzed feather meal as a source for by-pass protein used in combination with urea and demonstrated this combination to be superior to soybean meal alone for finishing cattle. Dr. Perry has made seven presentations at AFIAÕs Liquid Feed Symposia and in 1991 was awarded a ÒSpecial RecognitionÓ citation for his contribution to the liquid feed industry. He served on the Liquid Feed Committee as the University liaison for many years.

Dr. Perry has published numerous papers and received several prestigious awards and honors during his career including AFIAÕs Distinguished Service Award in 1999.

Kenny Berg
2003 Inductee

Kenny Berg, founder of Quality Liquid Feeds (QLF), has been a driving force in the growth and success of the liquid feed industry. Beginning in 1958, Kenny devoted his professional life to the liquid feed industry and was actively involved in many equipment and product innovations. He was the first in the U.S. to suspend high levels of fat and the first in the U.S. to suspend bypass protein products. In 1959, to preserve the quality of liquid feed fed free choice, he invented an oak wheel lick feeder. Many popular articles written by Kenny Berg, supporting the successes and values of liquid feeds, have been featured in industry publications. Kenny served as chairman of American Feed Industry Association's Liquid Feed Committee.

Richard I. Loomis
2003 Inductee

Richard Loomis was a pioneer of early free choice liquid feed supplements and one of the first to use liquid by-products. Soon after joining his father's feed and seed business in the 1950s, Richard saw the value of liquid supplementation of dairy and beef cattle. Working with a nutritionist, he formulated supplements to meet the varying needs of cattle using a unique concept of open trough consumption controlled liquid supplementation. This supplementing system is still being used throughout the country today. Richard served as Chairman of the Board on American Feed Industry Association's Board of Directors and as Chairman of the Liquid Feed Committee.

Frank Rawlings
2003 Inductee

Frank Rawlings played a significant role in the development of the liquid feed industry through his work in the sugar industry and his understanding of its associated by-products. During the 1950s, Frank developed and patented several processes for the manufacturing of liquid supplements. Many of the processes he developed are still in use or have become the basis for newly developed processes. Many feed plants built under his direction and numerous companies and their successors licensed to use Frank's patented technologies constitute the core of the current liquid feed manufacturing plants today.