A trip through the history of Umbarger Show Feeds
In the summer of 1939, Roy L. Umbarger, then a salesman for a major feed company specializing in poultry health and nutrition, moved his wife, Cecile, and young son, Walter, to the small rural town of Bargersville, Indiana. There, he began his own feed business – something he had always dreamed of. He named it Roy Umbarger & Son. The focus of the operation was set in providing custom grinding services and selling related products to local livestock producers. In June of 1947, at the young age of 47, Roy passed away suddenly. His son Walter, age 26 at the time, had just returned from serving in the Navy during World War II. Walter soon realized the young business of Roy Umbarger & Son faced many challenges, in order to survive. He, along with his wife Jackie and young son Marty, moved in with his mother, Cecile, and began to work at building the business. After a few struggling months, Walter determined it would be best for the family to keep the business going long enough to pay off the debts and to seek employment in a factory in Indianapolis. Over the next few years, Walter and Jackie built a very successful business, working many long hours. The factory job, by now, was long forgotten. The following are some of the key highlights of the company’s development and growth over the last eight decades.
1950s
Grain storage was added, and the company began buying grain from local farmers. The also Umbarger family became a fertilizer dealer, and Roy Umbarger and Son was the first business in Johnson County, Indiana to sell and custom apply liquid nitrogen. Farm chemicals were added to the product offerings soon after the start of the fertilizer business.
1960s
In the 1960s, the family invested in a grain dryer and began custom drying for local farmers. In this same time frame, a new retail store and office building were opened. This is the point when Walter and Jackie’s youngest son Tom graduated from high school and joined the business. Their oldest son Marty graduated from college and would soon join the family business, as well.
1970s
At this point, the family business expanded and diversified as they built a poultry confinement facility for starter pullets with a capacity of 35,000 birds. The family also purchased a 725-acre grain farm. In the 1970s, the business was incorporated and named Roy Umbarger & Sons, Inc.
1980s
The 1980s saw many changes for the business. Walter and Jackie retired, and sons Marty and Tom assumed full control of the family business. This is the point in history that agriculture across the Midwest took a sharp downturn and the agricultural depression resulted in many families losing their farms and livestock producers were selling their herds to create cash flow. With the proximity to the city of Indianapolis, several farmers liquidated their herds and farm ground for residential and industrial uses. The resulted in a tremendous decrease in the family business and forced the company to assess its future in the agriculture industry.
After months of research, Marty Umbarger made the decision to tear down the obsolete feed mill and rebuild a facility with the ability to make high quality textured feeds. The centerpiece of the feed mill would be the ability to manufacture feeds utilizing steam flaked grains. This is the point where a line of specialty feeds was introduced, and so Umbarger Show Feeds was born.
1990s
The family purchased the feed mill and grain facility of a long-time competitor in the Bargersville, Indiana area. As the business was experiencing tremendous growth, Marty’s wife Rowana Umbarger made the decision to leave her law firm job. She joined the family business and took over as head of accounting. With the growth of the textured feed business, it was apparent that more changes were needed, and the dealer network was created. At this same time, a new feed warehouse was built, and remodeling began for automating the textured feed line.
2000s
In 2004, Marty Umbarger was appointed by the governor of Indiana to the position of Adjutant General of the Indiana National Guard. At this time Jackson Umbarger, Marty’s son became the head of the company’s fertilizer, chemical, and seed department. In 2008, Tom Umbarger, co-owner, decided to semi-retire from the family business and sold his interest in the company to Jackson. Marty and Jackson assume co-ownership of the company, with Marty remaining as President. Jackson’s role would include remaining as head of the fertilizer, chemical and seed department as well assuming the responsibilities of head of the feed division. In 2009, as the family continued to see tremendous growth in the chemical and fertilizer business, the decision was made to begin moving this division of the company outside of the city limits of Bargersville.
2010s
In 2010, Jackson would assume the role of head of the show feed division and focus on growing and expanding the Umbarger Show Feed line-up and dealerships. Umbarger Show Feeds would see its largest growth to date during this time period. In 2016, Marty would retire from the Indiana National Guard and return to the business. This decade saw Umbarger Show Feeds grow to over 300 feed dealers across 20 states.
2020s
After years of being based in Bargersville, Indiana, Marty and Jackson made the decision to move the headquarters and feed manufacturing and distribution to the nearby community of Franklin. In the Spring of 2021, Umbarger Show Feeds opened a new state-of-the-art show feed mill responsible for the pelleting, bagging, and distribution of the highest quality show feeds on the market. In 2023, Jackson Umbarger was named president of Roy Umbarger and Sons, Inc. Today Umbarger Show Feeds remains a family-owned business of four generations servicing customers from coast-to-coast through a network of 400 dealers and growing.