Fairleigh Corporation Has Made a Lasting Impact on the Cattle Industry

Fairleigh Corporation was nominated as wKREDA’s Agriculture Business of the Year award by Scott County Development Committee. The Fairleigh family of companies has been integral to Scott City’s growth and success throughout the years. Their businesses have included Fairleigh Feed Yard, Fairleigh Ranch, Fairleigh Trucking, Scott Pro, Inc. and L & M Western Tire. This innovative and entrepreneurial family has continued to invest in Scott County, helping the region to grow while simultaneously furthering their business interests. Fairleigh Corporation is a strong community partner and deserving recipient for the Agricultural Business of the Year award.

Fairleigh Feed Yard Plays an Important Role in the Kansas Cattle Industry

Fairleigh Feed Yard is a family owned commercial feed yard in Scott County, KS.  They market the majority of the cattle fed at Fairleigh Feed Yard through the US Premium Beef Grid.  The USPB Grid has averaged a $45.00 premium over KS cash the last five years – meaning more money stays within Kansas.  Owner, John Fairleigh, recalls with pride when his father, Floyd, and other local cattlemen met in total secrecy to devise a plan for marketing their cattle as a collective group in hopes of regaining local control and profit margins otherwise captured by the packers.  

The company takes great pride in their loyal staff and the many customers that trust them with their cattle each and every day.  Their pride is evident in how the company treats their employees. They are known for having an incredible benefits package and being an excellent place to work.  Employees of Fairleigh companies, numbering close to 150, know they are appreciated and assured that hard work and loyalty are rewarded, even when the agricultural economy is tough. 

Strong Community Partner

The Fairleigh family has been incredibly generous and a strong community partner for Scott City. Philanthropy is second nature to John Fairleigh, as he learned from his parents, Floyd and Eva. As a result, Scott County has been blessed by the Fairleigh family’s willingness to share their financial resources, business acumen and civic engagement across all sectors of the community.

Why Fairleigh Corporation Exemplifies the wKREDA Spirit

Innovation and finding better ways to conduct business has always been fundamental to the Fairleigh Corporation. Through the years they diversified their holdings to support the operational needs of the feed yard.  When economic change loomed on the horizon, company leaders pivoted quickly and either expanded their holdings or divested of troubled assets. As founding members of US Premium Beef, they led the underground effort by cattlemen in the late 1980's to forge a way to trade cattle with less packer control. Today, the trading grid developed by US Premium Beef has become the industry standard for trading cattle on the market to ensure quality standards and minimize margins previously captured by packers. The entire U.S. cattle industry has been impacted by Fairleigh Corporation, demonstrating how what happens in Western Kansas has the ability to transcend state borders.