Collection: Umbarger Show Feed

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.