MasterHand Milling

What MasterHand Milling does

MasterHand Milling is a privately held U.S. feed manufacturer founded by Dusty Turner, headquartered in Edmond, Oklahoma, with a production plant in Lexington, Nebraska. The company produces 100% dried distillers grain (DDG) range cubes and pellets, converting the loose ethanol byproduct into a concentrated, high-protein (20-38% CP), high-energy (70% TDN) feed product via a proprietary extrusion process that improves digestibility and reduces fiber compared to unprocessed DDG. All products are formulated without fillers, blends, or commodity substitution, and the company offers three packaging configurations (bulk loads, 2000-lb totes, 50-lb bags).

The company's primary customers are cow-calf and stocker/yearling cattle operations across the Great Plains and Southern Plains (OK, KS, MO, NE, TX, KY), with secondary use cases in seedstock development, rodeo stock nutrition, and feed dealer distribution. Go-to-market combines a multi-state dealer network, direct plant pickup, trucking services coordinated from the Lexington facility, and an e-commerce storefront on Shopify. Discovery and demand generation are driven by an extensive content-marketing engine (blog, newsletter, Feed Cost Calculator, RanchReady Finishing program) and a "Talk to a Feed Expert" consultative sales motion.

A core strategic asset is a multi-year research program anchored by Oklahoma State University (since 2019, with Dr. Paul Beck), expanded through Buffalo Feeders (2021), Missouri State University (2023, Dr. Adam McGee), and partial USDA funding (2023). Validated outcomes — including doubled gain per acre and $38.51 higher net return per steer in OSU trials — are deployed as the primary proof point supporting premium pricing of $350-$475/ton. The product line was extended in January 2025 with the launch of IGNITE STRESS LINE, a sub-brand pre-mix and pellet offering for stress-period nutrition.

Name

MasterHand Milling

Legal name

MasterHand Milling

Website

https://masterhandmilling.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MasterHand Milling is a privately held U.S. feed manufacturer that produces 100% dried distillers grain cubes and pellets via proprietary extrusion technology, serving cow-calf, stocker, and rodeo stock operations across the Great Plains and Southern Plains through a dealer network and direct sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cattle Feed Manufacturing

NAICS

Grain and Oilseed Milling (3112)

SIC

Grain Mill Products (2040)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFADAIAA

Livestock Complete Feed Milling & Blending (Cattle/Swine/Poultry)

Agriculture & Food Production/Animal Feed Manufacturing/Commodity Feed Milling & Blending (Grain-Based, Complete Feeds)

SECONDARYAFADAIAF

Grain Processing for Feed (Cracking, Rolling, Grinding)

Agriculture & Food Production/Animal Feed Manufacturing/Commodity Feed Milling & Blending (Grain-Based, Complete Feeds)

SECONDARYAFADAIAC

Bulk Mash Feed Milling & Blending

Agriculture & Food Production/Animal Feed Manufacturing/Commodity Feed Milling & Blending (Grain-Based, Complete Feeds)

SECONDARYAFADAIAJ

Bagged Retail Commodity Feeds (Small Pack Formats)

Agriculture & Food Production/Animal Feed Manufacturing/Commodity Feed Milling & Blending (Grain-Based, Complete Feeds)

Keywords

• Cattle feed cubes
• Distillers grain feed
• Range supplements
• DDG pellets
• Livestock nutrition

Headquarters

HQ city

Edmond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. DDG Cubes & Pellets Sales: MasterHand Milling generates revenue through the sale of 100% distillers grain range cubes and pellets directly to cattle producers. Products are sold through a dealer network, direct from the plant, and via e-commerce. The company offers multiple packaging options including bulk loads, 2000# totes, and 50# bags.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MasterHand Milling is a feed manufacturer that produces 100% dried distillers grain (DDG) range cubes and pellets using proprietary extrusion technology at its Lexington, Nebraska plant. Products deliver concentrated protein (28–38% CP) and energy (70% TDN) supplementation for cattle at feeding rates of 1–3 lbs/day, sold through a dealer network, direct plant pickup, and an e-commerce storefront.

Product overview

MasterHand Milling offers two main product lines built around 100% Distillers Dried Grains (DDG): (1) Cubes & Pellets — the core extruded DDG range cubes and pellets for year-round supplementation across cow-calf, stocker, and yearling phases; and (2) IGNITE STRESS LINE — a pre-mix and pellet sub-brand targeting stress periods. All products share a common formulation of pure DDG with no fillers or blends, differentiated by physical form (cube vs. pellet) and target use case.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IGNITE STRESS LINE: Pre-mix and pellets product line for stress management in cattle.
• 100% DDG Cubes & Pellets

Products and services

• 100% DDG Cubes & Pellets 100% Distillers Dried Grains (DDG) range cubes and pellets produced through an extrusion process at the Lexington, NE plant, providing concentrated high-protein, high-energy cattle feed for year-round supplementation across cow-calf, stocker, and yearling phases on pasture or in confinement.
• IGNITE STRESS LINE Pre-mix and pellet product line within the DDG portfolio offering a simplified feeding solution for cattle during stress periods, used by ranchers needing targeted support outside standard supplementation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cattle supplemented with DDG cubes doubled bodyweight gain per acre compared to unsupplemented controls in OSU trials
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Missouri State University / Dr. Adam McGeecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Missouri State University researchers, led by Dr. Adam McGee, conducted independent feed trials comparing DDG cubes to traditional corn rations on growing heifers. The 8-week study showed DDG group had 1.51 lb/day ADG vs 1.16 lb/day for starch group, validating extrusion technology benefits.
• Buffalo FeederscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Since 2021, Buffalo Feeders in Buffalo, OK has partnered with MasterHand Milling and OSU to track research cattle through the feedyard and collect carcass data. Tom Fanning, General Manager, has reported superior performance, better dry matter conversion, and improved carcass quality from cattle fed DDG cubes on grass compared to controls.
• Oklahoma State University / Dr. Paul BeckflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019MasterHand Milling partners with OSU Cooperative Extension and Dr. Paul Beck's research team for ongoing cattle nutrition research. Since 2019, the partnership has conducted multi-year grazing and feedlot trials studying DDG cube supplementation. Research locations include Bessie, Fort Supply, and Haskell, OK. Studies have shown repeatable performance data on cattle gains, feedyard performance, and carcass quality. The partnership is now in its 5th year with continued research into dairy-cross cattle performance.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ADM Animal Nutrition: ADM manufactures a full line of cattle feed products including range cubes and supplements, and is one of the largest U.S. producers of distillers grains as an ethanol byproduct owner. It competes with MasterHand across cow-calf, stocker, and feedlot segments with broader SKU coverage.
• J.D. Heiskell & Co. J.D. Heiskell is a large privately held feed manufacturer producing cube and pellet cattle feed in the western U.S. Its geographic footprint in California and the Pacific Northwest overlaps with MasterHand's Great Plains customer base through commercial feedlot relationships.
• Cargill Animal Nutrition: Cargill operates a global animal nutrition business offering cattle feeds including cubes, pellets, and supplements. While not a DDG-cube specialist, it competes directly for the same rancher and feedlot feed dollar with vastly broader distribution and product breadth.
• Land O'Lakes (Animal Milk & Feed): Land O'Lakes operates a substantial animal feed business through its WinField United and Purina-aligned network, producing cattle supplements and cubes distributed through ag retail. It competes for the same rancher budget with much wider product breadth and co-op reach.
• CHS Inc. (Animal Nutrition): CHS is a major U.S. agribusiness cooperative that manufactures and distributes livestock feed including range cubes through its extensive dealer and elevator network. Its scale and cooperative relationships make it a structural competitor to MasterHand's dealer go-to-market.
• Hubbard Feeds (animal nutrition division of Ridley): Hubbard Feeds is a regional and national livestock feed manufacturer producing range cubes and cattle supplements. It shares MasterHand's core product format (cubed/pelleted cattle feed) and dealer-driven distribution model across the Midwest and Great Plains.
• Purina Animal Nutrition (Nestlé): Purina is a leading national branded cattle feed manufacturer offering range cubes, supplements, and tubs. It competes on the dealer shelf and on rancher mindshare for premium protein supplementation products where MasterHand operates.

Emerging players

• Midwestern BioAg: Midwestern BioAg focuses on biological and nutritional soil and feed inputs for livestock operations. While not a direct cube competitor, it targets the same rancher segment with alternative protein and supplementation solutions, making it an emerging adjacent competitor.

Regional players

• WestFeeds: WestFeeds is a regional feed manufacturer producing cubes and pellets across the northern U.S. Plains and Mountain West. It overlaps directly with MasterHand's cow-calf and stocker segments within adjacent geographies and competes on dealer relationships.

Direct peers

• POET (Dakota Gold distillers grains): POET is the largest U.S. ethanol producer and markets Dakota Gold, a branded dried distillers grains feed product. Both POET and MasterHand Milling convert ethanol-industry DDG into saleable animal feed, making them the closest direct peer in the byproduct-feed value chain.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MasterHandMilling

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MasterHand Milling