El Toro Export
El Toro Export is a privately-held agricultural commodity trading company in California's Imperial Valley that handles, processes, and markets forage hay, grains, seeds, cattle, and organic compost for domestic and international export markets through five operating subsidiaries and four facilities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1982
- HeadquartersEl Centro, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What El Toro Export does
El Toro Export, LLC is a privately-held, family-controlled agricultural commodity trading and processing company headquartered at 1469 LaBrucherie Road in El Centro, California. Founded in 1982 with the establishment of grain operations in the Imperial Valley, the company is described as the largest commodity trading group in California's Imperial Valley and employs approximately 110 people across four handling facilities. It operates an integrated platform spanning five product divisions: Export Hay (alfalfa, Sudan grass, Bermuda grass, Klein grass, and various straws from California's Imperial Valley and Oregon's Willamette Valley); Grain (durum wheat, yellow corn, and barley, with over 100,000 metric tons of rail-served storage); Seeds through Rubin Seeds, LLC (a certified organic seed handling facility); Compost through Trusource, LLC (OMRI-certified compost); and Livestock through El Toro Land & Cattle (a 27,000-head certified feedlot), plus a production-agriculture subsidiary Cultiver, LLC currently under development. The cattle feedlot predecessor, El Toro Land & Cattle, opened in 1965 and predates the parent company.
The company's business model is commodity trading and toll processing across multiple agricultural value chains, generating revenue through per-transaction margins on procurement-to-sale spread, handling and storage fees, cattle feeding services, and organic compost sales. El Toro Export operates an enterprise field sales motion with direct buyer relationships: buyers conduct road-side stack inspections (assessing stem size, color, moisture, weeds, and contaminants) and make purchase offers based on market conditions, after which products move through El Toro's storage, compression, and containerized export logistics. Pricing is market-determined rather than tiered, with multi-format packaging (bulk bales, wrapped bales, poly-sleeve chopped) supporting diverse buyer specifications. Distribution combines rail (Union Pacific access at Brawley and Heber, with 30-35 rail cars/day loading and 75 unit trains/year receiving), truck, and sea container export channels serving the Far East (Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, Australia), the Middle East, Europe, Mexico, and U.S. domestic markets.
Customer segments include dairy, beef, and horse operations (domestic and export); Far East and European flour mills (durum wheat); the Imperial Valley cattle feeding industry and Mexican grain buyers (yellow corn, barley); certified organic vegetable farms in Imperial and Palo Verde Valleys (compost); and seed companies and universities (organic seed handling). El Toro Export maintains an active role in industry bodies including co-founding the U.S. Forage Export Council under the National Hay Association umbrella. Quality control spans from storage yard through container loading with 12% maximum moisture thresholds and port authority compliance verification. Technology footprint is limited to industrial automation (computer-controlled batch mixer mill, moisture probes, monitoring systems) rather than proprietary software platforms.
El Toro Export firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- El Toro Export
- Legal name
- El Toro Export, LLC
- Website
- https://eltoroexport.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1982
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- El Toro Export is a privately-held agricultural commodity trading company in California's Imperial Valley that handles, processes, and markets forage hay, grains, seeds, cattle, and organic compost for domestic and international export markets through five operating subsidiaries and four facilities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
El Toro Export industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Agricultural Commodity Trading
- NAICS
- Other Farm Product Raw Material Merchant Wholesalers (424590), Grain and Field Bean Merchant Wholesalers (424510), Farm Product Warehousing and Storage (493130), Beef Cattle Ranching and Farming (112111)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Farm Product Raw Materials (5150), Agricultural Services (700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Export-Grade Forage Products (Compressed Bales, Containerized Hay) (AFADAHAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Crop Residue Roughage (Corn Stover, Wheat/Barley Stubble) (AFADAHAF), Byproduct & Co-Product Feed Blending (DDGS, soybean hulls, wheat midds) (AFADAIAG)
Keywords
Where El Toro Export is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- El Centro
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
El Toro Export business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Commodity Trading and Export: El Toro Export generates revenue through trading, processing, and marketing of agricultural commodities including hay, grain, seed, cattle, and transportation for both export and domestic markets. Revenue comes from the margin between procurement costs and sales to domestic and international buyers, with operations spanning from production through processing, storage, and containerized export.
- Grain Handling and Storage Services: Provides custom handling, storage, and identity preserved handling services for grain products. Revenue generated from storage fees and handling charges at their three facilities in the Imperial Valley.
- Organic Compost Sales: Trusource LLC sells certified organic and OMRI certified compost to organic farms in the Imperial and Palo Verde Valleys.
- Cattle Feedlot Services: El Toro Land and Cattle operates feedlot facilities with 27,000 head capacity, providing feeding services and risk management tools for cattle customers.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels3 records
El Toro Export product offering
Product offeringCore offering
El Toro Export handles, processes, stores, and markets agricultural commodities including forage hay (alfalfa, sudan, bermuda, klein grass), durum wheat, yellow corn, certified organic seeds, and cattle across domestic and export markets. Operations span from production through processing, storage, and containerized export, with 100,000+ metric tons of grain storage capacity and rail logistics across facilities in the Imperial Valley and Oregon. The company also operates a 27,000-head cattle feedlot and a certified organic compost operation.
Product overview
El Toro Export is a diversified agricultural commodity trading company operating as a unified platform with multiple product divisions. The core product lines include Export Hay (forage products from California and Oregon), Grain (durum wheat and yellow corn), and Seed operations through Rubin Seeds. Supporting divisions include Trusource (organic compost), El Toro Land & Cattle (cattle feedlot), and Cultiver (agriculture). The company operates storage facilities, compress operations, and provides transportation services for both export and domestic markets, serving customers in the Far East, Middle East, Europe, Mexico, and the U.S. marketplace.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Export Hay Handling, processing, and marketing of forage hay products including Alfalfa Hay, Sudan Grass Hay, Bermuda Grass Hay, Klein Grass Hay, Bermuda Grass Straw, Fescue Straw, Rye Grass Straw, Orchard Straw, and Bent Straw from operations in California's Imperial Valley and Oregon's Willamette Valley, sold to dairy, beef, and horse operations domestically and exported to Far East markets.
- Grain Handling, storing, and marketing of grain commodities including Durum wheat produced in the Imperial Valley and Yellow Corn from Midwestern U.S. origins, with storage capacity exceeding 100,000 metric tons, marketed to flour mills in Far East and Europe and feed grains to cattle feeding operations.
- Rubin Seeds (Seed Handling and Processing) Seed handling and processing operation offering certified organic seed products including alfalfa, bermudagrass, sudangrass, wheat, and various grass and vegetable seeds, exporting to Australia, Europe, Japan, China, and the Middle East, serving seed companies and universities needing the Imperial Valley's winter growing season for seed increases.
- Trusource (Organic Compost) Composting operation that processes steer manure from El Toro Land & Cattle feedyards into Certified Organic and OMRI Certified compost for organic vegetable production, serving organic farms in Imperial and Palo Verde Valleys with pathogen-reduced compost meeting National Organic Program and California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement standards.
- El Toro Land & Cattle (Cattle Feedlot Services) Cattle feedlot operation with capacity to house 27,000 head of cattle across 232 pens, certified for Age and Source Verified Cattle and Vintage Natural Beef programs serving National Beef Packing Co., including computer-controlled batch mixer mill with 60,000+ tons grain storage, licensed nutritionist and veterinarian services, and risk management tools.
- Grain Handling and Storage Services Custom handling, storage, and identity-preserved handling services for grain products at three facilities in the Imperial Valley with rail access and capacity to load 30-35 rail cars per day, generating revenue from storage fees and handling charges.
Quantifiable outcome
- 60% market share of locally produced durum wheat crop
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use El Toro Export
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
El Toro Export technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
El Toro Export partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- OR-PAC Feed and ForagecoreJoint venture partner for Oregon hay operations in Junction City, OR. OR-PAC operates the facility with one double compression machine and 15,000 ton storage capacity, producing Fescue Straw, Rye Grass Straw, Orchard Straw, and Bent Straw.
- U.S. Forage Export Council (USFEC)flagshipBill Plourd serves as Co-Founder, President, and Co-Chairman of USFEC, which works under the National Hay Association umbrella to advance industry issues related to nutrient/chemical testing, transportation, agronomy, cross-feed contamination, workplace welfare, and fire exposure/risk for U.S. compress operations exporting baled fiber products. USFEC collaborates with USDA/FAS and foreign agriculture agencies on 'safe feed' initiatives.
- National Hay AssociationcoreBill Plourd is Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of National Hay Association's Forage Export Council. The NHA provides industry standards and resources including connection to National Forage Testing Association and U.S. Forage Export Council.
- Union Pacific RailroadcoreUnion Pacific Railroad's Imperial Valley line serves the El Toro Land & Cattle feed mill, enabling 75 car unit train receiving capability for feed grains and ingredients, combined with 60,000+ tons grain storage capacity for efficient feed commodity receipt.
- National Beef Packing Co.coreEl Toro Land & Cattle is a certified feedlot for 'Age and Source Verified Cattle' and 'Vintage Natural Beef' programs that pay premiums for cattle procured by National Beef Packing Co.
- Rubin Seeds, LLCcoreAffiliated company handling seed products including alfalfa, bermudagrass, sudangrass, wheat, and vegetable seeds. Certified Organic Handling Facility with export markets including Australia, Europe, Japan, China and Middle East. Works with companies and universities in the north for seed increases using Imperial Valley's winter growing season.
- El Toro Land & CattlecoreAffiliated feedlot company with 27,000 head capacity across Heber and McCabe yards. Computer controlled batch mixer mill with 60,000+ tons grain storage. Licensed nutritionist and veterinarian on staff. Certified feedlot for Age and Source Verified Cattle and Vintage Natural Beef programs.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
El Toro Export competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- CHS Inc. Largest U.S. agricultural cooperative with grain trading, crop inputs, and global commodity marketing. Comparable to El Toro's grain trading and storage model at a much larger scale.
- The Andersons, Inc. Diversified agribusiness with grain merchandising, storage, and commodity trading across the U.S. Comparable to El Toro's grain division on storage capacity, rail logistics, and trading operations.
- Bunge Global: Global agribusiness with grain origination, oilseed processing, and commodity trading. Comparable to El Toro's grain merchandising and storage model at multinational scale.
- Wilbur-Ellis: Diversified agribusiness with crop inputs, commodity trading, and animal feed across the western U.S. Comparable to El Toro's hay, grain, and seed merchandising on the West Coast.
- Archer Daniels Midland (ADM): Global agribusiness giant with grain origination, processing, and commodity trading. Comparable to El Toro's grain division but at vastly larger scale and geographic breadth.
Direct peers
- ACX Pacific Northwest: Major U.S. hay exporter serving Japan, Korea, and other Pacific Rim markets with compressed hay products. Directly comparable on the export hay side with similar Pacific-bound buyer base and packaging formats.
- Anderson Hay & Grain Co. One of the largest U.S. hay exporters, specializing in alfalfa and forage hay for export to Asia and the Middle East. Directly comparable to El Toro's export hay division in product mix, buyer relationships, and containerized export logistics.
- Standlee Premium Western Forage: Vertically integrated forage hay producer and marketer with branded retail and bulk product lines. Comparable to El Toro's hay and organic certified operations in product breadth and quality positioning.
- Five Rivers Cattle Feeding: Largest cattle feedlot operator in the U.S. with multiple yards and significant capacity. Comparable to El Toro Land & Cattle's feedlot operations on capacity, cattle feeding services, and packer relationships.
Emerging players
- Alforex Seeds: Alfalfa and forage seed company serving domestic and international markets. Comparable to Rubin Seeds' certified seed handling and forage seed export focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
El Toro Export social profiles
Digital presenceEl Toro Export compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
El Toro Export financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
El Toro Export leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
El Toro Export subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
El Toro Export funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
El Toro Export M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about El Toro Export
What does El Toro Export do?
El Toro Export handles, processes, stores, and markets agricultural commodities including forage hay (alfalfa, sudan, bermuda, klein grass), durum wheat, yellow corn, certified organic seeds, and cattle across domestic and export markets. Operations span from production through processing, storage, and containerized export, with 100,000+ metric tons of grain storage capacity and rail logistics across facilities in the Imperial Valley and Oregon. The company also operates a 27,000-head cattle feedlot and a certified organic compost operation.
Is El Toro Export a public or private company?
El Toro Export is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was El Toro Export founded?
El Toro Export was founded in 1982. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is El Toro Export based?
El Toro Export is headquartered in El Centro, United States, in the North America region.
How does El Toro Export make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Commodity Trading and Export is the primary driver. The others are grain Handling and Storage Services, organic Compost Sales and cattle Feedlot Services.
Who are El Toro Export's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are CHS Inc., The Andersons, Inc., Bunge Global, Wilbur-Ellis and Archer Daniels Midland (ADM). Direct peers are ACX Pacific Northwest, Anderson Hay & Grain Co., Standlee Premium Western Forage and Five Rivers Cattle Feeding. Alforex Seeds is listed as an emerging player.
Does El Toro Export have an API?
No public API is recorded for El Toro Export.
What industry is El Toro Export in?
El Toro Export's product category is Agricultural Commodity Trading. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFADAHAJ, Export-Grade Forage Products (Compressed Bales, Containerized Hay), with a secondary code of AFADAHAF, Crop Residue Roughage (Corn Stover, Wheat/Barley Stubble). Its NAICS code is 424590 and its SIC code is 5150.