MPS Egg Farms has purchased Feather Crest Farms, a Texas-based egg producer with two farms in Kurten and Center, Texas. The acquisition expands the MPS Egg Farms operations by approximately 1 million hens, for a total of 11 million hens producing approximately 9.35 million eggs a day. The acquisition significantly enhances MPS Egg Farms’ geographic footprint, enabling the company to better serve existing and potential customers in Texas and beyond.

“We knew of Feather Crest Farms by reputation; they are solid and well-respected within the industry,” MPS Egg Farms vice president of business development Sam Krouse said. “MPS Egg Farms is a sixth-generation, family-owned and -operated company, so it was important that Feather Crest Farms share the same values and commitment to customer service and quality that we hold important.”

The Barrett family has been involved with Feather Crest since the 1950s, starting with Delvin Barrett, who began working there while a student at Texas A&M University. The company was eventually purchased in the 1970s by the Barrett family, who has continually improved and expanded the operations. Following his death in 2001, his sons continued operation of the company until the MPS Egg Farms acquisition.

While there are no immediate expansion plans for the 70-year-old Texas-based farms, Dan Krouse, vice president of operations for MPS Egg Farms, said remodeling existing facilities and expanding production are part of the long-term plan. For now, however, it’s business as usual.

“We hired everyone that was employed at Feather Crest Farms -- a total of 96 people -- which brings our total to about 630 employees nationally. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, transition of the farms is occurring electronically. Thankfully, no one from Indiana was planning to spend extended time in Texas because the expertise and strength of the Feather Crest team is already strong,” Krouse said.

The farms will retain their local names – Feather Crest Farms (Kurten) and Pineywoods (Center) – with the addition of MPS Egg Farms signs. The products produced are private label.