Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly has recognized Creekstone Farms Premium Beef LLC as the winner of the 2020 Governor’s Exporter of the Year Award, the top export business award presented by the state.
Creekstone was one of five state finalists for this award, joined by Kice Industries of Wichita, Petron Plus Global of Hutchinson, Dragon-Line of Ulysses and Compass Minerals of Overland Park. The announcement of the winner was made during a virtual award ceremony on the Kansas Department of Commerce Facebook page.
“Creekstone Farms is an impressive Kansas company whose beef can be found in nearly every corner of the world,” Kelly said. “All five companies have demonstrated sustained and superior exporting performance worthy of making each one a strong contender for this year’s award — but there can be only one winner. Congratulations to Creekstone Farms on this outstanding recognition.”
Exporting has been an important part of the Creekstone model since the company’s founding in 1995, but its reputation has become even stronger in recent years, as growing economies around the world have demanded more premium beef. The challenges the industry has faced in 2020 has given export sales an even larger role in the Creekstone’s stability.
“We are now exporting to 71 countries, with strong brand recognition in Europe and Asia,” said Alonso Terrazas, Creekstone director of international sales. “We were the first Black Angus beef program sold into the European Union and in China, and we continue to establish new markets for premium beef in Mexico, and Central and South America. Customers worldwide are demanding higher-quality U.S. beef, and Creekstone Farms is at the top of their lists.”
The company has made a significant impact on the surrounding community, having contracted with 315 different vendors in Kansas in 2018 for a total of $87 million. Currently, a $115 million expansion is underway, with more projects slated for the future.
After the awards ceremony, Kansas Secretary of Commerce David Toland called Creekstone Farms to congratulate the company for the achievement.
Exports key to success despite 2020 challenges
“COVID-19 has created so many challenges for exporting, from trade show cancellations to travel restrictions and more,” Toland said. “Creekstone Farms has been resourceful and continued to grow, including a $150 million investment in expansion projects, where the company has worked with 10 other Kansas companies in construction and engineering. Creekstone is a success story in Kansas international business, and they’re highly-deserving of this honor.”
Exports played an outsized role in helping the company create that record.
“We have been able to weather the storm of COVID-19 and protect our essential team members, thanks in part to export activities,” said Keizo Kada, Creekstone Farms president and CEO. “The beef industry faced many challenges this year, and we are proud of the fact that our facility in Kansas never had an outbreak or closed because of the pandemic. Creekstone was proactive and put safety at the top of the list early in the year. We made sure to take all necessary measures to keep our facility and our 1,000 employees safe. That helped us stay open for business and take care of our customers, both domestic and abroad. Our payroll actually grew during this unprecedented time.”
Founded in 1995 in Campbellsburg, Ky., Creekstone Farms moved to Arkansas City in 2003. It is currently owned by the Marubeni Corp. of Japan and employs more than 1,000.
Creekstone Farms represents about 1% of the American beef market. It produces beef from genetically verifiable Black Angus cattle using advanced cattle management practices; carefully controlled feeding practices’ and a company-owned, state-of-the-art processing facility. Creekstone Farms beef can be found in Tokyo, New York, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Seoul, Rome, Monaco, London and Mexico City.