Our Team
Richard (Dick) Bretz –Dick has been involved in large commercial livestock production for over 25 years. His career has taken him through:
- Large mid-western purebred cattle, cattle feeding, and pork production operations.
- Managing several operations for the King Ranch in south Texas.
- Currently owning and operating several related businesses/partnerships involved in cattle management, feedyard management, cattle ownership, commercial property salvage, and energy production in Amarillo, Texas.
During his ten years at King Ranch, Dick managed several business segments including two commercial feedyards, cattle purchasing and marketing, outside cattle feeding, the weaning and stocker operations, an east Texas ranch/farm, a west Texas leased ranch, and the risk-management functions for the cattle and feedyard operations. Dick also helped develop two value based beef marketing programs including the Ranchers Renaissance marketing group in partnership with several of the largest US and Canadian ranching and feeding operations and with Cargill. He served on the Ranchers Renaissance board for nine years, served one term as its board chairman, and acted as its interim CEO in its initial year of operations. Dick has also served on the TCFA Board of Directors, NCA Board of Directors, and on numerous committees for TCFA, NCA/NCBA, and the Texas Beef Council. Dick is also a member of the Realtors Land Institute
Dick moved to Amarillo in 1999 to partner in a technology company that develops software for feedyards. Dick and his partner successfully sold the technology company within a year and Dick went on to utilize some of the cattle management software in forming Eslabon Cattle Co., LP, a cattle management company owned in partnership with Purina Mills/Land-O-Lakes. Dick also owns Eslabon Capital, LP, a feedyard management business, Eslabon Feeders, LP, a cattle ownership entity, and partners in Ag Salvage, LLC, a commercial property salvage business, and Eslabon Energy, LLC, a biodiesel production company.
Dick’s start in merchandising commercial feedyards goes back to the mid-nineties when he headed up an effort by King Ranch to acquire a large commercial feedyard in the Texas high plains. That effort and other business projects have introduced him to a large number of the high plains feedyard owners and managers. Those contacts grew into Dick becoming a key referral person if you had an interest in buying or selling a commercial feedyard. He started merchandising feedyards commercially in 2004 and in 2007 that endeavor grew into the Eslabon Properties partnership with George Clift.
Through the last 20 years of Dick’s career, he has been a part of several large scale agri-business acquisitions/divestitures totaling several hundred million dollars in asset value and has done international business in five countries. Dick has an Associate of Animal Science degree and a Bachelors degree in Finance from the University of Northern Iowa where he graduated with Highest Honors. Dick is a licensed real estate sales person in Texas and Kansas, and has developed cooperative arrangements to transact business in several other states.
George Clift has been involved in Agriculture for over 30 years. After graduating from Oklahoma State University in 1979 with Animal Science and Agribusiness degrees, he went to work for Ralston Purina Company, working with feed stores and large cattle, hog, and dairy operations. As a District Manager for Ralston Purina, he provided business management assistance to agri-business owners including marketing assistance and training through educational seminars for livestock owners. George worked hands-on with cattle operations, assisting cattlemen with genetics evaluation, grazing management, retained ownership opportunities, and ration formulation. While working the southeastern Oklahoma area, he also became involved with Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association, Junior livestock shows, and the Boys and Girls Club.
In 1997, George purchased a real estate brokerage business in Amarillo, TX, specializing in farm and ranch real estate primarily in the Texas Panhandle. In 1999, the company introduced land auctions to the region and George founded Alliance Land Auction, LP, now Clift Land Auctions, currently one of the largest land auction companies in the High Plains. In 2000, George expanded his real estate business by acquiring James F. Hayes Company, a large ranch brokerage business and appraisal company. This expansion formed Clift, Scott and Associates with George as the sole owner. In October of 2008, the company moved into its new location at 3430 I-40 West in Amarillo. And in an effort to better reflect the business focus, the name was changed to Clift Land Brokers, operating as a division of George Clift Enterprises, Inc.
In 2007, George formed a partnership with Dick Bretz and created Eslabon Properties, focusing on marketing large commercial agriculture facilities.
George is a licensed Real Estate Broker in Texas, Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. In 2005, he earned the Accredited Land Consultant (ALC) designation, being one of only 500 Realtors throughout the U.S. who holds this coveted accreditation. George is currently the Vice President and serves on the Board of Directors of the Realtors Land Institute at the national level, and is a past president of the Texas Chapter of the Realtors Land Institute. George is a member of the National Association of Realtors, Texas Association of Realtors, and Amarillo Association of Realtors, as well as the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce, Better Business Bureau, and the Texas Cattle Feeders Association.
George and Kathi have three children, Bryan, Kari, and Megan as well as 4 grandchildren. They are partners in a 3,000 acre corn farm in Dallam County, Texas and development property in Lubbock. They also graze calves and feed cattle at commercial feedlots in the region.
