Our Team
Dick has been involved in large commercial livestock production for over 25 years. His career has taken him through:
- A Midwestern start in Iowa on his families’ grain and cattle feeding operation.
- Large Midwestern purebred cattle, cattle feeding, and pork production operations.
- Managing several operations for the King Ranch, Inc. in South Texas.
- Currently owning and operating several related businesses/partnerships involved in cattle and feedyard management and cattle ownership in Amarillo, Texas.
- A partnership in Eslabon Properties.
During his ten years at King Ranch, Inc., Dick managed several business segments including two commercial feedyards, cattle purchasing and marketing, outside cattle feeding in as many as twelve feedyards at a time, 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 was also involved in developing two value-based beef marketing programs including helping to found the Ranchers Renaissance marketing group in partnership with several of the largest U.S. 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 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 and his wife, Fran, 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, and the majority interest in Eslabon Feeders, LP, a cattle growing/feeding partnership.
Dick’s start in merchandising commercial feedyards goes back to the mid-nineties when he headed up an effort by King Ranch, Inc. 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 that endeavor has grown into Eslabon Properties, a 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 from Hawkeye Institute of Technology and a Bachelors degree in Finance from the University of Northern Iowa where he graduated with Highest Honors. Dick is a licensed real estate salesperson in Texas and Kansas, and has developed cooperative arrangements to transact business in several other states.
George has been involved in agriculture for over 29 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 he is currently a partner in Alliance Land Auction, LP. 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. In an effort to better reflect his business focus, he changed the name to Clift Land Brokers, operating as a division of George Clift Enterprises, Inc. Also in 2008, George formed a partnership with Dick Bretz and created Eslabon Properties focusing on marketing large commercial agriculture facilities including feedyards, dairies, meat packing facilities, and ethanol production facilities across the U.S.
George is a licensed Real Estate Broker in Texas, Kansas, and Oklahoma. In 2005, he earned the Accredited Land Consultant (ALC) designation, being only one of 500 Realtors throughout the U.S. who holds this coveted accreditation. He is the past president of the Texas Chapter of the Realtors Land Institute and currently serves on the National Board of Directors 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 four 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.
