Priefert history

By the end of 1966, Marvin went to his brother Corbin to ask him to join the business as a traveling salesman to recruit more dealers.

His first sales vehicle was a green 1967 Mustang that Marvin had modified by extending the frame so he could mount a headgate to it for Corbin to display when making sales calls.

When Bill returned home from college in 1970, he went to work with his dad and quickly took a leadership role in the company, overseeing purchasing, sales, and production.

When the cattle market crashed in 1974, Marvin knew that he would have to diversify to keep the business going.

In 1976, Marvin brought in his son-in-law, David Bynum, to work with him and Bill as the demands on each of them grew.

In 1980, Marvin and Bill built a new 27,000 square foot facility alongside Hwy 271 and moved the entire operation, including some of the original machines Marvin had built.

Both the headgate and squeeze chute designs were updated in 1981.

In 1984, 20 years after inventing his headgate, Marvin introduced another revolutionary advancement in the livestock industry: a panel featuring a chain connection with a "fishhook" top and J-leg frame.

By the mid-80s, Priefert offered galvanized panels, gates, and fencing along with their cattle and hay equipment lines, and their dealer network covered the central and eastern US. In 1987, the decision was made to expand westward.

However, amidst all the success and growth, 1988 also dealt a devastating blow to the Priefert family.

Moving beyond the cattle market, Priefert began making Litter Savers for the poultry industry in 1990.

After taking the rodeo world by storm, Priefert turned its focus to expanding its business outside the US. Although the company had been exporting headgates to Germany since 1991, they still didn't have a global presence for their equine or rodeo equipment.

Priefert also released its first roping chute in 1992, dipping its toe into the popular rodeo market.

In 1995, the Premier Dog Kennel was added to the line-up, further widening Priefert's impact on the farm and ranch communities.

In 1999, the company also added a slitter, giving them the ability to purchase raw, master coils of steel and then oversee each step of the production process.

In the fall of 2001, Priefert hired Marketing Director Jeff Rash.

A new chute was added to the lineup in 2004 with the creation of the Model S04 chute.

In 2005, Priefert Logistics was born when the company purchased more than 20 semi-trucks.

Within a year, Priefert was also named the Official Equipment Company of the PRCA, and began providing the arena and holding pens for the National Finals Rodeo in 2006.

In 2007, Priefert set up its largest international dealer, Priefert Australia.

So, in 2008, Priefert Complex Designs was created to consult with these facilities throughout the design process to ensure they got the equipment they wanted without the costly delays and redesigns.

Times worsened in 2009 when a severe drought led to a rapidly declining cattle market.

In 2011, Priefert was presented with an opportunity to expand into the popular hunting market.