Thursday, March 19, 1998

Abilene Livestock Auction acquires Bowie auction

By J.T. SMITH / Abilene Reporter-News

Abilene Livestock Auction continues to beef up its territory.

The Abilene business has acquired Bowie Livestock Auction, Inc.

Randy Carson, president and co-owner of Abilene Livestock Auction, confirmed Wednesday that the Abilene sale barn had acquired Bowie.

Abilene Livestock purchased the Bowie auction from the Ogle family -- Larry and Loneta Ogle, and their son, Chris, and daughter, Julie Ogle Cook.

Principal owners are Carson of Merkel, John W. Michener, Jr., of Fort Worth and his son, Madison Michener of Amarillo.

The same trio bought Abilene Livestock Auction in 1994. Carson had worked at Abilene Livestock Auction since he was 17 years old and had dreamed of owning part of the auction.

In 1995, Abilene Livestock Auction bought Amarillo Livestock Auction.

This latest acquisition should mean a total volume of about 300,000 cattle per year moving collectively through the three auction barns.

Abilene Livestock Auction sold about 90,000 cattle in 1997. Its Amarillo facility moved 160,000 cattle last year. Bowie moved 50,000 cattle through its barn in 1997.

Stan Newsome, well known to cattlemen in the Abilene and San Angelo regions, will move to Bowie to become general manager there. He also will have a financial interest in the Bowie auction.

"I'm gonna stay right here in Abilene and run Abilene Livestock Auction," Carson assured. "Stan is going to run Bowie, and Madison will continue to operate the Amarillo auction."

Abilene and Amarillo both have their weekly sales on Tuesday, with each starting at 10 a.m.

Bowie will continue to have its auction at 11:30 a.m. each Saturday.