Kent and Clesha Reading run a large cow/calf operation in Ozark, Ark. They use fall calving with Angus, Charolais and Black Simmental bulls with their commercial herd. Kent prefers Angus and Black Simmental in order to get black calves and Charolais to help produce a good crossbred mix with greater thickness, pounds and muscle. The Black Simmental also contribute greater muscle mass. Calves are sold at 600 pounds after working them in the spring for worms, lepto, castration, black leg, and respiratory issues with a six-way respiratory vaccination.
Kent and Clesha met while Clesha was a registered nurse for a local dermatologist. The couple now own, I-40 Livestock Auction, where Clesha pitches in on sale days. Ironically, their first date was to go to another livestock auction. Their two children are attending the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville where their daughter, Lauren, is studying occupational therapy and their son, Logan, is focusing on ag business with the possibility of coming back to the homestead after graduation.
When Kent was young, he wanted to be an auctioneer. His father helped him learn by practicing while driving. Every time they passed a telephone pole the price of the cattle would go up. The practice allowed Kent to develop his own chant and sell… starting at age 12.
After attending junior college in Miami, Okla., and competing on the livestock judging team, Kent went to Stillwater to Oklahoma State University and earned a degree in animal science and livestock merchandising. Between his sophomore and junior year, Kent went to Mason City, Iowa to the Reisch World Wide College of Auctioneering for two weeks. While he went with an interest in learning real estate auctioning, he ended up re-fining and using his livestock auctioning skills which he uses to this day. Upon graduation from college, Kent worked as a field representative for the Springdale Livestock Auction. A year later he went to work for the Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association, but when his father, Garlan, was retiring from pharmaceutical sales in animal husbandry, Kent and Garlan knew they wanted to build a sale barn in Ozark because a need existed so farmers wouldn’t have to travel so far to sell the cattle.
For the first six months Kent helped build the facility which covers 20 acres with 400 different pens for livestock herds ranging from one to over 100. The business will supply an on-site inspection of herds or hauling when requested. Feed and water are available for animals brought in as early as three days before the sale. However, almost all of the animals arrive sometime on Wednesday with sales taking place every Thursday. The first sale at I-40 Livestock Auction took place on January 16, 1992. While Kent and Garlan had only 150 head to sell, the place was so crowded not one seat was left. Everyone was interested in the new business.
Garlan spent his days from daylight to dark knocking on doors in a four county area and promoting the new business, something he continued to do until he retired again 10 years ago when he sold both the farm and the auction business to his son. Kent said, “The biggest challenge in this business is making sure you have enough buyers. Most of our buyers have been with us since the beginning and are basically friends.” Buyers come from Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and even Mexico.
Kent feels success comes from being fair and honest as well as from treating everyone the same regardless of herd size. Another component is having good staff. Kent employees 22 people on sales days, including a bookkeeper and an auction house/farm worker who hold full-time positions. Having long-term employees, many over 15 years, it ensures knowledgeable and efficient service. Explaining a final element for success, Kent said, “I am both owner and auctioneer and work on a commission basis, an advantage because people are comfortable that I know what the cattle are worth and I will get there when I sell.”
