The American Feed Industry Association and Feedstuffs have named Westway Feed Products' Houston facility as the 2025 Feed Facility of the Year, recognizing its outstanding commitment to safety, sustainability and employee development.
The prestigious award, presented annually to a facility demonstrating excellence in quality, safety, productivity, regulatory compliance and customer relations, was announced as the program raised approximately $11,500 for the Equipment Manufacturers Committee scholarship fund.
"One of the things that makes Westway's Houston team outstanding is a culture of placing their people first by creating a safe and rewarding work environment that allows both customers and employees to thrive," said Gary Huddleston, AFIA's director of feed manufacturing and regulatory affairs.
The Houston facility, managed by Tommy Flowers, achieved the highest employee safety score and highest sustainability score among competitors while manufacturing 116,806 tons of liquid feed in 2024. The operation implements initiatives like the Lead Employee and Operator of the Month Programs to celebrate achievements and reinforce workplace engagement.
"We are proud of the team at Westway's Houston plant. They have embraced our company's values and strategy that focuses on safety, a high performing team and customer centricity," said Blaine Blackburn, president of Westway Feed. "Winning AFIA's Feed Facility of the Year award is a great honor for our team."
Eight other facilities were recognized as semifinalists, including BioZyme of St. Joseph, Missouri, which earned highest premix and ingredient facility and highest productivity and efficiency score; Famo Feeds of Freeport, Minnesota, recognized as highest commercial dry facility; and Mountaire Scotland County Feed Mill of Maxton, North Carolina, which received highest integrator facility score.
TransAgra International's Storm Lake, Iowa, facility earned highest quality and food safety score, while other semifinalists included facilities in Illinois, California, Delaware and Michigan.
The AFIA has recognized excellence in feed manufacturing since 1985. Participating facilities receive comprehensive benchmarking reports following their evaluation, providing valuable insights for continuous improvement. Since 2024, program proceeds have supported scholarships for college students pursuing feed industry careers.
