Pictured at the Aug. 30 Fat Mama Feeds groundbreaking are, from left, Michelle Howington, program manager, WT Enterprise Center; Kyle Humphrey, production manager, Fat Mama Feeds; Dr. Robert Allen King, WT associate dean of graduate business programs; Wendi Swope, president, Double U Marketing; Doug Nelson, senior vice president of financial services, Amarillo Economic Development Corp.; Ashlee Gwin, co-owner, Fat Mama Feeds; Brian Gwin, co-owner, Fat Mama Feeds; Amy Henderson, commercial loan officer; David Salas, managing partner, Altura Engineering & Design; Kaleb Brewer, investor; Hollie Shankle, director of business development, Amarillo Economic Development Corp.; Paul Simpson, director of business retention & expansion, Amarillo Economic Development Corp.; and Brian Enevoldsen, managing director, WT Enterprise Center.
AMARILLO, Texas – Amarillo EnterPrize Challenge winner Fat Mama Feeds celebrated the groundbreaking of a new storage and cleaning facility Aug. 30 in Bushland.
The Amarillo feed company was one of four Amarillo businesses awarded a portion of $399,000 in February 2022 as part of the challenge, a program of the WT Enterprise Center that’s funded by the Amarillo Economic Development Corporation.
Fat Mama Feeds was founded in 2019 by Amarillo natives Brian and Ashlee Gwin. The company buys, processes, wholesale distributes and delivers soybeans and deer corn to multiple dealers, individual hunters and big-game ranches statewide. They offer the only bagged 100-percent soybean feed on the market today and currently have 25 licensed dealers for their products reaching from the top of the Panhandle to Cisco in central Texas.
“The Amarillo EDC funding and WT Enterprise Center helped us acquire the necessary funds to scale our production to the next level,” Brian Gwin said. “We were able to purchase the equipment needed to have a clean, quality production that sets us apart from competitors.”
The Amarillo EnterPrize Challenge aims to assist entrepreneurs in expanding an existing primary business outside of the Amarillo Metropolitan Statistical Area. Participants of the challenge gain a better understanding of how to develop and then follow a realistic business plan to prepare their business for investment. Annual reporting from 2009 to 2022 has shown revenue totals of more than $1.48 billion created by Randall and Potter County businesses because of the WT Enterprise Center program.
“Fat Mama Feeds was a great fit to receive funding from the competition as they were already in the process of scaling their company with focus on bringing outside dollars into our local economy,” said Brian Enevoldsen, managing director of the WT Enterprise Center. “We are so thankful for the Amarillo Economic Development Corporation and their support to see Amarillo companies achieve big things.”
For information, please call 806-651-8500, or email info@WTEnterpriseCenter.com.
Partnering and retaining community businesses to improve the quality of life in the Panhandle and beyond is a key component of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World. That plan is fueled by the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign. To date, the campaign — which publicly launched in September 2021— has raised more than $125 million and will continue through 2025.
About WT Enterprise Center
The WT Enterprise Center, a unit of the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business at WT, collaborates with America’s SBDC at WTAMU to promote economic development in the Texas Panhandle. Since its establishment in 2001, the Center has provided local entrepreneurs with top-quality resources, including certified business coaches, industry specialists, high-end facilities, and advanced programs. Entrepreneurs can access entrepreneurial business coaching, capital, facilities, and a wide range of training and programs to help them develop strong leadership skills and grow their companies. The WT Enterprise Center’s primary focus is on supporting business owners in building robust, profitable companies that contribute to a thriving economic community. For more information, visit wtenterprisecenter.com or contact info@wtenterprisecenter.com or 806-651-8500.
About Amarillo Economic Development Corp.
The Amarillo community depends on the success and influence of its local businesses, along with the attraction of new, primary businesses. The Amarillo Economic Development Corp. helps support and retain these current local businesses, while also attracting new businesses, by providing guidance and financial assistance. To learn more about the AEDC, visit amarilloedc.com, or contact info@amarilloedc.com or 806-379-6411.
About West Texas A&M University
WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs and more than 40 graduate degrees, including two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offer 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.
Photo: Pictured at the Aug. 30 Fat Mama Feeds groundbreaking are, from left, Michelle Howington, program manager, WT Enterprise Center; Kyle Humphrey, production manager, Fat Mama Feeds; Dr. Robert Allen King, WT associate dean of graduate business programs; Wendi Swope, president, Double U Marketing; Doug Nelson, senior vice president of financial services, Amarillo Economic Development Corp.; Ashlee Gwin, co-owner, Fat Mama Feeds; Brian Gwin, co-owner, Fat Mama Feeds; Amy Henderson, commercial loan officer; David Salas, managing partner, Altura Engineering & Design; Kaleb Brewer, investor; Hollie Shankle, director of business development, Amarillo Economic Development Corp.; Paul Simpson, director of business retention & expansion, Amarillo Economic Development Corp.; and Brian Enevoldsen, managing director, WT Enterprise Center.
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