In 1969, Dale Melin purchased a piece of land one mile east of Sauk Centre, Minnesota and moved his feeder pig business to what is today its present site. According to Livestock Marketing, Dale Melin Feeder Pig, Inc. is the country's largest independent feeder pig operation. Dale, who's been in the business for more than 40 years, and son Jim, handle about 300,000 feeder pigs per year. They buy and sell farm fresh feeder pigs, with Jim doing the bulk of the buying; and deliver them on approval throughout the Midwest five state area of North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, and Minnesota.

Jim, who has been working with his father for about 15 years, was brought up on a farm. "I knew pigs all my life," says Jim, "but I went to cut meat for about 14 years and then came back to the family operation." Thanks to Jim's help with the business, in 1990, the Melins were able to acquire a small farm a few yards down the road from the headquarters.

In 1971, the Melins built their first building through one of the local lumber yards. "The doors didn't hang true," says Jim. "There was a two inch gap under the door. The building looked like a banana from the side. We were very dissatisfied with that deal."

The Melins built their first 48' x 8' 6" x 82' Morton building with an 18' x 13' x 18' attachment in 1983. "We looked around," Jim says. "We liked Morton's buildings because of the quality and workmanship. [The buildings] pretty much sold themselves."

Today, the insulated and cemented building measures 48' x 186' and is the main building for the feeder pigs. "It's in very good condition today," says Jim. "For being washed every week, 52 weeks out of the year, the wear on it is very minimal. That barn is wet and dry, wet and dry. If it can take that for 15 years, I'd like to see anybody match that."