By Emmy Powell
Communications Specialist

Hansen-Mueller Co., a grain company based in Omaha, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, leaving some Texas farmers without payment.

The company listed between 1,000 and 5,000 creditors and estimated both its assets and liabilities at between $100 million and $500 million.

“After careful consideration of all available strategic alternatives, the board of directors determined that a Court-supervised process is the most effective and efficient way to achieve an orderly sale of our assets,” Josh Hansen, chief executive officer of Hansen-Mueller Co., said in a statement. “We believe this path will maximize the value of the company’s assets for the benefit of our creditors, employees and all stakeholders.”

Hansen-Muller Co. operates nine elevators, including one at the Port of Houston.

David Gibson, Texas Corn Producers executive director, told the Texas Farm Bureau Radio Network they have been reaching out to farmers impacted by the bankruptcy.

“Hanson-Mueller is a federally licensed facility, and with the government shutdown, we weren’t able to do a lot of tracking until Congress resolved that issue,” Gibson said. “By that time, we were getting a lot of calls from producers saying they weren’t getting paid. Once the bankruptcy filing was done in Omaha, Nebraska, we were able to access a list and begin reaching out and trying to help answer the questions that we were being asked.”

Farmers affected by the bankruptcy should consider seeking legal counsel to assess the options available to them, Texas Corn Producers said in a news release.

“Unfortunately, it seems these farmers who are already facing a troubling economy with razor-thin margins will now be left to wait for payment for grain that’s no longer accessible,” Gibson said.

He noted there are around 30 to 40 farmers in the state who had contracts to deliver their grain and were impacted by the bankruptcy.

Hansen-Mueller does not hold a Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) grain dealer license, as the company is licensed and operates under the authority of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

In a news release, TDA advises farmers who have not received payment or fear nonpayment to consider filing a Uniform Commercial Code Financing Statement (UCC-1) with the Texas Secretary of State (SOS) to protect their interests.

“I urge every grain producer who has worked with Hansen-Mueller to check their records, confirm delivery receipts and ensure they have proper documentation in place,” Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said in the news release.