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Michael Ravenstein Email
Director Safety and Compliance . Kugler Company
McCook, NE
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Further evidence of the Kugler Company's versatility shows in one of its first endeavors: a zoo. In 1935 at the old Hilltop Service Station run by Kugler Oil Company, C.B. Kugler made a discovery. It was then that the late C.B. had an opportunity to buy a monkey, and he built a small cage for the animal. What he discovered was that the monkey was almost an immediate attraction, and he had unknowingly begun what would later be known as Kugler's Zoo. C.B. had a weakness for youngsters and animals, and out of that weakness grew an out-of-pocket venture that became one of the few free attractions offered to tourists along Highways 6 and 34. C.B. believed that perhaps a collection of animals might provide a means of entertainment for children and adults alike while they were waiting for their cars to be serviced. C.B. brought two bears from Minnesota and built a cage for them, then he added coyotes, raccoons and badgers that he caught around Culbertson. In 1937 he constructed a large pen and moved in two buffaloes. The buffaloes were followed by deer. In 1943 he expanded the zoo when he bought out a small traveling circus, adding two lions, a hyena and a leopard. He operated this stock for several years--until they gradually died. Most of the animals were never replaced until R.D. began taking a renewed interest in the zoo in 1956, just after C.B.'s death. R.D. soon built a new zoo, with permanent concrete and iron-barred enclosures and moved the site back from the highway to allow for added parking. At one time, R.D.'s collection included two white fawn deer, one Canadian black bear, six monkeys, an eagle, a raccoon, a coati mundi, mourning doves and peacocks. Jake Propp of Culbertson was the zoo keeper. It was surprising how many of the visiting tourists who stopped were repeat visitors. Youngsters seemed to remember the place and always wanted to stop again. One Sunday in the summer of 1958, a total of 700 visitors was counted. Admission was never charged because both C.B. and R.D. wanted it that way. Kugler's Zoo operated strongly for a few more years, until 1961 when the last of the bears died, and Russ donated the remaining monkeys and deer to the Phillipsburg Kansas Zoo. The animals' death brought an end to a once fine attraction in the Village of Culbertson , an attraction the citizens pointed to with pride. This division consists of production plants, wholesale distribution and retail sales. Productions plants are located in Culbertson, Nebraska, Sterling, Colorado, and Ulysses, Kansas. Each plant manufactures a variety of products including a variety of agricultural blends as well as lawn care and specialty fertilizers. The products are in a continuous state of improvement with new products added as they are developed. Most recently a line of low salt fertilizers, slow release nitrogen and humic acids have been added to the product line. The transportation division makes Kugler Company one of the most complete service-oriented companies in the Midwest. This division delivers fertilizer products to dealers in the Kugler network, transports raw product from refineries to the plants and transports petroleum products to a wide number of locations. The transportation department, as the first representative the wholesale customer sees, makes the first impression. Therefore it considers public relations a major part of its work, as well as timely, efficient delivery of the product. With safety being a priority in the Company, this department handles directives for all company locations through periodic inspections and education on federal, state and company policies and regulations. Also under its wing is the Company's "Cleansweep" Program, designed to help each location maintain a clean, neat facility consistent with its goal of quality throughout. Hazcom training meetings are held on a regular basis for new employees and are required annually of all employees. The K-Lawn division has been in operation since 1983 and continues to enjoy a rising reputation in the lawn care industry. There are now over 60 K-Lawn dealerships in Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, and Oklahoma. The use of quality nutrients, along with ongoing technical training and professional assistance, have helped make this success possible. The idea for K-Lawn originated in 1982 when R.D. received positive results from a college marketing survey taken by a Kugler accountant. R.D. acted on his idea of using liquid fertilizer for lawn care, and it was a logical step forward. With much experimentation and research, a quality liquid four-season lawn care program was developed. Beginning with a liquid nitrogen (UAN) grade, tests quickly showed that it resulted in burning. So R.D. went back to the drawing board, and by using low biuret urea to reduce burning, a lawn care fertilizer was produced. With more experimentation, a top quality custom-blended fertilizer resulted. Then experimentation was done with iron sources in the area. Initially, iron was added to the first fertilizer grades, chelated sources were used and, consequently, costs were quite high. Staining was also a problem, but was quickly overcome at the lab. Today, K-Lawn's iron formulation is a cost-effective, non-staining product. A controlled-release nitrogen fertilizer was developed in 1992, which was a step up from the original K-Lawn fertilizer and was designed to better fit specific turf grass needs. This product has been tested by several dealers, and results have been highly successful. In 2006, Kugler began production of KQXRN, a 28% Slow Release Nitrogen product. Kugler is now one of the few actual producers of this product in the United States. This is a key component of our lawncare and agricultural specialty products. The K-Store division covers five locations , Culbertson, Arapahoe, McCook, St. Francis, Kansas, and Leoti, Kansas. Although the first K-Store was opened in Culbertson in 1983, its origin dates back to the days of the Hilltop Service Station operated by Carl Kugler. Hilltop Service originally featured a service station, restaurant and free zoo for tourists. Later, the building was expanded to house the Company's administrative offices, which were eventually moved to McCook making room for the company's first K-Store. The Arapahoe K-Store was also designed to bring customers back with moderate pricing of high-traffic grocery items. Constructed in 1984, the Arapahoe K-Store is a colorful, modern store with an eye toward the future. Kugler's West B station in McCook has been a mainstay of the Company since Kugler assumed its operations in 1960. The West B station enjoys a high sales volume due to its high visibility location. The two Kansas locations were acquired in the spring of 1997.Kugler Company Address
209 West 3rd StreetMcCook, NE
United States