Raley Bros

Raley Brothers is a group of family owned and operated Agri-Businesses that were originally established in 1954 by Earl Raley. In that year Earl Raley mortgaged his family farm to build a small country elevator at Monticello, Louisiana. This original elevator consisted of a hole dug in the ground with a Mayrath auger loading onto a semi-truck. He also managed and leased a cotton gin at that site which was owned by Union Oil Mill in Monroe. About the same time Julius Raley, one of two sons, also entered the business with a grain elevator at Crowville, Louisiana. Upon graduation from high school in 1962, Don Raley also started working at the Monticello location. The facilities were built almost entirely by the owners and the employees at that time. The original construction consisted of wooden bins close to 15,000-bushel capacity. Later in 1965 steel overhead tanks were built and an additional 70,000-bushel capacity. Annual volumes reached 500,000 bushels. In the 60's and 70's these businesses grew and expanded to include services in fertilizer; seed grain cleaning; full retail sale of seed and agri-chemicals; barge and river facilities; use of custom application equipment; and a new gin plant.