Philip E. Bauer, Founder and Chairman 

Philip Bauer is the eldest of three siblings born in Chicago on Feb 4th, 1931 at the height of the depression. He attended UCLA where he met his future wife, Joan. Philip majored in both Psychology and Pre-med. He later worked as a senior research assistant at the VA hospital. However, Joan's father was astute enough to offer him a position in his packinghouse to see how he would fair. That turned out to a fateful, life-changing moment.

 

The packinghouse managers decided that he should start at the bottom, but Philip Bauer was enthusiastic about the offer and the business possibilities. He started at 5am cleaning cattle pens, moving up to working on the kill floor and then moving onto the chill rooms. He was promoted quickly to the display coolers where he learned how to sort the beef carcasses by breed, graded them and helped line them on the rails where the chain store buyers would visit daily and select the beef. The owners noticed that Philip was a quick learner, and, after a year, he was promoted to superintendent of the plant.

 

At this point, Philip Bauer added new systems and expanded the plant, ultimately servicing the Department of Defense, VA hospitals, Los Angeles County schools and jails and so many others.

Philip Bauer has been a member of the California Beef Council and became its chairman in 1980. He is a member and director of the Western States Meat Association, which subsequently merged with the American Meat Institute.  Philip has been affiliated with the National Livestock and Meat Board.  He was also a representative to the US Meat Export Federation and has lectured at meetings of the California and Arizona cattle feeders associations. In 1990, Philip Bauer and his wife responded to a request from the USAID to travel to Kazakhstan and assist that country in rebuilding their meat, poultry, smoked meats and cattle industry after the implosion of the Soviet Union.

 

Robert Bauer, President

Robert has spent most of his adult career in the food service and meat industry.  Robert started his career in the meat rooms and packing plants of Vernon, California where he worked his way up in the family business before moving on to Goldberg and Solovy Foods, a specialty meat and broad line distributor.  He was partner and principal with G&S Foods for twenty years before selling the company to Sysco Foods Los Angeles in 2012. Throughout his career, Robert maintained an active role in the family’s Phillips Cattle Company operations.

 

Robert brings extensive knowledge to the food service world through his broad experience and vast contacts in the industry.  Robert is seasoned in the multiunit and midsized chain category. He has worked with multiple startups in Southern California over the past 20 years and has helped orchestrate their growth throughout Southern California and Nevada. He is deeply knowledgeable about sourcing markets and understands the dynamics of the extremely competitive restaurant and hospitality industry.

 

Robert is also a very active large investor in the cattle and commodities markets. He brings an extensive knowledge of the food world and is truly defining the definition of a farm-to-fork expert and executive. Robert carries that entrepreneurial spirit all the way through the family businesses. He is a forward thinker and is actively creating ideas to move the cattle feeding industry into the modern business world.

 

Robert is committed to community service contributing marketing efforts to Project Angel Food, an organization that provides 1,300 daily meals for people homebound or disabled by HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life threatening illnesses. Robert’s recent roll with the agency was as Chair Emeritus. He was the first Chair Emeritus elected in 27 years of the agency’s existence. Robert is a graduate of University of Southern California where his focus was on entrepreneurship and business communications.

 

Steven Snow, General Manager

Steven Snow is a graduate of UC Davis with a degree in Agricultural Science and Management. He also completed the two-year University of Hawaii Agricultural Leadership program in 1990 while an employee of Dole Food Company where he oversaw Dole’s cattle and non-pineapple farm operations. Steve moved to the Imperial Valley eleven years ago as the manager of Butter Spur Cattle Feeders. He joined Phillips Cattle Company as General Manager four years ago. In addition, he owns Snow Cattle Company that feeds Holsteins, crossbreds and Mexican cattle. Steve is a 10-year board member of the Boys and Girls Club of Imperial Valley and a first year board member of COLAB Imperial Valley (Coalition of Labor, Agriculture and Business).

 

Denise E. Matejovsky, Controller/ CFO

Denise is the controller/CFO for Phillips Cattle Company.  She was born and raised in Sidney, Montana. Attended Sidney schools and graduated Sidney High School in 1983.  Denise married and relocated to the Imperial Valley in 1987. She received her degree in accounting from Kelsey-Jenney becoming the valedictorian for the class of 1991.   After graduation, Denise joined Phillips Cattle Company and has been with the company for 23 years.  She is also a part owner of M&M Sweet Investments that invests in cattle.  Denise currently resides in Holtville California with her husband.  Denise enjoys family time with her husband, children and grandkids.

 

Megan Bennett, Feed Yard Manager

Megan Bennett graduated from Oklahoma Panhandle State University with a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science in 2013. During college, she joined the livestock judging team and did a summer internship for Butter Spur Cattle Feeders overseeing their Beef Quality Assurance program. Megan relocated to the Imperial Valley three years ago as a Yard Manager for Phillips Cattle Company where she oversees the animal health and feeding operations. In addition, she is part owner of M&M Sweet Investments that invests in cattle.

 

Dr. Jerry Biwer, Consulting Veterinarian

Dr. Jerry Biwer is arguably the foremost veterinarian specializing in the health and maintenance of commercial cattle in the American Southwest. He is constantly involved with studies and trials to determine precisely what is beneficial or prejudicial to their performance and wellbeing and in developing strategies to deal with the environmental conditions of the desert Southwest. It is his genuine curiosity and sincere interest in cattle health that has made him not only popular, but sought after by many of the principal cattle-feeders in the United States.

 

Jonathon Beckett, Consulting Nutritionist

Jonathon Beckett is from Wisconsin where he grew up on a cattle farm. He studied Biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin – River Falls. He received his M.S. degree in Animal Science, and a Ph.D. in Endocrinology at UC Davis. After teaching at Middle Tennessee State University for three years, Jon returned to California to teach Animal Science at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. In 2007, Jon left Cal Poly to pursue a career as a livestock nutritionist, specializing in feedlot cattle. In his role as nutritionist, he is responsible for introducing emerging technologies and developing least cost rations while maximizing cattle performance. In addition to being the consulting nutritionist in the yard in most cattle finishing regions in the United States, Jon also consults with yards throughout Mexico and in China and Indonesia as well.

 

Jennifer Luna, Office Manager

Jennifer Luna was born and raised in the Imperial Valley. She graduated with a Bachelors degree in Human Services focusing on family and children in 2016. She has been working at Phillips Cattle Company since January of 2009.

 

Leigh Ann Gastelum, Assistant

Leigh Ann Gastelum has lived in the Imperial Valley most of her life. After high school, she worked in the banking industry for 15 years. During her tenure in that industry, she worked in all areas of banking from the operational side to the lending end. She began working for Agri-Feed Industries and Phillips Cattle Company in February 1999.  She works from the AFI facility in Imperial working alongside Randy Armstrong helping him with day-to-day operations and supervising the unloading of railcars.  She is a member of the support staff for Phillips Cattle Company.