“Stretching 380,000 acres from the Beaverhead Valley through the Blacktail Range and into the Centennial Valley, the Matador is teeming with wildlife, cold trout streams, and healthy soil and grasslands. A working ranch, caring for 12,000 head of cattle outside of Dillon, Montana, Matador Ranch and Cattle is a fusion of the former Beaverhead and Selkirk Ranches, Matador Ranch and Cattle is honored to uphold and enhance the high standards in agricultural and environmental practices while advancing new and innovative projects on the ground.” – Matador Ranch website
From the Publisher
“A Montana Cowboy. A Large Corporation. A Clash of Values.
“When Ray was hired on to the Matador cowboy crew in 1974, his youthful dreams came true. Montana’s sprawling Matador Cattle Company ranch had genuine cow camps, horses galore, and thousands of cattle. The 240,000-acre ranch, owned since 1951 by Koch Industries Inc., was known internally as the Beaverhead Ranch.
“Beyond his dreams, Ray would manage the productive ranch for twenty-one years as it expanded to over 530 square miles of prime Montana ranch land and open space. As ranch manager, Ray led Montana’s Matador to new heights of environmental and economic excellence. What happened in 2011, as he approached the finish line of a stellar career is staggering.
“Woven throughout this memoir of family, faith, and work are nuggets of wisdom and valuable secrets for students planning a corporate career in ranching or corporate management. This true story will appeal to lovers of the American West, history fans, ranchers, and anyone who ever wanted to be a cowboy.”
This 352-page book was published in August 2022 by Raymond Marxer
About the Author
“Ray Marxer, a 4th-generation Montana agricultural producer, worked 37 years for Koch Industries, Inc. on the massive Matador Cattle Company ranch in southwest Montana. As Ranch Manager for 21 of those years, Ray’s innovative approach to business guided the ranch to consistent annual profit and a record 11-year tenure average for employees.
“Environmental achievements led to numerous stewardship awards. Six national-level awards included the National Cattleman’s Beef Association Environmental Stewardship Award and the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Private Lands Stewardship Award.
“Ray served on several Governor-appointed boards for wildlife, land use, and animal health, as well as many organizational committees and boards. He runs a few cows in his retirement, in addition to his consulting and artificial insemination business, Ranch Services West.
“Ray’s passion, superseded only by his faith and family, is for the heritage of the American West, as well as providing help and encouragement to aspiring ranch producers.”
Montana Standard Review
The reader soon realizes the author is a rancher to his core. Clues include observations that horses are one of God’s greatest gifts to mankind and that carefully crossbred cows possess beautiful udders.
The reader recognizes that the author has managed a massive cattle ranch for a distant corporation when he writes about the often unwelcome dictates passed down by dudes in suits from Koch Industries in Kansas.
Ray Marxer’s recently self-published book, “Cowboy in a Corporate World,” corrals a diverse herd of ranching anecdotes, facts, triumphs and struggles, along with testimonies about religious faith and more into 246 pages.
The book is clearly written, easy to follow and features photos from Susan Marxer, the author’s wife.
–Malcolm
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