Wenger Manufacturing announces the passing of LaVon Wenger on December 29, 2024. He was 89.
LaVon was the son of Lou Wenger, one of the company’s original founders. He began his career at Wenger Manufacturing in 1955 after studying engineering at Kansas State University. In 1977, he was named president and led the company, along with his cousin Don, to achieve significant success and global reputation.
Through the years, LaVon used his intuition and foresight to develop numerous innovations for extrusion cooking technology, especially for pet food processing. LaVon is the inventor on 44 U.S. patents. He lived his entire life in Sabetha, Kansas, U.S., where Wenger Manufacturing was founded in 1935 and continues as the company’s global headquarters today. For decades, LaVon dedicated his time and talents to various community organizations to help Sabetha and neighboring towns become great places to live, work and raise a family.
“LaVon’s fingerprints are evident each day in the various solutions used by Wenger customers around the world," said Scott Krebs, president of Wenger Group. "Many of his pioneering concepts over the years have become today’s industry standards. His legacy continues to provide an example for us to be caring, fair and respectful toward others.
"We are truly blessed to have known and worked with such a wonderful person," added Krebs. "We extend our deepest sympathies to the Wenger family.”
Founded in 1935, Wenger is the world’s leading supplier of extrusion cooking systems for use in food, pet food, and aquatic feed processing. Wenger is a wholly-owned subsidiary of JBT Marel Corporation.
