History
Ralco’s story of innovation began in a garage in 1971
Bob and Lou Galbraith mortgaged everything, down to their last piece of furniture, to build a company rooted in natural solutions for agriculture.
That pioneering spirit was carried forward by their son-in-law Jon Knochenmus, whose bold thinking and passion for innovation helped shape the company’s future. Jon led breakthroughs in essential oils, swine nutrition, prebiotics and milk replacers, always pushing beyond the status quo.
His son, Brian Knochenmus, expanded that vision even further, applying one of Ralco’s core technologies in ruminants to soil, and expanding innovation in aquaculture.
Together, three generations of leaders have transformed Ralco from a local startup in Marshall, Minnesota to a global agricultural company grounded in science, family values, faith and practical innovation.
1971
Bob Galbraith starts Ralco on April 21, 1971.
Ralco was founded on a product called Suppli-Mix that releases more energy from the feed cattle consume. This product has been refined as patented Microbial Catalyst® technology which unlocks enzymes to drive nutrient conversion in a wide range of microbial environments.
1990
Ralco introduced a baby pig milk replacer when few believed in the concept. Birthright™ milk remains the gold standard providing more digestible and convertible nutrients to piglets.
1995
Ralco’s vision for natural products led to the first successful plant-based product called Relief™.
2003
Ralco introduced Regano®, one of the first essential oil products widely used in animal health. Today, we continue to set the standard in essential oil technology for digestive health and immunity.
2004
Ralco’s expanding technical expertise led to a breakthrough in swine nutrition. Our EnMAX® diets focus on digestibility, resulting in less wasted energy and greater production.
2007
Actifibe® Prebiotic was introduced to preferentially feed beneficial bacteria throughout the entire gut for improved nutrient absorption and greater immune function.
2009
Ralco optimized its patented Microbial Catalyst® technology to stimulate soil microbes. Today, Agnition® offers a full line of products designed to release more nutrients and improve soil and plant health.
2010
Ralco introduced its patented Microfused® process, improving the effectiveness of essential oils in animal health.
2011
Development of proprietary essential oils blends expanded the use and effectiveness of oils in Regano.
2013
Research into the properties of Microfused Essential Oils began, leading to a new patent.
2015
University and third-party research results in 3 patents for proprietary essential oil blends.
2018
Ralco launched Strong Animals® Chicken Essentials for backyard chickens. Strong Animals uses plant-based products to promote the health and vitality of backyard flocks.
2019
Research into essential oil properties led to NEXUS™ and mapping oils to challenges across species.
2024
Ralco essential oils are rigorously tested to ensure our oils maintain strong efficacy.
SpeciFix®, a specialized essential oil product tailored to specific health challenges in the swine industry, is launched.
2024
Ralco is awarded a new patent that states Microfused Essential Oils protect good bacteria.
2025
Ralco has mapped over 95% of our essential oils under the NEXUS framework, creating the most extensive database of phytonutrient compounds in the agriculture industry. This level of understanding is unmatched and is what allows us to formulate products that perform consistently.