MOUNT VERNON, KY – McCauley Egg Company is more than a thriving Kentucky-based business. It’s a family tradition that Jesse and Leslie McCauley are working to preserve for future generations.
The 70-year-old wholesale egg company in Rockcastle County was started by Jesse’s grandfather, David McCauley, Sr., in 1954. When he retired, his son and Jesse’s father, David McCauley, Jr., took over and continued to build on the solid foundation his father had laid. When Jesse’s father decided to retire, he and his wife, Leslie, knew it was their turn to take on the family legacy.
McCauley Egg Company specializes in wholesale and retail production and distribution of farm-fresh, high-quality eggs throughout Kentucky. The McCauley family has always placed a premium on quality and sustainability when providing local communities with a reliable source of eggs.
Today, Jesse and Leslie McCauley lead the company as third-generation owners, working daily to stay true to the values of quality and care of the family-owned business, sustaining it to pass on to their children someday.
Jesse had been working in the business for years, but when David Jr. announced his retirement last year, he and Leslie took steps to purchase it and became sole owners of the company they’d already come to love.
The young father of one has been preparing for this moment his entire life, having grown up in the family business.
“McCauley Egg Company is all I’ve ever known,” said Jesse. “It has always been at the forefront of our entire McCauley Family. The business raised my dad and his siblings and put food on the table for me and my siblings. I wanted that for my family. I wanted to put my mark on the long-standing business.”
And he’s got a lifetime of experience in the family business to give. He has years of expertise in warehouse management and delivery operations. He has been trained in all the necessary ways to ensure that the eggs are stored, managed, and delivered with utmost care and efficiency.
Leslie, who has a background in sales and marketing, is working to build the company’s customer base and establish strategic partnerships. She’s already brought the company into the digital era with a fully functional website and active social media pages.
The business is located behind Jesse and Leslie’s home in Mount Vernon, which is a plus for the growing family. It’s crucial for the care and training of the next generation of company leaders under their roof, including their young son Davey.
According to Leslie, this is a dream come true for a working mother.
“I never imagined we would be where we are today. My husband and I can work side-by-side while raising our son,” Leslie said. “McCauley Egg Company is so much more than a business; it is a family gem. I’m grateful that our son and future children will be able to see it last (hopefully) another 70 years.”
Acquiring a family business is often more challenging than it seems. It requires a lender who understands the difficulties faced by small business owners and is willing to take a personal, hands-on approach to develop the right loan package and offer the technical support a client needs throughout the lending process and beyond.
The McCauleys were referred to Southeast Kentucky Economic Development Corporation (SKED) by the Kentucky Small Business Development Center.
Jesse may know the egg distribution business, but he and Leslie needed professional help in forming their Limited Liability Corporation and filing all the appropriate paperwork with the Kentucky Secretary of State.
SKED’s Small Business Training Team, Amanda Kelly and Victoria Taylor, met with the McCauleys to assess their needs and prepare them to apply for a loan with SKED. They also helped the couple design the business’s first working website and taught them how to update it.
“Everyone at SKED is so knowledgeable and personal. Everyone that helped us really cared about our goal, as well as helping the business succeed further.”
Leslie McCauley, co-owner McCauley Egg Company
Bob Burgess, SKED director of lending, worked closely with the McCauleys to get them the right business loan to help make the process as seamless as possible.
“Jesse and Leslie are continuing the tradition of McCauley Egg Company and bringing a different perspective, infusing their own business knowledge and experience. SKED is proud to help them maintain and grow their business into the future,” Burgess said.
Jesse said the SKED staff helped them achieve their goal of being small business owners in more ways than one.
“Without the help from our friends at SKED, this dream would not be a reality,” Jesse added. “They gave us the resources we never knew we needed, and they were always a call away if we needed anything.”
Learn more about McCauley Egg Company at https://www.mccauleyeggco.com/ and follow them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61564490806993
