Hansen-Mueller Co., an Omaha-based grain merchandiser and processor, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on November 17, 2025, following months of financial turmoil and widespread allegations of unpaid grain deliveries to farmers across multiple states. The company, which operates nine grain elevators and port terminals in Minnesota, Texas, Wisconsin, Ohio, and other states, reported liabilities and assets between $100 million and $500 million, with an estimated 1,000 to 5,000 creditors. The filing comes after the Nebraska Public Service Commission temporarily suspended its grain dealer license in October over $2 million in unpaid debts to farmers, which was reinstated after the company paid $2.1 million in restitution.

The bankruptcy filing was confirmed by multiple news outlets, including DTN, MPR News, and AgWeb, with the official case number listed as 25-81226 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Nebraska.

Hansen-Mueller’s CEO, Josh Hansen, stated that the company is pursuing a court-supervised sale process to orderly liquidate its assets and maximize recoveries for creditors, employees, and stakeholders.

The company’s 20 largest unsecured creditors include Viterra Canada Inc. ($4.7 million), Cargill ($2.6 million), and several grain cooperatives and terminals each owed around $1 million.

As of November 30, 2025, the company continues to operate under Chapter 11 as a debtor in possession, with plans to maintain normal operations and meet obligations to employees and key suppliers.

The bankruptcy has triggered investigations in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Texas, where farmers continue to report unpaid grain deliveries.

The Minnesota grain indemnity fund is now facing its first major test due to the failure of Hansen-Mueller’s elevator operations in Duluth.

(This means that farmers will not get paid for their grain. This is the second US grain dealer to go bankrupt.)