PFI Western Store originated in 1975 as Preferred Farmers Incorporated, a dusty livestock feed and farm supply business located on Springfield's northwest side. There has always been a tremendous amount of risk involved with farming, so the partners originally decided to focus on those farmers with the best track records who had the best chance of paying their feed bills. By incurring less risk with focusing on the "preferred farmers" as their customers, they could pass along better prices. Though its means were modest (the first store boasted only one desk, two chairs, a telephone, and lots of feed bins) PFI had ambitious dreams even from the beginning. That goal, shared by the original five partners, was to become the best livestock feed company in the region.