Gavilon buys nine Texas grain elevators

CHICAGO, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Grain company Gavilon LLC said it had completed the purchase of nine Texas grain elevators from Charlie Myers Grain Co., raising its profile in the sector since being bought by hedge fund Ospraie last year.

The facilities are located in Seymour, Wichita Falls, Weinert, Haskell, Knox City, Red City, Crowell, Benjamin and Truscott. The purchase does not include Charlie Myers Grain Co.'s fertilizer, trucking or feed lots.

"This broader base of grain facilities will increase the strength of Gavilon's grain handling and distribution operations and contribute to its ability to compete effectively in the market," said Greg Konsor, Gavilon vice president and general manager of grain operations.

Ospraie Special Opportunities fund, an affiliate of investment management firm Ospraie Management, bought the commodity trading and merchandising operations of ConAgra Foods Inc (CAG.N) in June last year in a deal valued at $2.1 billion and named the entity Gavilon.

(Reporting by K.T. Arasu; Editing by David Gregorio)