Canyon Texas Company in Legal Battle With Corporate Giant

When you live in an area like Amarillo and Canyon, people love to see local businesses succeed. However, when a small business starts succeeding, that's when corporate giants start coming out of the woodwork.

Canyon Texas Business Faces Trademark Lawsuit

A Canyon, Texas, company is facing a trademark lawsuit. HerculesAg is being sued by Miller Manufacturing.

Jimmy Mardis, a co-owner of HerculesAG and the inventor of the Hornet 2600 cattle prod, took to social media on April 10, 2026, to share that their company was being sued for Trademark Infringement.

Here is a picture of the Hornet 2600 from HerculesAg:

What Miller Manufacturing Claims in the Lawsuit

Mardis said Miller claims that when a customer sees a yellow-handled cattle prod like the Hornet 2600, it can only be Miller's product. They also claim that when a customer uses the term “hot shot,” it refers only to Miller’s products. Mardis said Miller further alleges customers are buying HerculesAg products under the belief they are Miller-made.

Here is a picture of a Miller Hot-Shot Product:

How HerculesAg Says Customers Choose the Hornet 2600

Mardis said customers don’t base their purchase on color or branding terms like “hot shot,” but instead on performance, durability, and innovation.

Mardis explains that the Canyon company has spent thousands of dollars fighting this lawsuit and that money will never be recouped.

Why Customer Declarations Could Impact This Case

Mardis then asks his customers and those who buy the HerculesAg Hornet 2600 to please help the company by filling out a declaration form stating that neither the color of the product nor the word hot shot influenced them to buy the Hornet 2600.

The declaration is submitted via DocuSign and is considered a legally binding document. By filling out this declaration, you are helping to establish that customers are not confused and that the purchase was not determined by color or wording.

If you are a HerculesAg customer and want to help, you can fill out the declaration form here.

Latest Update on the HerculesAg Lawsuit

As of April 10, the company had received a multitude of declarations from their loyal customers, but Miller Manufacturing pushed back against the effort. Mardis made another video on Monday, April 13, explaining that Miller is trying to block the declarations and have them thrown out.

This was never about color, and that proves it. You clearly spoke. This was never about words you clearly spoke. Miller doesn't want to hear you. They had a chance to end it today, and they didn't. - Jimmy Mardis

The legal battle continues, and supporters hope this David and Goliath-style case ends in favor of the locally owned business.

This isn’t the first time a corporate entity has taken legal action against a local business. Amarillo’s Yellow City Street Food previously received a cease-and-desist from In-N-Out Burger.

Read More: Amarillo's Yellow City Street Food Rebrands After Trademark Issue