Exhibit 99.1

                                                           [LOGO OF ARGAN, INC.]

NEWS - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date:       October 31, 2005
From:       Argan, Inc.
Contact:    Haywood Miller
Fax:        301-315-0064
Phone:      301-315-0027

           ARGAN ANNOUNCES THAT VITARICH MANUFACTURING FACILITIES ARE
           FULLY OPERATIONAL AFTER LOSING SIX DAYS OF PRODUCTION DUE
              TO LACK OF POWER IN THE AFTERMATH OF HURRICANE WILMA

Rockville, MD - Argan, Inc. (OTC; BSE: AGAX.PK; AGX) announces that the Naples,
FL manufacturing facilities of its Vitarich Laboratories, Inc. subsidiary are
fully operational after losing six days of production due to lack of power and
water utilities in the aftermath of Hurricane Wilma. Despite the plant
sustaining minimal damage in the storm, the unavailability of power and water
utilities over the past week caused a decrease in the customer shipments made at
the end of the fiscal third quarter. The decrease of shipments will likely have
a negative impact on the operating performance of Vitarich in the fiscal third
quarter. "The staff at Vitarich performed remarkably well given the difficult
circumstances of this storm. Unfortunately, the availability of water and power
was outside our control. The timing of the storm to coincide with the end of our
fiscal third quarter will have a negative impact on operations for the quarter,
but should have a negligible impact on our performance for the year." stated
Rainer Bosselmann.

Argan is a publicly traded holding company, focusing on companies that provide
products and services to growth industries. Vitarich Laboratories, a wholly
owned subsidiary of Argan located in Naples, FL, is a farm-to-market, vertically
integrated contract private label manufacturer of premium nutraceutical
products, including nutritional and whole-food dietary supplements and other
personal healthcare products. Argan has another wholly owned subsidiary,
Southern Maryland Cable, Inc., that provides inside premise wiring services to
the federal government and also provides underground and aerial construction
services and splicing to major telecommunications and utilities customers.

For more information on Argan, go to www.arganinc.com and to
www.vitarichlabs.com for more information on Vitarich Laboratories.

This press release contains certain-forward looking statements within the
meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section
21E of the Securities Exchange act of 1934, as amended. Although Argan believes
the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements contained herein,
including the development plans of Argan, are reasonable, any of the assumptions
could be inaccurate and therefore, there can be no assurance that the
forward-looking statements contained in the press release will prove to be
accurate. In light of significant uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking
statements included herein, the inclusion of such information should not be
regarded as a representation by Argan or any other person that the objectives
and plans of Argan will be achieved.