Sheep Industry News March 2023

Mid-States Wool Growers Closing in Fall of 2023

J ust five years after celebrating its 100th anniversary, Mid-States Wool Growers Cooperative has decided to cease operations later this year. The cooperative’s board voted in favor of the closure in December 2022. A letter to producers went out in Janu ary 2023. But the company is continuing to take wool until May 1 with hopes of liquidating remaining wool by this fall. The building – a state-of-the-art setup that opened in 1995 – and land it sits on in the Columbus, Ohio, suburb of Canal Winchester will be sold. That will be the easy part, given the growing nature of the area. “When we built it, the place was surrounded by farms,” said Mid-States General Manger Dave Rowe. “But it’s a high-growth area now.” Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the American wool market. This is especially true for the medium to coarse wools that make up much of what Mid-States brings in on a yearly basis. “The wool market has been more than difficult the last three years,” Rowe said. “Even before Covid, the market was struggling. It’s been difficult for everyone involved. We’ve seen a decrease in sheep numbers as well as producers moving to hair sheep. Costs are up and whether you want to believe it or not, inflation is very real.” Rowe said much of the wool he’s taken in since 2019 is still sit ting in the warehouse. But he’s working diligently to move as much of it as possible. “Some of the buyers have been very good at helping us with that,” he said. “We’re still taking wool until May 1, but we don’t see a lot of wool in the spring in this part of the country. We tend to have more coming in late summer and fall as our producers are get ting ready to lamb in the fall.” But Mid-States isn’t just a wool warehouse. The cooperative also

new challenges in the Midwest especially. “The Mid-States Wool Cooperative has been a valuable asset to sheep producers for generations not only in Ohio but throughout the Midwest,” said ASI Past President Susan Shultz. “Mid-States was the warehouse where we marketed our wool and purchased our supplies. I was honored to help represent ASI at their centen nial celebration and it brought back fond memories of all the good people past and present who have represented Mid-States, includ ing Paul Getz and Don Van Nostran, respected leaders in our industry.” Mid-States operated differently from large warehouses in the Western United States. Because it brought in wool from mostly small farm flocks, Mid-States generally worked with shearers and producers to coordinate the collection of wool. Shearers would take the wool home and stockpile it for months at a time. That allowed Mid-States to collect larger quantities of wool at regional hubs, but the increased cost of trucking was always challenging. “A large percentage of our wool isn’t just coming through the door on its own,” Rowe said. “We might get 30,000 pounds of wool from three to four stops, but there’s quite a few producers in that amount.” Through its 105 years in business, the cooperative survived wars, depressions, and previous downturns in the economy and the industry. Rowe said it was nice to celebrate the 100-year milestone in 2018, and that it wouldn’t have been possible without the loyal support of producers and employees along the way. “There are a lot of people who should be celebrated that made that happen,” he said. “Now, we just want to thank everyone who has supported us through the years.”

operated a supply store that has long served the Mid western sheep industry. The store will close, as well, but continues to operate with the inventory on hand. “Without both sides of the operation contributing to the bottom line, it just isn’t feasible to keep either of them,” Rowe said. “We’re glad that we were able to serve customers through the store for so many years, but there’s no way to salvage one part of the business without the other. And besides, the sign out front says, ‘Mid-States Wool Growers.’ That’s who we are, and we can’t be that anymore in the current wool market.” The loss of infrastructure is a tough blow for the entire American sheep industry, but will bring about

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