By: Duane Blankenship | Category: Retail | Issue: March 2009
Branch manager Alan Schroeder stands by one of the many shelving displays containing pet feeds and care products at Stillwater Milling in Claremore.
Stillwater Milling Company traces its founding roots back to 1891. The operation as we know it today was begun by Mr. Haskell Cudd, who graduated from Oklahoma A&M with a master’s degree in accounting and began his career at Stillwater Milling in 1932. In 1971, Mr. Cudd became president and CEO of the company, positions he held until he was 99 years old.
Stillwater Milling is often considered the most progressive and largest independent feed mill in the state. The feed mill operation is FDA approved and direct-markets its A&M Feeds to ranchers and farmers in Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas and Texas. The company takes pride in its highly qualified and trained personnel. Feed products are the main thrust of Stillwater Milling.
Agri-Centers, large general farm stores, have been established in three locations in Oklahoma, one of which is the Claremore store. The Agri-Centers handle company-produced A&M Feeds, bagged or in bulk, plus many other products for farming and ranching operations. These items include fencing, livestock handling equipment, a complete line of animal health products, as well as related products and supplies for agricultural use. The Claremore Agri-Center also carries lawn and garden supplies, a great inventory of brand-name work clothing and boots, and saddles and tack.
Now is a great time to begin thinking about spring lawns and gardens. Stillwater Milling carries bulk seeds that are a much greater value to the large gardener than the tiny seed packs available at some stores. With most of us watching expenses, this could easily be the year of the garden, providing better veggies on our tables at a portion of the cost of store-bought varieties. Claremore branch manager Alan Schroeder assures us that Rosie Woods will have the annual green house open by mid-March and will feature flowers, peppers, tomatoes, shrubs and roses, as each variety comes into season, in addition to hanging baskets for Easter and Mother’s Day. Due to the extraordinary care she gives them, Rosie’s plants are recognized for their exceptional quality.
Clothing department manager Kathie Organ keeps Stillwater Milling stocked with lots of popular brand names.
You can buy bulk fertilizer at Stillwater Milling, and you can even rent a buggy to make fertilizer distribution a snap. Farmers, ranchers, homeowners and area schools utilize this product and service. There is a 1,000-pound minimum purchase requirement, and that amount will accommodate about five acres. Custom blends are available for your particular soil type, and one of the store’s experts can give you assistance in how and where to get a soil sample analyzed.
Stillwater Milling’s inventory includes feeding equipment, livestock panels, chutes and systems, and gates. They also carry stock tanks, round bale feeders and feed bunks. “We carry a lot of items in every product category that our competitors just don’t have,” says Schroeder.
If you’re looking for great-looking work and casual clothing, you’ll find many popular brand names at Stillwater Milling – Wrangler, Carhartt, Key, Cinch, Cruel Girl and Roper. In addition, they carry Red Wing, Georgia, Muck, Rocky and LaCrosse boots. Also available is a large selection of work gloves in multiple sizes.
Just to add to the variety of items this store carries, you can even find some great how-to books, a few fiction selections, and reading material for kids. They offer electric fence chargers and pump sprayers – from small to those large enough to service hundreds of acres. According to Schroeder, “Stillwater Milling maintains a large inventory of parts to keep the products we sell in good repair.”
Spring is just around the corner. Get a jump on spring work with some great products and values at Stillwater Milling in Claremore.
Blankenship graduated from the University of Oklahoma and has enjoyed a lifetime career in advertising. He started his own advertising business in 1993 and enjoys creating graphic art and writing. Hobbies include hunting, fishing and pencil drawings. Duane and his wife, Janice, have been married over 50 years and are active in their church and community. He has been a contributing writer for Value News/Values Magazine since 2005.
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