About Us

2017 – Invested in AgMark, LLC.  Built 2 Grain Bunkers – LeLoup and Burlingame South. Acquired COOP logo (Click here for details)

2016 – Burlingame South location purchased.

2015 – Added Grain bin storage at South Lawrence.

2014 – New Grain bin Expansions: Overbrook, Scranton & Ottawa.  Adrian Derousseau retired as General Manager and Clark Wenger was named General Manager.

2011 – Purchased South Lawrence location.

2008 - 2009 – Added second dump line at Elevator D in Ottawa with an additional bin.

2007 – Grain Storage added to Scranton.

2006 – Added additional grain storage to: Burlington, Waverly & Ottawa.  Added beef line to Waverly Feed Mill and closed Ottawa Feed Mill.

2004 – Agronomy center on Cedar Street destroyed by fire – Rebuilt in same location.

2003 – Second Fertilizer dome constructed on Locust Street.

2002 – Began leasing South Lawrence location following the Farmland bankruptcy.

2001 – Purchased 7 locations following the FCA (Farmers Cooperative Association – Lawrence, KS) bankruptcy.  This transaction tripled the grain capacity of the Ottawa Coop.

Purchased Edgerton, Scranton, Overbrook, Burlingame North, Midland, North Lawrence and Pauline.

2000 – Became a Seed Dealer.

1999 – Renovated Waverly Feed Mill – Eliminated Bagged feed sales in Ottawa.

1998 – Purchased Burlington location.  Built first Fertilizer Dome on Locust Street.

1996 – Purchased the Waverly location.

1994 – Acquired the Melvern and Vassar locations.

1992 – Moved Agronomy center from C-Store building to Cedar Street (Building acquired in 1990 from Ron Simms).

1988 – Purchased and renovated the LeLoup facility to store grain. This facility was previously used for oil storage.

1984 – Acquired Elevator E in Ottawa – located where crop production department is today.

In 1975 The Ottawa Cooperative Association constructed what is now known as Elevator D located across from the city park in Ottawa.  A few years later in 1980 Adrian Derousseau became the General Manager of the Ottawa Coop until he retired in 2014.  There were a lot of changes that transpired during Adrian’s 34 years of management.

It was a rough start for The Ottawa Coop after acquiring this facility with another major flood in 1951 which almost ended operations early on.  The members all chipped in and kept the operation running.  In 1957 another concrete grain elevator was constructed now referred to as Elevator B.  Also, in 1957 CCA (Consumer Cooperative Association which would become Farmland Industries in in 1966) unveiled the iconic double circle COOP logo.  After the demise of Farmland Industries in 2002 this logo trademark was allowed to expire.  In 2017 The Ottawa Cooperative Association acquired the trademark rights to this logo which they continue to use and promote today.

The old building that still stands on the corner of Main and Tecumseh streets in Ottawa, KS, dates back to 1881. It was first called the “Excelsior Mill”. At some point in the late 1880’s, the mill was converted from the stoneground process to a roller mill. Sometime before 1918, the old mill was called Ottawa Milling Company and was controlled by a flour mill in Kansas City. In September 1919, the mill was purchased by members of the Ross family and the name changed to Ross Milling Company. Production of flour was raised to 1200 one-hundred-pound sacks per day and shortly thereafter a new 120,000-bushel concrete grain elevator was built which today is referred to as Elevator A. Ross Milling Company operated this facility for thirty-one years. There were several floods in the 1940’s and changes to farming practices which limited the wheat production in the area. The Ottawa Cooperative Association received its charter on February 9, 1950, and was looking to build or purchase and was able to work out a deal to acquire the Ross Mill.