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By Eric Jenks, Special to NEAFA
Mercer Milling is a longtime member of NEAFA, and recently a sustaining sponsor of the organization as well. “When Bill Colten and his father Jim owned the business, we were members of the Eastern Federation of Feed Merchants,” said Jeff Matuszczak, the key account manager in sales. “We’ve always been an active member, since before EFFM merged with the New England Feed and Grain Council. Bill even served as the president of NEAFA from 2012 to 2014. We’re really proud of our membership with NEAFA, and the representation that they provide. For us, it all stems from Bill’s vision; it’s part of his legacy. He wanted to support the industry from within. He was always very supportive on all levels and fronts, and that’s how we’re built and continue to be as an organization.”
Mercer Milling’s history extends beyond the Family’s acquisition of the company in 1965. Indeed, the company has been around for nearly 200 years, formed in 1828 in Baldwinsville, NY right on the Seneca River Canal as a water-powered flour grist mill. “The flour from the mill was originally distributed to Syracuse, NY and around New England, and catered to Italian and Polish populations in the area,” said Matuszcazk. “The flour mill decided to diversify its business to include distribution of animal feeds and grains, as the flour grist milling business had dramatically changed over time. In 1965, Jim Colten purchased this business to further develop his vitamin and trace mineral premix business. The grist mill was moved by his son and successor Bill Colten in 2003 to Liverpool, NY. In December of 2016, Bill sold the company to Triple Crown nutrition, which is based out of Minneapolis, MN.” Currently, Mercer Milling has 39 full time employees in a 65,000 sq ft plant with two production lines and five trucks, delivering in New York, and they hire transportation for outside of the state.
Today, Mercer Milling has 4 major segments to their business. “We focus on macro mineral commodities that customers want in bags or totes that we receive in bulk via rail or truck,” said Scott Lyndaker, the general manager of Mercer Milling. “It’s primarily livestock and dairy industry based. Along with that, we provide feed additives that are used in diets at low inclusion rates, basically ingredients that a feed mill doesn’t want to keep on hand in bulk. Our meat and potatoes for our business is Private Label Vitamin Trace Mineral Premixes. We work with dairy nutrition consultants, feed mills, and large dairies and sell by 50 pound bags, 2,000 pound bags, or 30 ton truck loads. Lastly, we’ve gotten involved in doing drop shipments straight from the manufacturer to the end user as farms have grown larger and larger and feed mills as well. We also have some consignment items that we warehouse and include in our orders going out the door. That pretty much covers most of our business models.”
Mercer’s relationship with its suppliers is key for how it approaches business. “It’s a collaboration with the supply chain providers to work together to promote and sell to and service our clients,” said Matuszczak. For Lyndaker, that relationship is also about scale. “We have over 400 ingredients that are mixed into hundreds of different formulas throughout the year. So far this year, we’ve made 775 different formulas.
For Mercer Milling, belonging to NEAFA is an investment in the future. “They have continued awareness of how things are changing in industry, how we’re all related and connected in the business and industry and it’s future,” said Matuszczak. “From my perspective, I believe NEAFA is strategically committed to the future and support of agricultural businesses in our industry through advocacy, collaboration and education. It’s made up of a great group of businesspeople that includes highly talented business managers and agricultural professionals, dedicated to making the industry better for all. We get a lot out of that, and it’s also about how we’re going to continue to help and support each other within a marketplace that is changing very rapidly. It’s a great network to be connected to, since nearly all the members are also customers of Mercer Milling. We have exposure to members on a daily and weekly business.”
Lyndaker also appreciates the lobbying efforts. “The lobbying efforts are key, working with other entities to direct legislation is wonderful. And the amount of money they invest back into the youth and the next generation in our business is great to see. There’s been a tremendous amount of change in the dairy and feed industries, and it seems to be accelerating. I’m excited to see what happens in the next 5-10 years, and what it means for our business. The technology side is exciting, and as the dairy industry continues to consolidate, all of us have to find a way to do business with the dairy farms of 2030’s. We probably won’t be taking 100 lb bags of product of a pickup truck out to a farm, we’ve moved well beyond that as an industry.”
Matuszczak added “navigating the marketplace and keeping up with the changes in that marketplace are key. We’re well positioned to take on those challenges. We always want to be the first choice and no less than second when our customers are looking for private label premixes and feed ingredients they need for their customers farming operations.”
For more information on Mercer Milling, visit their website: https://www.mercermilling.com/