One Clarke County business is celebrating a huge milestone as it officially turns 90 years old this year.
The Clarke County Co-op was started in 1934; starting up in the Great Depression, it was much different compared to what it is today.
“I think back in the day when they first started, the co-op had chicken houses, chickens, eggs, and pecan orchards,” informed the manager, David Lofton. “They had several things like that back in those days. Right around that period of time, there were a lot of co-ops starting all over the state and all over the country. That was just a big push at that time.”
Unfortunately, not all of the co-ops that were formed managed to survive; for Clarke County, the co-op adjusted to the various needs of the community and has survived the test of time.
“There’re not very many co-ops left. Every county doesn’t have one anymore. A lot of them have not been able to stay successful through the years,” expressed Lofton. “We’ve been very fortunate. We continue to be supported by not only the people here in Clarke County, but we get a lot of support from neighboring Alabama counties and the whole surrounding area. One of the things that has kept us in the business has been being able to change and go from like when they first started with eggs and pecans to feed, fertilizer, and wildlife and hunting and all that. We’ve just tried to fill the needs and grow with the times.”
Now, they supply the needs for customers in Clarke County and surrounding areas and have a large variety of items.
“Now, we sell Clarke County and all the surrounding areas. We sell Jasper County, Newton County, Jones County, Wayne County, and counties in Alabama. Even though there’s a co-op in Lauderdale County, we get a lot of Lauderdale County customers. We have a whole bunch of customers that are weekend customers that come from Slidell and everywhere else that have hunting camps here and stuff like that,” explained Lofton. “We sell feed, seed, and fertilizer. We have feed for livestock, deer, dogs, and anything and everything really. A lot of people have chickens in their yard, so we have chicken feed. At certain times of the year, we sell different things. We have wind chimes, boots, and all type of fencing supplies. We basically have any farm or homeowner need.”
The business has a great record when it comes to managers and employees. There is not a very large turnover rate, and most of there strong, dedicated staff have been there for years.
“I don’t know who the manager was back in 1934. Carter Jones was the manager here for many years. He was the manager here when this new building was built back in 1971. He retired in about ’94, and Phillip Vanlandingham was here for a few years. I replaced Phillip Vanlandingham when I came on August 1, 1998,” recalled Lofton. “I want to thank the great employees that have worked here and stuck with us over the years. The majority of the employees we have here have been here for years. We have people that come here and stay here, and I think that’s a good sign. So many people talk about employee issues or not being able to find help, and we haven’t had that issue. Even during Covid, we never closed. We’ve never missed a single day and were right here through it all. It just shows the dedication of the workforce we have.”
They are thankful for all of their amazing customers.
“One thing that has made us successful is the loyalty of the patrons that do business with us,” proclaimed Lofton. “We want to thank the people of the county.”
Congratulations to the Clarke County Co-op for celebrating 90 successful years in business!
