MilloGram
Wenger's Feed Mill, Inc. Massey, Mount Joy, Muncy, Rheems, Shippensburg & Spring Glen
Special Edition: 2002 Our Tribute to Our Founder
Mel Wenger, 1913 - 2002
Mel Wenger, who died on August experience in milling didn't stop Mel. renamed it M.M. Wenger. 8, 2002 at age 88, was the founder of He purchased the Wolgemuth Mill and The mill was soon up and runWenger Feeds. ning and offering a full line of Born in 1913 in Brownstown, brand name feed including dog PA, Mel graduated from Juniata food, swine feed, cattle feed, College in 1935 and opened the and poultry feed in addition to first self-service grocery store selling coal, wheat, and miscelin Elizabethtown, PA. While a laneous farm supplies. novelty at the time, Mel came With 11 employees, M.M. up with the idea to carry dog Wenger produced approximatefood at his grocery store, and it ly 2,000 tons of bagged feed quickly became a best seller. a year. With everything being It was Mel's skill at selling done by hand, producing 2,000 feed that attracted the attention tons was no small feat. Grain of a local Purina salesman and and other ingredients were would dramatically change the received in bags and dumped by course of his life. hand into a mixer. The feed was Purina convinced Mel to then bagged, and the bags were purchase the nearby Rheems sewn shut by hand. Mill owned by the J.W. WolgeWith business booming, muth Estate. However, negotiaM.M. Wenger became incortions with the surviving widow porated as Wenger's Feed Mill, were harrowing. The sale of the Inc. in 1949. mill was nearly halted when However, the growth of the she demanded that Mel pay for young corporation was hinfeed dust and spillage left in the dered in 1952 when the Rheems corners of the mill! Mill burned. While the producNevertheless, the difficult tion area was spared, much of This ad for Wenger Feeds appeared in the March 19, 1948 negotiations and his lack of the mill's storage capacity was edition of The Press and Journal. 2 The Rheems Mill as it appeared in 1898. Part of the original brick structure is still visible today. M.M. Wenger Feed trucks line up at the Rheems Mill to receive a load of bagged feed, circa 1945. destroyed. Lancaster County also contributed to As poultry farming continued to The Rheems Mill was, of course, the growth of the poultry industry as grow in the 1960s and 70s, Mel began rebuilt, and Wenger's continoffering a new line of custom Wenger's was responsive to customer blended feed formulas to meet ued to grow as the agriculture needs and willing to tailor a feeding the needs of the growing egg industry grew. program for an individual grower. Agriculture in Lancaster layer business in Lancaster County expanded rapidly as County. These new feeds were farmers opted for production agricultechnology improved and small backcustom blended by Wenger's and bore ture over buying more land to expand yard flocks grew to larger, automated the name, "MW" Feeds for "Mel their crops. operations. Higher land values in Wenger." The Rheems Mill, as seen from across the railroad tracks, circa 1950. The Rheems Mill burned in 1952. The production area was spared by the blaze, but much of the mill's storage capacity was destroyed. 3 Wenger trucks delivering bulk feed. The company ended the practice of bagging feed in 1976. Eggs being packaged for Dutchland Farms. Wenger's processed and marketed eggs under the Dutchland Farms label until 1982. While most companies had feeding Soon, custom feed formulas were in 1976. programs for a specific species, they outselling the branded feeds that While Wenger's initially only sold were not often willing to devibagged feeds, the bulky packagate from established formulas. Mel officially retired in 1994, but his ing became unsuitable as farmvision and values continue to guide What made the MW feeds ing operations expanded and Wenger's in every endeavor. unique was the concept of demand rose. Wenger's began custom blending. Wenger's delivering feed in bulk, and Wenger's offered. As a result, Purina was responsive to customer needs and bagged feeds were eliminated in 1976. withdrew the dealership and Wenger's willing to tailor a feeding program for Success selling poultry feeds Feed Mill became entirely independent an individual grower. prompted Mel to expand into poultry
Wenger's Eggs, Inc. laying hen complex was the first facility of its kind in the Mid-Atlantic region. Eggs, Inc. was located near the current site of the Eastern Ag Services warehouse. In a previous life, Wenger's corporate office was a truck garage. CEO Barry Shaw purchased the garage because of its proximity to the Rheems Mill. In 1982, it was renovated into an office. 4 A Wenger truck receiving a load of bulk feed at the Rheems Mill. Al Wenger, Mel, and Barry Shaw celebrate the 40th anniversary of the company in 1984. production. In 1962, Mel built the from the complex were marketed under expanded at Weaver's facility in Greenfirst layer complex in the Mid-Atlantic the label "Dutchland Farms" along field Industrial Park in Lancaster. area. The complex, known as Wenger's remained in the egg Today, Wenger's operates 6 mills processing and marketing business Eggs, Inc., was located near the Rheems Mill and consisted of 6- in two states and dispatches trucks until 1982 when they sold that part 12,000 bird houses, a processing 24 hours a day, 5 days a week. of the business. and packing building and a cold While Wenger's no longer with eggs purchased from or marketed storage facility. processed eggs, Mel and the company for Wenger's feed customers. The complex was somewhat of a hardly abandoned the poultry indusDutchland Farms grew rapidly, and novelty as it represented a clear departry. In fact, Wenger's still owned and Wenger's partnered with and eventually serviced laying hens and reorganized ture from established farming practices purchased Weaver Quality Eggs and using smaller chicken houses. Eggs its egg marketing division renaming it, A celebration to mark the 50th Anniversary of the company was held in 1994. 5
A remarkable man is gone now and this world seems a little lessened somehow because he is not a part of it... a little less wise and great. a little less good and brave. May it help to know that he will never be forgotten by those whose lives he touched. And may your own cherished memories bring you comfort.
Mel is pictured here at the company picnic in 1999 with four generations of the Wenger family. Eastern Ag Services. The devastating Avian Influenza (AI) outbreak of 1983-84 marked a setback for Wenger's and for the entire poultry industry in Pennsylvania. Large chicken houses and complexes were particularly vulnerable to AI because the disease was able to spread quickly among the larger numbers of birds in one house. AI caused the destruction of an estimated 25% of the poultry in Lancaster County and changed the poultry industry forever. In 1983, Wenger's diversified into swine ownership through a partnership with White Oak Mills and later through a partnership with Hatfield Quality Meats in 1999. Mel officially retired in 1994, but his vision and values continue to guide Wenger's in every endeavor. Today, Wenger's operates 6 mills in two states and dispatches trucks 24 hours a day, 5 days a week. Wenger's feeds over 20 million layers, 43 million broilers, 13 million pullets, 2.5 million ducks, and 1.2 million turkeys every year. Eastern Ag Services markets eggs from 10.5 million birds. Wenger's currently employs 388 people. November 2001, Mel acknowledges a small crowd gathered to sing "Happy Birthday" in honor of his 88th. Wenger's Feed Mill, Inc. 101 W. Harrisburg Ave. P.O. Box 26 Rheems, PA 17570 MilloGram
Special Edition, 2002 6
MilloGram
Special Edition, 2002
The MilloGram is published six times a year for our customers, employees, and friends. Wenger's Feed Mill, Inc. P.O. Box 26 101 W. Harrisburg Ave. Rheems, PA 17570 1-800-692-6008 Feed Ordering Fax Number 1-800-242-5135 or 717-367-7298 Content & design by Cher Rineer To be added or removed from the mailing list, please contact Cher Rineer, 1-800-692-6008, or e-mail your request: crineer@wengerfeeds.com.
1949, Wenger's becomes incorporated as Wenger's Feed Mill, Inc. 1962, Wenger's builds Eggs, Inc., the company's first layer complex. 1990, Wenger's buys mill in Spring Glen. 1996, Wenger's makes 1 million tons of feed in one year. 2000, Wenger's completes Shippensburg Mill, the first mill built by the company. 1970, Wenger's adds computers to Rheems Mill. 1944, Mel Wenger buys Wolgemuth Mill in Rheems. 1978, Rheems Mill is expanded to include second mill. 1994, Wenger's leases mill in Massey, MD. 1987, Wenger's buys Wolgemuth Mill in Mount Joy. 1999, Wenger's forms Pleasant Valley Foods, LLC with Hatfield. Wenger's Timeline
1944-2002 1952, The Rheems Mill burns down. 2002, Wenger's completes Muncy Mill. Founder Mel Wenger dies. 1976, Wenger's drops the Purina checkerboard to become independent and begins making only poultry and swine feeds.