In looking at where we are going, there is no way we can not look at where we came from. We came from a group of people who were strong, determined and full of hope. They saw a future through drought, hail and dust storms, and continued to believe that there would be rain. More times than not, they were not disappointed. The rain came, the crops grew and there was strength in the survival. Since it’s founding in 1919, The Garden City Co-op, Inc. has also hoped for the rain, and when it came, celebrated with its member owners, now over 2,000 strong.
Though our website might have a different look, we maintain the same promise to our farmers of being Trustworthy, Stable & Dependable and Innovative - all while continually moving forward together. This website design is the first two steps in a six step process through our partner, WInfield United. General Manager John McClelland states, "[Our website] will give far greater service to our farmers in every division. It is a giant leap forward in capability while still retaining the easy access to the information they have historically used...take a look and be excited about our first step into a world of improved service through digital capabilities." We maintain the same strength of our core businesses. The Grain Division, with 20 elevators covering an area from Ulysses in the south to Shields in the north, is capable of storing nearly 26 million bushels in the elevators and 2.3 million bushels in bunkers for a total storage capacity of 28,285,000 bushels. The Agronomy Division, with locations at Lowe, Dighton, and Plymell, serve farmers in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas and handles distribution of both fertilizer and chemical through state of the art application equipment. The Petroleum Division is one of the largest distributors of Cenex refined fuels and lubricants in the United States. Being able to provide service to these divisions through our own fleet of trucks facilitates the need for products in a timely manner.
With a Board of Directors comprised of 7 Directors and 4 Associate Directors, and an employee group of approximately 150, we continue to look for the rain and when it comes, we continue to celebrate.
Tyler Hands was raised in the Plymell community just South of Garden City. After graduating from Garden City High School, Tyler attended Kansas State University where he majored in Milling Science and Management and minored in Leadership Studies. After graduation, Tyler worked for three years at Quaker Oats in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He is now back helping out on the family farm south of Garden City and south of Deerfield. They raise irrigated wheat, milo, corn, and soybeans and also dryland wheat and milo as well as running two small feedlots and cow/calf operations.
Tyler is the fifth generation to help farm the family farm and the fourth generation to serve on the board, starting with his great-grandfather, V.V. Hands, then his grandfather, Fielding Hands, followed by his father, Greg Hands.
Tyler and his wife, Amanda, have three daughters - Macy, Gentry and Lainey. They belong to the First United Methodist Church. Tyler also enjoys hunting and fishing.
Tyler became an Associate Director of the Garden City Co-op in December 2010. He became a Director in December 2012 and Chairman in December 2017.
Bill Maughlin lives in Dighton, Kansas and operates a dryland grain farm in northwest and southeast Lane County raising wheat and milo. He is the third generation of his family to farm in Lane County.
After graduating from Dighton High School, Bill attended Barton County Community College in electronics and the Garden City Community College in agriculture.
Bill and his wife, Donnis, have two grown children, a son and a daughter, and two small grandchildren. Bill is currently serving on the Dighton United Methodist Church Board and the Walnut Creek Extension PDC committee. Bill also works off the farm for the Lane County USDA-FSA office as a fieldman.
Bill previously served on the Dighton Co-op Board and the Garden City Co-op Board as an Associate Director from 2005 to 2008. He was elected to the Board of Directors in December 2011.
Gordon Drees was raised North East of Garden City. He attended Garden City High School and Kansas State University where he majored in Agricultural Technology Management and minored in Business. He worked in the grain industry after college and is now back helping with the family farm north east of Garden City. They raise wheat, corn and milo.
Gordon is a fifth generation farmer. Gordon and his wife, Kelly have one son, Cooper. They belong to the Trinity Lutheran Church.
Gordon served as an Associate Director of the Garden City Co-op between December 2011 and December 2013, and was elected to the Board of Directors, December 2014.
Christopher Fullmer farms in southern Gove County where he raises dryland wheat and milo. He attended Kansas State University where he majored in Math and Psychology.
Christopher became an Associate Director of the Garden City Co-op in January 2014 and was elected to the Board of Directors December 2016.
Lynn Teeter was raised on a farm East of Ulysses in Grant County. He has dryland wheat and milo farms in Central & Southern Grant County.
Lynn graduated from Emporia State University with a B.S. degree in Business Administration & Economics.
Lynn went to work for Sullivan, Inc. in 1973 and became a Stockholder, Board Member, Officer, and General Manager of the corporation. He continued as the Ulysses Area Manager when the Sullivan, Inc. grain elevators were sold to Garden City Co-op in 2006. He retired in 2011 after 38 years.
Lynn is married to wife, Tracy. He has one daughter, Amy Townsend and husband Ty, grandchildren, Jansyn and Jaxson, in Leawood, KS.
Lynn is a past Board Member and Chairman of the Grant County Extension Council, past Board Member and President of Grant County Development,and current Board Member of the Grant County Scholarship Foundation and the Centura Bob Wilson Memorial Hospital Board.
Lynn served as an Associate Director of the Garden City Co-op starting December 2012 and was elected as a Director in December 2013.
Clayton Maddux farms North of Deerfield with his Father, Kirk Maddux; his Grandfather, Phil Maddux; Uncle Kent Maddux, and Cousin Kyle Maddux. Maddux Farms is a fifth generation operation which specializes in corn and wheat production.
After graduating valedictorian from Deerfield High School, Clayton attended Kansas State University where he earned a degree in Aeronautical Technology with a minor in Safety Studies. After college, Clayton worked for a short time as a flight instructor for Kansas State and as an airline pilot, before returning home to farm.
Clayton and his wife Sarah live in Garden City Kansas.
Clayton became an Associate Director of the Garden City Co-op in December 2015 and Director in December 2017.
Max Engler III farms in northern Kearny County and northwest Finney County where he raises dryland wheat and milo. Max and his wife, Cathy, have two children, Zeke (attends KSU) and Zoe (attends GCCC). The Engler’s are members of the Bible Christian Church in Garden City. Max served several years on the Finney County Farm Bureau board and County Extension board.
Max is the third generation to farm in America. In the year 1912, at age 24, Max’s granddad, Max Sr., left Köndringen, Germany and homesteaded in the sandhills south of Garden City. Max’s dad, Max Jr., returned from WWII in 1944 and started custom farming, breaking out native sod in northern Kearny and Finney County and eventually establishing the unit farmed by the family today. Max III graduated from KSU in 1981 with a degree in Agricultural Economics. He was employed with the Federal Land Bank in Guyman, Oklahoma for 2 years and then in the Garden City office for 5 years. Max returned to the family farm in 1988.
Max joined the board in December 2017.
Chris farms Northeast of Garden City where he raises dryland wheat and milo. He also works with his parents, Greg and Diana, on their farm. They raise dryland milo and wheat and irrigated wheat, corn, and milo. Chris has been farming full time with his parents since he returned home in 2009. Before he returned home to farm, Chris worked as an automotive mechanic in Manhattan, Kansas.
Chris is married to Kylie and they have one daughter, Madyn. They are members of the Garden City First United Methodist church.
Chris became an Associate Director in November 2015.
Curtis farms north of Deerfield on his wife (Emily)'s family farm. They farm irrigated and dry-land corn, wheat and milo.
Curtis graduated from Lakin high school and then attended Garden City Community College and KU where he received a Communications Studies degree.
Curtis and Emily have two daughters; Taylin and Paityn, and a son, Brayden. They attend the Deerfield United Methodist Church.
Curtis became an Associate Director December 2016.
Bio coming soon!
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John McClelland was raised on a dry land winter wheat, irrigated corn and cattle operation in Burlington, Colorado. He received a degree in Agricultural Industries Management and a Masters of Business Administration with a concentration in finance from Colorado State University. John has spent most of his career in the federated cooperative system with Farmland Industries, AGP and two local Co-ops. He has also worked in the cattle feeding and banking industries. John has served as the General Manager of the Garden City Co-op in Garden City, Kansas since 2003. The Garden City Co-op has grain, agronomy and petroleum departments. He serves as Chairman of the Board of Kansas Farmer Service Association. John was the Chairman of the Board of Directors for United Suppliers until their merger and now serves on the Board of Land O’ Lakes.. He is a member of the Kansas State University Arthur Capper Cooperative Center advisory committee. John is on the Nationwide Insurance Board Council. He has served on the CoBank Nominating Committee and the Board of Directors of NIK. John is married to Melody and they have 2 children, Leaton and Johna.
Jeff Boyd grew up on a family grain farm north east of Garden City. He joined the Garden City Co-op in April of 2002 after graduating from Kansas State University with a Bachelors in Ag Business. He is currently the Chief Financial Officer, whom is responsible for managing the administrative and technology staff as well as the financial reporting of the cooperative. Jeff previously held operation, sales, and accounting roles in the crop production, petroleum, and grain departments, and most recently was the IT Manager. This diverse background enables Jeff to understand the needs of the member farmers of the Garden City Co-op. He also represents the Garden City Co-op on the board of Windriver Grain, LLC. Jeff earned his MBA from Colorado State University in May of 2013. Jeff is married to Cassy Boyd and they have one son, Braeden.
Toby Wilson grew up in Shields and went to Dighton High School. He graduated from Pratt Community College with an Associates Degree in 1992 and transferred to Fort Hays State University. Wilson began work with the Dighton Coop in April of 1994 as second man at the Dighton Elevator. From 1997-2007, Wilson was the location manager of the Shields Elevator. Upon the merger with the Garden City Co-op, Wilson took the role of Dighton Operations Manager from 2007-2009. He then became Elevator Superintendent from 2009-2012. In 2012, Wilson became the Chief Operations Officer for the Garden City Co-op.
Chris Wagner grew up in the Garden City area. He graduated from Chadron State College in Nebraska with a Bachelors degree in Business Administration and a Minor in Finance. Wagner began his career at the Co-op in 2007 as an Elevator Manager. His other roles have included Grain Accountant and Ulysses Area Manager. Wagner completed his Master of Agribusiness at Kansas State University in 2013. “I’m really excited to take on the role and the challenges as Vice President of Grain for the Garden City Co-op and I feel incredibly fortunate to have been able to learn under Ken Jameson all these years and look forward to helping the members of the Garden City Co-op in any way I can,” said Wagner. Chris oversees 20 grain elevators and 3 offices that handle your grain merchandising needs.
Tim is the Vice President of the Crop Production Division. Tim started with the Garden City Co-op in February 2006 as a Sales Manager at Lowe. He became Vice President of Crop Production in April 2007. Before coming to the Garden City Co-op, Tim worked and owned a farm for 21 years. He then worked for ADM for seven years, the last two were as Manager of the Shallow Water Elevator. Tim offices out of the Garden City Crop Production Office.
: Lakin Dreiling oversees the energy division of the Co-op which is now focused on commercial fuel sales, transport deliveries, bulk oil & packaged oil sales and deliveries. Lakin was born and raised in Scott City, Kansas where he was active in 4-H and showing cattle. He graduated from the University of Kansas with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and a Minor in Business. Prior to working for the Garden City Co-op, he had managed a chemical iodine plant. Lakin began his career with the Garden City Co-op in September 2013 in petroleum sales. He later moved over to help in the precision ag department, of which he helped to develop and implement during his time in that position. Lakin became the Vice President of Petroleum in January 2017, taking over for the previous V.P., Pete Maestas, upon his retirement. Lakin and his wife Marissa reside in Holcomb and are members of the First United Methodist Church in Garden City.
Caroline Duvall attended Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas, studying Psychology. She is licensed with the State of Kansas as an Insurance Agent, has a paralegal certification, and worked in insurance and legal fields for approximately 30 years before transitioning to Human Resources. Currently she is the Administrative Services Manager for the Garden City Co-op, Inc. which includes Human Resource responsibilities as well as working with the Board of Directors. She also serves as Safety Advisor for the Co-op.
Michael Davis graduated from Southwestern Oklahoma State University with a Bachelors degree in Computer Science and a minor in Mathematics. He then attended Texas A&M University where he attended a master's program in Visualization Sciences. Michael began working with the Garden City Co-op in 2010 as the IT Developer where he designed, created, and maintained data and software solutions for the Co-op. In 2016 he became the IT Manager where he and his staff are responsible for the current and future technological needs of the Co-op. Michael resides in Scott City with his wife Alicia and daughter Payton