Hoober Feeds

Located in Gordonville, Pennsylvania, Hoober Feeds has been providing high-quality feeds and services to animal agriculture customers for more than 78 years. Hoober Feeds prides itself in producing cutting-edge feed formulations that are based in reliable, research-proven information. By striving to provide feed that contains the finest ingredients available on the market, Hoober Feeds offers customers the best nutritional services available.

Hoober Feeds’ mill was first established in 1937 when John J. Hoober purchased a tract of land along the railroad bed and founded John J. Hoober Inc. Hoober ran the business for many years as a sole proprietor until the late 1970s, when he sold the mill to Dave Martin, a longtime employee. Martin added several partners, including his son, Jeff, who became the sole owner in the early 1990s and adopted the name Hoober Feeds.

In 2002 Jeff sold the mill to John and Mark Wagner of White Oak Mills. The Wagners sold the mill to owners Brad Wagner, Ron Moore and Tom Nauman in April 2010. Moore retired in 2014, leaving Nauman and Wagner to run the company. Nauman now runs the company’s nutrition marketing and sales and Wagner oversees operations and finance.

Sharing a vision

When Nauman and Wagner took over Hoober Feeds, they knew they wanted to grow the company. “We knew that we both wanted to increase the annual revenue for the company and in order to do that we needed to expand in physical size,” says Nauman. “Over the last five years we’ve been able to increase our sales volume without actually increasing the size of the facility. We are now poised to embark on growing the facility to keep up with the product tonnage that we are moving.”

The common goal of Hoober Feeds is to keep its customers on the forefront of current livestock nutrition through product, process and manufacturing technology.

At Hoober Feeds, customers are able to receive any type of feed they may be looking for, whether for a large dairy operation or a single pet. The company carries complete feeds, minerals, concentrates, grain commodities and more. When it comes to clients’ needs, Hoober Feeds emphasizes service over sales. “We have our sales staff but we don’t regard ourselves as ‘salesmen,’” says Nauman. “We are all nutritionists that consult with our clients to provide them with exactly what they need.”

In addition to nutrition services, the team at Hoober Feeds also provides its customers with day-to-day management advice. “As our clients are taking care of their cattle or any livestock for that matter, they are learning things every day from us that will help to improve the performance of their livestock, which in turn will help their bottom line,” says Nauman. “We want to see all of our business partners succeed.”

Hoober Feeds also provides consulting to farmers in regard to raising crops. While customers turn to Hoober Feeds for nutrition services, a majority of the diet of livestock, especially dairy cows, stems from the crops grown on the customer’s farm. “On our sales and service staff we have folks with different areas of expertise,” Nauman explains. “For instance, we have two guys who really know a lot about genetics. We also have some guys that have a strong focus on crops. When farmers come to us with specific questions about different facets of their operation, we are able to guide them in the right direction. “

Strong core values equal strong business

The common goal of Hoober Feeds is to keep its customers on the forefront of current livestock nutrition through product, process and manufacturing technology. With core values that reflect honesty, service, humility, thankfulness, perseverance, compassion and accountability, Hoober Feeds is constantly evaluating treatment of its clients and employees. “Brad and I very strong followers of Christ and we try to make sure that all of our decisions are made according to what he would want,” says Nauman. “We make sure that we treat all people equally and with respect. That is where our standards and focus are.”

Within the next 12 months, Hoober Feeds is planning to initiate a project that will upgrade its facility. The expansion will include a new load-out structure, truck scales and liquid applications to enhance the quality of the company’s feeds. The liquid applications involve generating a textured feed with oil and molasses. “Right now we have a limited number of finished feed bins so when we have the new load-out structure, we’ll have larger bins and more of them,” says Wagner. “It will also help us to load our trucks in a more timely fashion.”

As Hoober Feeds embarks on the new expansion project, the company will maintain its core principles and values that have allowed the company, as well as its clients, to be so successful.