Staple Cotton Cooperative Association (Staplcotn) announced on April 11, it has purchased a 50 percent stake in Gary Beall Enterprises, LLC, (d.b.a. TJ Beall). The transaction was completed effective March 31, 2018. Wildwood Gin, LLC, a Money, Miss. -based company, owns the other 50 percent stake in Gary Beall Enterprises, LLC.

“Staplcotn is excited to partner with Tommy and Lawson Gary and their Wildwood Ginning operation. This partnership will be beneficial to TJ Beall and support Staplcotn’s core mission of enhancing the incomes of our members,” said Meredith Allen, Staplcotn’s president and CEO.

Tommy and Lawson Gary have expertise in the processing of cotton into quality products for the nonwoven, paper, and traditional textile industries, Allen said. “With global demand for cotton increasing across all cotton industrial uses, TJ Beall’s proximity to our grower-members’ production footprint, and Staplcotn’s position as a leading cotton supplier, tremendous synergies exist. The timing for this partnership is perfect.

“Staplcotn appreciates the work of Julian Beall, former Gary Beall Enterprises, LLC partner and CEO of TJ Beall Company. Without the Beall family’s efforts over the past three generations, this opportunity wouldn’t exist. TJ Beall values like service and integrity align seamlessly with the corporate culture at Staplcotn,” said Hank Reichle, executive vice president, Staplcotn.

Lawson Gary became the new CEO of TJ Beall Company upon completion of the transaction. “We are sad to see Julian leave the business but truly appreciate his leaving us in excellent hands with a company that we greatly admire and have trusted to market our farm’s cotton for many years, said Lawson Gary. “This will allow Staplcotn to solidify its cotton sourcing needs, as well as continue our quest to innovate new uses for cotton in consumer products.”

Founded in 1921, Staplcotn is the oldest and one of the largest cotton marketing cooperatives in the United States. It provides a range of services to its members, including cotton marketing, cotton warehousing, and agricultural financing through its lending arm, Stapldiscount. Staplcotn is a 100 percent producer-owned company with approximately 7,000 members in the southeastern U.S. Cotton Belt.

TJ Beall Company is a manufacturer and supplier of an array of natural cotton fibers for the nonwovens, traditional textiles, technical textiles and paper industries. Currently, TJ Beall produces and supplies recycled cotton fibers, greige premium cotton fibers and an assortment of absorbent cotton raw materials. Its corporate office, warehouse, and cotton processing facilities are in the Mississippi Delta.