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Billy Sickler honored as Southeastern Ginner of the YearBilly Sickler honored as Southeastern Ginner of the Year

The general manager of the Associated Cotton Growers Coop was recognized at the Southern Cotton Growers-Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association annual meeting Jan. 22 at the Westin in Hilton Head, S.C.

John Hart, Associate Editor

February 4, 2025

2 Min Read
Billy Sickler, center, general manager of the Associated Cotton Growers Coop in Athens, Ala., accepts the 2024 Ginner of the Year award, during the annual meeting of Southern Cotton Growers-Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association Jan. 22 at the Westin in Hilton Head, S.C. Joining Sickler is Ben Evans, outgoing president of Southeastern Cotton Ginners, and Erica Sickler, Billy Sickler’s wife.Photo courtesy of Southern-Southeastern

Billy Sickler, general manager of the Associated Cotton Growers Coop in Athens, Ala., is the 2024 Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association Ginner of the Year. 

Sickler was recognized at the Southern Cotton Growers-Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association annual meeting Jan. 22 at the Westin in Hilton Head, S.C.  

Sickler was born in Kentucky and moved to Alabama in high school. While presenting the award, SCGA President Ben Evans noted that Sickler did not grow up in the gin business like many previous recipients. 

“Following high school, he enlisted in the army and after a short time in the army, he came home to Alabama. Needing a job, he went to the manager of a local gin and asked. That organization had just opened a second location, and he was hired as a yard man,” Evans said.  

“His work ethic and problem solving impressed the manager of the gin and in a short time he became the assistant manager the very next season. His previous boss said he had ‘never met someone with the work ethic and drive to learn’ that our recipient has.”  

Sickler saw highs and lows in his career, including the closing of one gin and the building of an entirely new operation. Today, Associated Cotton Growers is one of the largest ginning operations in Alabama, ginning more than 62,0000 bales in 2024. 

Related:Slideshow: Meet the southeastern farmers of the year

“Billy and his wife Erica have had a lot going on over the years … raising two girls, running and growing the gin, owners of a pet crematory and now the latest role as ‘Grumpy’ as he’s called by his two young grandchildren,” Evans said. 

Sickler said he never dreamed that he would receive the Ginner of the Year award. 

“I started in 1998 and have been coming to these meetings since 1999. I’ve seen a lot of wonderful people receive this award. This award, Ginner of the Year, is not an individual award. It’s an award with a lot of people behind it, including the association, the friends that I made over the years to the owner that I worked for that allowed me to do my job,” Sickler said in accepting the award. 

“I have two of my employees here. I could not do anything without my employees. Everybody in this room knows how hard this job is. My wife Erica has been my rock for 26 years. She’s been mom and dad during gin season for the last 26 years. I thank the association—it’s a wonderful association.” 

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About the Author

John Hart

Associate Editor, Southeast Farm Press

John Hart is associate editor of Southeast Farm Press, responsible for coverage in the Carolinas and Virginia. He is based in Raleigh, N.C.

Prior to joining Southeast Farm Press, John was director of news services for the American Farm Bureau Federation in Washington, D.C. He also has experience as an energy journalist. For nine years, John was the owner, editor and publisher of The Rice World, a monthly publication serving the U.S. rice industry.  John also worked in public relations for the USA Rice Council in Houston, Texas and the Cotton Board in Memphis, Tenn. He also has experience as a farm and general assignments reporter for the Monroe, La. News-Star.

John is a native of Lake Charles, La. and is a  graduate of the LSU School of Journalism in Baton Rouge.  At LSU, he served on the staff of The Daily Reveille.

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