At Cooper Farms, we’ve always taken our position as a community leader very seriously. This is true not only in terms of how we participate in the agricultural industry in this country, but also has to do with how we operate right in our own backyard as well. We’re more than just a provider of Jobs in Mercer County, for example – we want to do whatever we can to help make all our lives better, both directly and indirectly, on a daily basis.
When yours is a business as old as ours is, it can be natural for people to have questions. Below are some of the answers to those frequently asked questions as they pertain to our history, what we’re up to, and where we hope to be headed over the course of the next few years and beyond.
What is the overall mission of Cooper Farms?
First and foremost, we want to make sure that our customers have access to only the highest quality products – full stop. We achieve that by valuing teamwork and innovation in the workplace.
From the moment we opened our doors until now, one thing has remained the same. We see ourselves as part of a family that is larger than ourselves. This means that it is our responsibility to give back by offering high quality production jobs in Mercer County (for just one example). This means working closely with all of our customers to understand their agricultural needs and what we can do in our unique position to help meet them.
This also means empowering all our team members to be a part of our success. We aim to give them a place where they can be proud of the work they do. This helps make it more than just a workplace. It’s an organization that they’re personally and emotionally invested in – one where they’re willing to give their all to a vision that they support wholeheartedly.
How did Cooper Farms originally begin?
The history of Cooper Farms dates all the way back to 1938, when Virgil Cooper started his own turkey business. He was raising them and selling them to friends and neighbors. When he began, he only had 300 turkeys – not a very large number, all things considered. But his spirit, his passion, and his expertise soon allowed him to build on that initial success.
Soon, he opened a turkey hatchery in Oakwood, Ohio. History buffs will no doubt be pleased to know that this location is still around. It was turned into the Cooper Community Library – another example of the ways in which we’re eager to give back to those areas that we operate in. For the record, we do operate a variety of new hatcheries in the area, but they’re located just outside of time.
Over the next few years Virgil and his family built the Cooper Farms business brick by brick. Today it includes not only those aforementioned hatcheries but also various meat and egg processing plants, feed mills, and more. We raise turkeys, hogs, and chickens – all to continue our mission to make sure that our customers have access to the highest quality products at all times.
Does Cooper Farms use contract growers?
Because of our commitment to quality and our vision for a better industry, Cooper Farms is understandably very selective in terms of what partners we choose to work with. Having said that, we do partner with contract growers should the conditions be right.
We’ll never turn down the help from quality individuals to make sure that our animals are being raised in the right way. There is a form that you can fill out on our website that will allow you to provide us with more information about your specialties. A manager will take the time to review everything you’ve submitted and, after determining that you’re a good fit for our operation, will reach out so that you can begin your journey towards becoming a partner with Cooper Farms.
Is Cooper Farms hiring in Mercer County?
Cooper Farms is always looking for talented, passionate people to assist in all of its facilities, but especially those in Mercer County. While the available positions will always vary depending on when you look, the area does have a few facilities that are of interest.
The Cooper Farms processing plant in the area, for example, is located at 1 Cooper Farms Drive. Here, you’ll find job types like those on the processing line, sanitation, maintenance, quality assurance, and product development. All these are a core part of the foundation of everything that we’re working so hard to build.
Also in the area is the Cooper Farms Feed & Animal Production facility. It’s at 3310 State Route 49 North. Here you’ll find jobs pertaining to animal handling, animal science, accounting and other business-related concerns, CDL drivers, egg breaking workers, egg packaging workers, and more. Other job types include those in sanitation, human resources, safety, computer networking, feed mill, maintenance, and purchasing.
Again, the types of opportunities at a specific location always vary depending on the time of year and whatever big project we’re working on at the moment. There is a part of our website that allows you to browse all available jobs and apply for ones that interest you directly from your Web browser. You can also view our hourly benefits guide to see how we go above and beyond to make sure that Cooper Farms is always so much more than just another workplace.
Does Cooper Farms offer internships?
Absolutely. At Cooper Farms, we’ve always believed that young people are truly the future of our industry. They’re the ones that will lead the way, picking up the proverbial baton from those who have already dedicated so much of their lives to agriculture to see just how far they’re able to go. That’s why we’ve always put a big emphasis on our own internship program, one that allows students to get the real-world experience they need in not only Mercer County but also in our locations in Paulding, Van Wert, and Darke Counties, too.
Regardless of what your focus happens to be, internships can be beneficial for a variety of different reasons. Primarily, it’s an opportunity to get first-hand experience in the environment, techniques, and other resources you’ll need to excel at your career when you graduate from school. At Cooper Farms in particular, you may even get special projects assigned to you so that you can take charge and show everyone else what you’re capable of.
When your internship opportunity comes to a close, you’ll also have the opportunity to sit down with our management team and go over everything you learned. Internships typically run from May to August, although some students do work with us part-time throughout the school year depending on their needs and on our own availability.
Beyond that, internships can allow you to expand on your transferable skills, develop the types of professional connections that will serve you well for years to come, and apply theoretical knowledge to the real world – all via an opportunity you just won’t find anywhere else.