Location: Pryor, Okla.
Owners/Managers: Allen Head and Ben Head (pictured)
History: Chouteau Lime Company’s origins began in the community of Chouteau in the early 1950s as a joint venture of James Q. Ogden and his father. As the name implies, the company was focused on crushing limestone for ag applications. James relocated the business and began adding other fertilizer products to their services in the mid to late 1950s.
In 1982, the business was purchased by Allen Head. He opted to keep the Chouteau Lime Company name to honor the legacy built by James Ogden decades before.
Chouteau Lime also sells agricultural chemicals and seed. Today, lime is but a small percentage of the services offered compared to the company’s earlier years.
In 1995, a new building was constructed across the street to house the offices, sales floor and warehouse. The original location accommodates all the large feeders, bulk products, spreader trucks and other equipment used for ag applications.
Products/Services: The main focus is fertilizer and its application. One of their foremost products is the application of the dual-purpose dry fertilizer and weed killer, Grazon Next.
In 1992, they began bagging fertilizer for lawn care businesses and individuals, which is another area of growth for the business. Other products they offer are both crop and grass seed in bulk. The business is rounded out with products for farm, ranch or residential needs, such as: fencing, lawn and garden products, insecticides, herbicides and some animal health products.
Future Goals/Plans: As with any business, growth is the primary goal. Since the opening of the business, it has been in the hands of only two families and that is how the brothers would like to keep it.
“It is our vision to pass the business on to the next generation,” Ben said.
However, keeping the down-home values such as; taking care of the customer, good service and competitive prices is the company standard. One has to look no further than the business reviews to know that the brothers and their employees are maintaining those standards.
