Location: Aurora, Mo.
Manager: Jason Hyder
History: “This is actually the 101st year for the MFA in Aurora,” manager Jason Hyder explained. “It was established here in 1920. Then, like now, it has always been about feed, farm supplies, animal health and seed.”
Jason has been the manager of the Aurora store for 21 years. He has literally served as the manager for 20 percent of the time the business has been in existence in Aurora.
“Our store moved to its current location from down on the square in 1994,” Jason added.
Products and Services: “Like all MFA locations, we are all about bulk and bag feed, animal health products, farm supplies, the chemicals needed by today’s farmers and seed. Unlike some MFA stores, we do not deal in bulk fertilizer here in Aurora, and we don’t have a feed mill of our own. We do have a cooperative one that we utilize.
“We also do quite a bit of pet supplies which is a part of the industry we have seen grow substantially in recent years although overall, it remains a small part of our business. For the retailer, there is a better mark-up in pet supplies than other strictly agricultural sides of the business. The biggest change over my 20 years has been the significant loss of the individual dairy farms. That has been a real challenge for us.
“Another big change has been in the use of chemicals and changes in fencing, like electronic fencing on the farm. It used to be that farmers brush hogged more, but today, they spray. We are also seeing a lot of growth and changes to the poultry industry, like pasture-raised poultry.
“Our core has remained the same over the years, feed and seed, in bulk and bag. My management philosophy has long been to make the money by buying in bulk as that is the best way to pass the savings along to our customers. That is what we strive to do, high volume and low margin, always maintaining plenty of inventory.”
That view has served the Aurora MFA well in the past century and there is no reason to think it will change in the years to come.
“We are fortunate to have a great board of directors who put the customers, the members’ needs before their own. And we couldn’t do all that we do without our employees,” Jason said. “The full-time employees I work with run from 15 to 32 years of employment here. You just don’t find that in this day and age and it makes all the difference.”
