United Ag in Edna has a new manager at the helm, and he’s been there for nearly a year: Richie Fojtik. One may know him from his work at Inteplast for 23 years, a partial owner of D-BAT Victoria, a softball/baseball training facility, writing articles about Edna Cowboys football for the Jackson County Herald-Tribune back in the day, or being a broadcaster for 10 years at 96 Country FM for the Cowboys as well.
“My whole thing is business management,” Fojtik said. “So me being local and knowing lots of people, it seemed like a good fit.”
Despite the number of applicants for the job, Fojtik was excited to hear from the headquarters in El Campo, because they believed him to be a good fit as well.
He said it began as a slow start, but business has picked up. Fojtik just hired two new employees, making a total of 11 employees at United Ag.
“It’s been busier than we’ve ever been, but we’ve still got a long way to go,” he said.
United Agricultural Cooperative Inc. is an agri-business which started with just one location, and has been serving the Texas agricultural community since 1928.
According to their website, “the original consolidation of El Campo Farmers Cooperative (1929) and Modern Farmers Cooperative Society (1928) was formed to increase operational efficiency and reduce duplication of services to better serve farmer members in the agricultural community.”
The current state of the general stores began in 1982 as Farmers Cooperative of El Campo. In 2012, they merged with another cooperative, Danevang Farmers Cooperative Society Inc. At that time, the name was changed to United Agricultural Cooperative, Inc., or United Ag, to better reflect their customer base and geographical area.
Today, they’ve grown to four storefronts in three counties, while servicing more than 20 counties in Texas. Their membership consists of 1,165 farmers, ranchers and landowners involved in agricultural production.
United Ag is a general store, providing a wide selection of agricultural parts, hardware, feed, fencing, and animal health supplies. Customers can find just about anything they need, from lawn and garden care, paint, wildlife gear, or even gifts and home decor.
The store’s goal is to provide a large selection with the convenience of a one-stop shop. It shows in their mission statement: being a customer-driven business offering superior services and products to enhance their patron’s business and profitability.
Edna’s United Ag has made sure to continue their community outreach in the county. They are JC Chamber of Commerce members, involved with the JC Youth Fair, baseball Little League, Best of Texas, and St. Agnes Church.
In addition, United Ag will be participating in the scholarships programs given to seniors in the county.
The United Ag website states, “although our core business revolves around grain and cotton commodities, United Ag’s various business divisions reflect a bigger picture of what they can supply to both its members and non-members alike.”
Edna’s United Ag is located at 1116 S. Wells Street. Their hours are Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and closed on Sundays. One can visit their website, unitedag.net, or call 361-782-5051 for more information.
