Jan Brophy greets visitors at the 120th anniversary open house for Wellman Produce. Photo by Sam McIntosh.

Though Wellman Produce has seen dozens of different owners, four location changes, and an evolving line of product, it still exists today with 120 years of business.

Current owner Bob Brophy is celebrating a milestone of his own with 45 years of working for the livestock food and grain business. Brophy tells how Wellman Produce has evolved, “A lot less bags, more bulk, higher volume, and not quite as physically intense as it used to be when I started.”

This newspaper clipping is evidence of the 120 year span of Wellman Produce, published in 1897.

Brophy started at Wellman Produce when he married Jan Miller, whose parents Ardell and Francis Miller owned the business. Bob and Jan now run the business with their daughter, Julie Gordinier, and her husband, Derek. Brophy shares the values of how to successfully continue the family business with his daughter, “Just to be honest and help our customers. Without our customers we don’t have a business, so anything we can do to help them is what makes us stay in business.”

Wellman Produce held an open house Friday to celebrate 120 years of business with the community.