Siemer Milling Completing 135th Anniversary

Siemer Milling Company has been celebrating its 135th anniversary this year. The company began November 6, 1882 in Teutopolis, IL as “Hope Mills of Uptmor & Siemer Proprietors." It would be renamed as Siemer Milling Company in 1906.

The company's primary product is wheat flour milled to different specifications for foods like crackers, cakes, biscuits, cookies, pretzels, and batters & breadings. They also produce food grade wheat bran and germ as nutritional co-products, and a heat-treated flour for soups, sauces, and gravies.

Throughout their history, Siemer Milling has invested in other aspects of the milling and feed industry as opportunities for growth appeared. However, whether these ventures would remain as critically valued components of the business or separated to become their own successful enterprises, Siemer Milling’s core business as a wheat flour mill would remain the same and is the foundation for their growth.

Siemer Milling now operates 5 flour mills at 3 facilities in Teutopolis, IL; Hopkinsville, KY; and West Harrison, IN.  Altogether, they grind 25 million bushels of locally-grown wheat into about 750,000 tons of flour, bran, and wheat germ every year.

According to company President Rick Siemer, “Our mills are among the most modern in the U.S. milling industry. We have increased production capacity 70% in the last seven years. It’s a matter of genuine pride to us that we buy over $100 million of wheat from area farmers and provide good jobs to 170 people, as well as support many worthy causes in the communities where we are located.”

Siemer said there are three keys to Siemer Milling’s successful continued operation: Commitment to relationships with their customers and business partners; an attitude of Respect, Trust, and Responsibility; and an Employee Stock Ownership Program that offers tangible benefits to employees as the company grows.