Rooted in Tradition: Z&W Mill offers a trusted source for ranchers across the West for over eight decades

Z&W Mill in Torrington opened its doors in 1940 and has been a family business since day one.

History

Frank Zimmer moved his family to Torrington in 1936 and purchased the Goshen Refining Company, which refined crude oil. He operated the refining company for a few years before closing the business down and pivoting to grain milling. 

Frank saw big oil companies pushing out smaller refineries like his. He also saw high demand for steam-rolled grain for local dairies to feed in their rations, and he decided to take the equipment he had from the refinery and transition it to the more sustainable business of the feed mill. 

Amongst the remnants of the refining company were multiple steam boilers the mill was able to put to use generating power and utilizing steam to cook the grain when processing.

After deconstructing an existing grain elevator in Colorado and reconstructing it in Torrington, the doors of the grain mill opened for business in 1940.

Located next to the rail lines, Z&W Mill housed government grain commodities for many years. They would store the grain and send it by rail across the country for various government programs. 

As the opportunity faded and eventually went away, it left empty buildings, and the Zimmer family saw it as an opportunity to pivot once more. 

After World War II, Frank’s son Russell returned home and took over the company. He decided the buildings once used to store government grain commodities would make an excellent pellet mill. 

This original mill is still in operation and is used extensively. 

Although the dairies in the area dwindled, the demand for steam-flaked grain not only maintained but has risen significantly. Today, steam-flaked grain is the biggest year-round operation at the mill.

Modern day

Today, the third and fourth generations of the family are running the business. 

Mary Viktorin, Russell’s daughter, and her late husband Terry took over the mill in 1992. In 2013, Shane Viktorin graduated from the University of Wyoming and came home to help his mom run the business. 

As the livestock show industry boomed in the 90s, Terry saw an opportunity. He developed his own line of show feeds which have put Z&W Mill on the map as a trusted and sought-after feed source. 

The family’s Cowboy Brand Livestock Feed is manufactured at their facility in both commercial and show formulas for major classes of livestock

Thanks to an incredible network of local farmers in the North Platte River Valley, almost all grain is sourced locally. 

“We have an abundance of local farmers and ranchers growing commodities we can purchase from, and then in turn, enter those commodities into the marketplace by adding value to them here at our facility for the end consumer,” explains Shane. 

“Most of our grains are purchased locally. Occasionally, we have to purchase outside of the local area because Mother Nature plays a role or sometimes certain crops aren’t necessarily available for whatever reason,” he continues. “Protein is a really difficult thing to buy locally, as well as molasses, so we source those products out of the area. Our salt comes from either Kansas or Utah.”

Today, the mill employs a dozen hard-working individuals, some of whom wear many hats within the business and some who have been with the company for 20-plus years. 

“We sew each individual sack by hand. It’s completed with what we call our two bunny ears. There are two loops at the top that look like bunny ears, and this is what gives the signature grain bag its look and handling feature,” Shane says. “And, we still do this all by hand.”

With over 80 years in business, Z&W Mill has become a trusted resource for farmers and ranchers from the Dakotas and Montana, all the way down to the panhandle of Nebraska and the front range of Colorado. 

“What has kept us in business for as long as we have is we strive to make a very consistent, high-quality product. We also know the importance of customer service. They walk in the door and they know us and we know them, and that makes a big difference,” adds Mary. 

Many of their customers have been frequenting the mill for generations. The names on the tickets in the inaugural years are the same names on many of their tickets today. 

The business prides itself on being run very traditionally, with many aspects staying the same over the last eight decades. 

“We take our job very seriously. We know we play a critical role in feeding the world, and we really appreciate all of our customers who have been with us over these past 80-some years,” says Shane. “It’s a really joyous thing to experience how agriculture is so deeply rooted in families and tradition, and it’s very rewarding to see the different generations of families continue to come to our business and put their faith and trust in us to provide them with a quality product.”

“Without them, we couldn’t have made it these 80-some years,” he adds.

For more information on Z&W Mills, call 307-532-2347.

Tressa Lawerence is a corresponding writer for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.