Unco’s History
UNCO Industries, Inc. has been in the worm farming business for over 40 years. Initially, Tom Chapman, who is the current CEO, and his original partner had set out raising redworms in wooden beds for bait in an old dairy barn.
The man who had gotten Chapman and his partner started in worm farming, was producing redworms himself at the time. After some time, Chapman came to the conclusion that the best way to proceed was for him to buy out his original partner and to expand the operation.
Approximately three years passed and the worm growing operation grew. Chapman realized that without a better production system which could provide cost accounting methodology, accurate knowledge of inventory, maximum and consistent growth and reproduction rates, they would never truly be a business. For these reasons, Tom decided to develop a better worm growing system. A professional, accountable and technologically systematic method which could operate comparably to any other successful manufacturing process only raising earthworms.
Now that they had a nightcrawler which was very prolific, a new worm growing system was developed. A system that put the worm grower in complete control and allowed for not only maximum growth and reproduction but can consistently produce those results. This system has been only slightly modified since its completion more than 26 years ago. It is the ONLY WORM GROWING SYSTEM that provides all of the basic manufacturing principles. No other system has the ability to accurately calculate costs, inventory and be non-deviational on a commercial scale. Their experience and market research showed them the amazing unserviced potential in the live bait industry. This applies to not only nightcrawlers, but to several of their by-products such as earthworm castings and live cocoons.
In 1983, Unco Industries, Inc. purchased an old school building and remodeled it specifically to accommodate multiple offices; climate controlled growing rooms and a large harvesting and bagging area. Unco Industries also under took extensive automating procedures to streamline their entire operation. This ongoing process allows Unco to test different pieces with no wasted time and effort. Within 2 years, Unco Industries, Inc. was renting additional warehouse space to allow for the handling of more products for customers some of whom had grown from less than a truckload in their first year to 40 plus truckloads of PURE Earthworm Castings. We now have many customers and multiple distributors as well as some customers buying close to 100 or more truckloads per year. So expansion was needed again. In Early 2010, Unco started looking at building onto their current facilities. But after much effort, problems with zoning and layout made them realize they would have to buy a new facility.
In 2011, a new facility was purchased roughly about 10 miles from the current facility located in Union Grove, WI. This new facility has over 5 times the space of the last facility and the rented warehouse space. It has 2 loading docks and 4.5 acres of land for further expansion. In early 2012, the Unco Corporate offices, shipping, and packaging and production will be moved to this facility.