From Field to Fiber: The Farm Family Behind the Gaddis and McLaurin Cotton Gin
Most people don’t often think about where the fabric of their favorite T-shirt begins. But that cotton may have been grown and harvested in a Mississippi field and ginned in one of the state’s 33 cotton gins—like the Gaddis and McLaurin Cotton Gin in Hinds County.
The gin is part of the multi-faceted Gaddis-McLaurin enterprise, a family-run operation incorporated in the 1930s and rooted in more than a century of Mississippi agriculture. Managed today by Ted Kendall III (“Big Ted”), along with his son and MFBF Vice President for Central Mississippi Ted Kendall IV, and nephew Kendall Garraway, the family business stretches far beyond cotton. In addition to the gin, the enterprise also encompasses row crops, cattle, timber, wildlife management, and the Gaddis and McLaurin Hardware store.
The family, whose deep connections to the cotton industry span generations, once operated six gins across Bolton and Raymond. Today, the gin on Bolton Raymond Road is the last of those six still in operation. Built in 1956 with a capacity of eight bales per hour, it was reorganized under a new partnership between The Gaddis Farms and Gaddis & McLaurin Inc. in 1985 and has continued to thrive in the 40 years since. Today, it is equipped with two 158 Lummus gin stands that process thirty bales per hour. As the state’s only cotton gin south of I-20, it is a vital link in the supply chain.
The addition of a 5,000-ton seed house also allows the gin to store cottonseed throughout the year. Much of that seed is sold as feed for dairy operations or to cottonseed mills.
Cotton remains one of the world’s most versatile natural fibers — breathable, durable, easy to dye, and essential in countless products. And the crop’s byproducts are equally valuable. Cottonseed oil is used in products ranging from salad dressing to makeup and toothpaste. Linters — the short fibers left on seeds after ginning — are high in cellulose and often used in paper, plastics, and even food items like ice cream.
Another valuable byproduct of the cotton ginning process is “gin trash.” The organic mixture of stems, leaves, stalks, bolls, and other unwanted parts that are removed during cleaning make a great soil additive. At the Gaddis-McLaurin Cotton Gin, gin trash is composted for a year, then sold to farmers, landscapers, and garden enthusiasts in the spring.
Mississippi consistently ranks among the nation’s top cotton-producing states, contributing to everything from denim jeans and dress shirts to baby diapers, medical dressings, upholstery, towels, and more. In fact, a single bale of cotton can produce over 1,200 T-shirts, and a regulation baseball contains 150 yards of cotton.
Behind every cotton bale is a farm family like the Kendalls — hardworking Mississippians dedicated to stewarding the land, supporting their communities, and supplying the products we rely on every day.