Calcot Today
From humble beginnings in 1927, Calcot Limited ranks today among the oldest and most successful cotton marketing cooperatives in the U.S. We provide and administer a full range of services to our cotton-producing members in warehousing, domestic and export marketing, ground and ocean shipping, risk management, market information and legislative representation.
Calcot is completely owned and directed by cotton-producing members in four states (California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas). Calcot’s annual inventory averages about 400,000 bales (weighing approximately 500 pounds each) of various Upland and Pima cottons of the highest quality possible from American farms and seed varieties. Our members’ cotton crops consistently meet or exceed expectations of textile mills around the world and are renowned for high quality and tremendous consistency. It’s led to our tagline: “The very best cotton. Anywhere in the world.”
Calcot members essentially pool their annual production to globally sell their individual crops as one entity. With very rare exceptions, growers do not “sell” cotton to the cooperative, and Calcot does not “buy” their cotton. Cotton growers sign a membership and marketing agreement, passing title for any cotton the grower produces on a particular farm directly to Calcot, which takes delivery of bales from the cotton gin, moving them from ginyards to warehouses for efficient distribution and preserving quality.
The cotton is then marketed in Calcot’s name by the company’s professional marketing staff under guidelines set by cooperative Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws and policies established by the Board of Directors. Once all marketing and other costs are deducted, proceeds from Calcot’s marketing efforts are equitably distributed to the membership on a per-pound basis, adjusted for varieties, regions and qualities.
Our grower-members produce not only cotton of the best quality, but Calcot delivers every bale to the end customer with integrity and the highest service. After nearly a century of experience in the global textile industry, Calcot has gained and maintained a highly-regarded reputation among cotton producers, textile mills and the entire cotton industry.