By Aubry Heinrich
Chris Breedlove – National Ginner of the Year
Chris Breedlove, General Manager and CEO of Willacy Co-op Gin, received the 2021 Horce Hayden National Ginner of the Year Award at the 2022 National Cotton Ginners Association Annual Meeting in Houston, Texas. Each year, the award is presented to a deserving ginner who has provided outstanding leadership and service to the U.S. cotton industry.
A West Texas native, Breedlove obtained a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering from Texas A&M University in 1980. He then began working for Anderson Clayton in Arizona before moving back to Texas as the General Manager of Olton Co-op Gin in 2002. After working in the Texas Panhandle, Breedlove later became the General Manager and CEO of Willacy Co-op Gin in Raymondville, Texas.
He has devoted his entire career to the advancement of the U.S. cotton industry, beyond just the gins he has managed. Breedlove served as NCGA President in 2008 and is currently serving as Treasurer of the Texas Cotton Ginners Trust Board of Directors. He has been a faithful and dedicated advocate for the ginning industry, and has worked for the betterment of all cotton producers throughout his tenure.
Craig Rohrbach – TCGA Ginner of the Year
Craig Rohrbach, General Manager for Parmer County Cotton Growers in Farwell, Texas, has been named Texas Cotton Ginners Association 2021 Ginner of the Year. Born and raised in the Texas Panhandle, Rohrbach attended Texas A&M University to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering. Rohrbach then returned to the agriculture industry as a field engineer for Anderson Clayton in California and transitioned to Continental Eagle in Alabama. In these roles, he leveraged his engineering skills by selling, designing and building gins worldwide.
His Texas roots, education and experience drove him to Farwell, Texas, in 2006 to serve as General Manager of Parmer County Cotton Growers. There he worked to increase the gin’s production efficiency and profitability, utilizing his education and experience to implement innovative upgrades, including a new round bale unwrapping system.
Alongside his leadership within the U.S. cotton industry, Rohrbach serves as an active member within his community and the industry, currently serving as a board member for TCGA, a member of Plains Cotton Growers and a member of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Clovis, New Mexico. Rohrbach and his wife, Darcy, have two children, Cole and Riley. Rohrbach is a veteran ginner who exemplifies the dedication and honor of being the 2021 Ginner of the Year.
