Findlay Landmark Faces Uncertain Future

The future is uncertain for an iconic landmark in Findlay.

The Pioneer Sugar silos have been a part of the Findlay landscape for a very long time, letting drivers on Interstate 75 know when they’re approaching or leaving town.

WFIN News reached out to Michigan Sugar Company to see what will become of the silos now that operations at the location have ceased. The company responded with a statement. 

“We understand the silos have been part of the landscape in Findlay for a long time,” the statement reads.

“At present time, we have not committed to a direction for the property, including the silos, and are now engaging in exploratory conversation internally and externally about the future of the property.”

(From the Hancock Historical Museum)

In 1911, the Continental Sugar Co. built a sugar beet factory in Findlay at the south end of town. In 1933, Great Lakes Sugar took over and there would be several new owners and name changes over the next half-century before it became the Great Lakes Sugar Company in 1985. Throughout all these ownership and name changes, the location of the factory remained the same at 1343 Greenwood St. at the south end of Findlay. The Continental Sugar Beet Plant Closed in 1978.

The silos began to be built in 1963, and the two that are currently standing were completed in 1975 based off of photos in the Museum’s Collection.