Brad Williams Named as National Ginner Award Recipient Distinguished Service Award Goes to William Lindamood

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Brad Williams, a veteran Tennessee ginner and cotton industry leader, was named as the 2026 Horace Hayden National Cotton Ginner of the Year. He was recognized at the recent 2026 National Cotton Ginners Association’s (NCGA) annual meeting in San Antonio, Texas.

The annual NCGA award is presented to a ginner in recognition of: 1) able, efficient and faithful service to the ginning industry and 2) continuing those principles exemplified and practiced by Horace Hayden, a former NCGA executive secretary.

Williams works alongside his wife, Kerry, and other family members as the vice president of Burlison Gin Co. and general manager of Kelcot Warehouses in Burlison, Tennessee. Previously, Williams worked as a field representative for Staplcotn and, as a ginner and producer, now serves on Staplcotn’s board. 

His leadership roles within the cotton industry include serving as incoming president of the National Cotton Ginners Association. Williams previously served as president of the Southern Cotton Ginners Association and was named the 2023 Southern Cotton Ginner of the Year. He is currently a ginner director for the National Cotton Council and serves on the boards of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, Cotton Council International, the Cotton Warehouse Association, Staplcotn Cotton Marketing Cooperative, and Agricenter International.

Williams is also active in civic leadership and philanthropy, founding the Dr. Barton Williams Scholarship Fund for the Endowment Scholarship at the University of Tennessee Health Services. He also serves on the Tipton County Economic Development and Covington, Tenn., Industrial Boards, and the Farm Credit of Mid-America Advocate Board of Directors.

The NCGA also recognized William Lindamood as the recipient of the NCGA’s 2025-26 Charles C. Owen Distinguished Service Award. This award honors those who have provided a career of distinguished service to the U.S. ginning industry.

Lindamood grew up in Tiptonville, Tennessee, where his family farmed and owned and operated Phoenix Gin Company. His wide variety of gin industry experience includes serving as plant manager of Phoenix Gin and working as a field service engineer for Uster Intelligin. He was also employed as an international sales engineer for Continental Eagle Corporation, where he worked as a project manager and oversaw the development and completion of cotton gin plants in Turkey, Syria and Brazil. Since September 2014, he has served as Southern Cotton Ginners’ safety director, responsible for safety training, gin safety audits, and regulatory compliance.

During its annual meeting, the NCGA also elected as its 2026 officers: president Brad Williams, Burlison, Tenn.; first vice president Tom Pires, Riverdale, Calif.; second vice president, Ben Evan, Douglas, Georgia; and third vice president, Chris Berry, Wellman, TX. Larry Black, Roscoe, TX will become chairman of the board. Harrison Ashley, Cordova, Tenn., is NCGA’s executive vice president.