Newly Formed Co-Op Joint Venture to Explore Acquisition of CHS-Owned Assets
Indiana-based cooperatives Ceres Solutions and Co-Alliance have created a newly formed joint venture for the purpose of exploring the acquisition of CHS-owned retail assets in Michigan.
Farmer-owned Ceres Solutions is headquartered in Crawfordsville, Indiana, serving farmers across 37 counties in Indiana and Michigan providing agronomy, seed, feed, and energy products and services. Co-Alliance has operations across Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois, specializing in agronomy, grain, seed, hog production and feed, propane, and fuels.
The venture has the goal of expanding the mutual retail operations of both partner co-ops, adding capabilities and scale to extend reach and drive growth in a move that demonstrates the ongoing importance of co-operative businesses to the support of farmers.
The potential deal will also allow CHS to redeploy investment and focus on retail operations “more closely aligned with its core business supply chain,” according to Rick Dusek, executive VP, CHS, who also noted that the parties would negotiate a wholesale supply agreement.
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