Perdue AgriBusiness Acquires Last Independent Grain Dealer in Virginia
After 100 years in business, Associated Farms, the last independent grain dealer in Virginia, has been acquired by Perdue AgriBusiness.
The purchase follows Perdue’s announcement earlier in the year that it was closing its grain elevator in Lothian, Maryland - only to change course and later announce that it was keeping its Lothian site open for at least two more years as it looked for a buyer. Founded in 1921 by James Middleton and William Lewis, the company was originally a broker of vegetables, shifting its focus to the grain and poultry industries in the 1940s. Today the company operates two grain elevators with a capacity of 1.2 million bushels. The addition of Associated Grain’s elevators bring Perdue AgriBusiness’ total storage capacity to 84.2 million bushels, making it the 19th largest in the U.S., according to Sosland Publishing Co.’s Grain & Milling Annual.
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