ST. PAUL, MINN. – On Nov. 26, 2024, members of West Central Ag Services, a cooperative based in Ulen, Minn., approved the sale of their cooperative to CHS, the nation’s largest farmer-owned cooperative and global agribusiness based in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota. The transaction is expected to close in the coming weeks.
“The West Central Ag Services board is pleased that our members agreed that CHS is the best fit for our cooperative. Joining CHS connects our farmer-members in northwest Minnesota and eastern North Dakota to the global marketplace efficiently,” says Duane Brendemuhl, West Central Ag Services Board president and chair. “By becoming part of the CHS supply chain, we’re providing strength and long-term value for owners and the cooperative system.”
West Central Ag Services offers grain and agronomy services to more than 3,000 members and has 14 locations in west central Minnesota. The purchase aligns with strategic investments for CHS to grow its global agricultural supply chain and provide end-to-end value and enhanced market access for the cooperative system and its owners.
“We are excited to move forward as one cooperative and welcome West Central Ag Services members and employees to CHS. Together, we will directly connect more producers to the global ag supply chain, providing broad market access for all our farmer-owners,” says Rick Dusek, executive vice president of ag retail, distribution and transportation at CHS.
West Central Ag Services will join CHS as an ag retail business unit called CHS West Central, based in Ulen, Minnesota, operating as part of the CHS global grain and agronomy supply chains. “Our ag retail network serves approximately 450 communities in 16 states and provides farmers and ranchers with the services and inputs they need while connecting them to global supply chains,” says Dusek.