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Agriliance
and Alabama Farmers Cooperative Combine Alabama Agronomy Operations
Agriliance, LLC, and Alabama Farmers Cooperative (AFC), announced the
two companies are combining agronomy operations in Alabama and the
Florida Panhandle to form Agriliance-AFC, LLC. The new company will
market crop protection products, crop nutrients, seed and related
agronomy services to Alabama growers through its member Cooperatives,
with sales of nearly $140-million dollars.
Previously, Agriliance served as the national distributor for crop
protection products to AFC, and owned and operated five Alabama retail
locations. AFC served as the regional distributor of crop protection
products, crop nutrients, and seed to its 47 member cooperatives
operating 80 farm supply retail locations. Agriliance-AFC, LLC will
offer the combined product line of farm supply inputs to all AFC member
cooperatives and owned retail farm supply locations. The new
organization will have 150 employees, with headquarters in Decatur.“Customers should not expect any substantial changes in our product or
service mix,” said Tommy Paulk, president and chief executive officer,
Alabama Farmers Cooperative. “By combining assets and reducing
duplication, both companies will be in a better financial position. We're taking this step to improve
our ability to pay patronage to our member cooperatives."Member
cooperatives will purchase directly from Agriliance-AFC, LLC beginning
September 1, 2003. Agriliance-AFC, LLC will be governed by a Board of
Directors, made up of four Agriliance representatives, and four Alabama
Farmers Cooperative representatives.“Alabama Farmers Cooperative has operated the strongest retail
distribution presence in the state of Alabama, and Agriliance’s strength
has been crop protection product positioning and technical support,”
says George Thornton, president and chief executive officer, Agriliance,
St. Paul, Minn. “The combined strength of the new company will provide
customers a better overall partnership, allowing us to capitalize on
past successes, and continue building for the future.”
Agriliance is the agronomy marketing joint venture owned by Land O’Lakes,
Inc., Arden Hills, Minn. and CHS, Inc., St. Paul, Minn. Agriliance markets crop nutrients,
crop protection products, seed (through Croplan Genetics) and related
agronomy services to farmers and ranchers through local cooperatives and
independent dealers in all 36 states, Canada and Mexico.
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