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.
About CHS
CHS Inc. (http://www.chsinc.com) creates connections to empower agriculture. As a leading global agribusiness and the largest farmer-owned cooperative in the United States, CHS serves customers in 65 countries and employs approximately 10,000 people worldwide. We provide critical crop inputs, market access and risk management services that help farmers feed the world. Our diversified agronomy, grains, foods and energy businesses recorded revenues of approximately $39 billion in fiscal year 2024. CHS is committed to reducing our impact on the planet, finding and developing new solutions in agriculture and energy, and investing in ways to build a better future for our owners, customers, employees and communities.
About West Central Ag Services
West Central Ag Services, founded in 2000, is a business that has been built for its members success. Our history of achievements and challenges has formed what we are today. A cooperative that is continually improving and growing. We have aligned our systems and processes for your continued growth. A company that has evolved to handle your needs today and beyond. We consider ourselves your partner in ag production; owned by you, proud to serve you, and providing you with a grower advantage in this ever-changing world marketplace.
This document and other CHS Inc. publicly available documents contain, and CHS officers and representatives may from time to time make, "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "goal," "seek," "believe," "project," "estimate," "expect," "strategy," "future," "likely," "may," "should," "will" and similar references to future periods. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on CHS current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of its businesses, financial condition and results of operations, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of CHS control. CHS actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not place undue reliance on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause CHS actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements are discussed or identified in CHS filings made with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including in the "Risk Factors" discussion in Item 1A of CHS Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2024. These factors may include: changes in commodity prices; the impact of government policies, mandates, regulations and trade agreements; global and regional political, economic, legal and other risks of doing business globally; the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine; the escalation of conflict in the Middle East; the impact of inflation; the impact of epidemics, pandemics, outbreaks of disease and other adverse public health developments; the impact of market acceptance of alternatives to refined petroleum products; consolidation among our suppliers and customers; nonperformance by contractual counterparties; changes in federal income tax laws or our tax status; the impact of compliance or noncompliance with applicable laws and regulations; the impact of any governmental investigations; the impact of environmental liabilities and litigation; actual or perceived quality, safety or health risks associated with our products; the impact of seasonality; the effectiveness of our risk management strategies; business interruptions, casualty losses and supply chain issues; the impact of workforce factors; our funding needs and financing sources; financial institutions’ and other capital sources’ policies concerning energy-related businesses; technological improvements that decrease the demand for our agronomy and energy products; our ability to complete, integrate and benefit from acquisitions, strategic alliances, joint ventures, divestitures and other nonordinary course-of-business events; security breaches or other disruptions to our information technology systems or assets; the impact of our environmental, social and governance practices, including failures or delays in achieving our strategies or expectations related to climate change or other environmental matters; the impairment of long-lived assets; the impact of bank failures; and other factors affecting our businesses generally. Any forward-looking statements made by CHS in this document are based only on information currently available to CHS and speak only as of the date on which the statement is made. CHS undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise except as required by applicable law.
