St. Paul, Minn. — CHS Inc. announced on Jan. 9 that it has purchased a 25 percent share of West Central, a full-service wholesale distributor headquartered in Willmar, Minn. The agreement will provide CHS Country Operations Service Centers with both private-label products marketed under the CHS brand, along with West Central’s current branded products. “Investing in West Central is one more way CHS is demonstrating its commitment to help its farmer-owners grow, by providing greater access to products and services across the supply chain,” said Rick Dusek, CHS Agronomy vice president. “CHS is the nation’s third largest agronomic retailer, and the largest domestic wholesale fertilizer distributor. By investing in West Central, we’re gaining access and market share within the crop protection products business segment.” Dusek said the alliance will also broaden both the scope and availability of CHS’s crop inputs, and allow the company to further expand its crop protection platform. West Central President Dale Engan said the agreement with CHS is a good fit for his company, which has a 40-year history of helping farm retailers grow their businesses. “This opportunity with CHS supports our strategic plans, which include expanding our distribution and service network to support customers, launching new West Central branded products, and investing in our people,” he said. Engan added that West Central will continue to focus on its retail customer base, providing a full range of crop protection products and agronomic services.
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain