Wilbur-Ellis Co. reports that on March 16, it completed the purchase of Krech Dakota Airspray’s retail agronomy business, which includes seven locations in South and North Dakota. The business will remain headquartered in Huron, S.D. Additional locations included in the purchase are Summit, Turton, Tulare, Redfield, and Millbank, S.D., as well as Wahpeton, N.D.
“Greg Krech and his management team have built an impressive business,” said Wilbur-Ellis President and CEO John Thacher. “Their operation reflects a dedicated customer service orientation which is very much in alignment with the core operating philosophy of Wilbur-Ellis. This has led to very successful growth and expansion in the geography that they serve.”
“Our business philosophy has always been that our employees provide the highest level of crop expertise and service to our customers,” said Greg Krech, Dakota Airspray president. Joining up with Wilbur-Ellis will provide our employees the ability to offer their customers the support of a larger company to help them deal with the increasing complexities of today’s agricultural market, while maintaining the same kind of relationship they have come to expect and have enjoyed while working with the Dakota Air Team.”
Greg Krech will stay on to run the Dakota Airspray unit for Wilbur-Ellis. Operations will report to Michael Thomas, Wilbur-Ellis vice president and Northern Plains business unit manager. The Wilbur-Ellis agribusiness division is led by Daniel Vradenburg, executive vice president.
Wilbur-Ellis already has locations in Huron, S.D., as well as Minot and Grand Forks, N.D. The company said it would be retaining its current Huron location as the new Huron location is aerial-related, and this purchase is a way for Wilbur-Ellis to branch out in the area into aerial-based application.
Wilbur-Ellis supplies several affiliate/independent locations in the Northern Plains, including three in S.D., 38 in N.D., and 5 in western Minnesota.