Two Indiana cooperatives – Co-Alliance LLP in Avon and Harvest Land Cooperative in Richmond – announced on Jan. 22 that the boards and membership of both co-ops have voted overwhelmingly to merge the two companies. Harvest Land and Co-Alliance reported last August that they were pursuing a merger to bring efficiencies to the agronomy, energy, grain, swine, and animal nutrition services of each company (GM Aug. 21, 2020).
The merger will take effect on Feb. 1, 2021, with the new organization headquartered in Avon and operating under the Co-Alliance Cooperative Inc. name. Kevin Still, current President and CEO of Co-Alliance, will take over as President and CEO of the merged cooperative, while Harvest Land CEO Scott Logue will become the Executive Vice President.
“Co-Alliance Cooperative brings together two extremely strong cooperatives with a successful history of servicing member-owners at the highest level,” Still said. “I anticipate this strong combination will provide synergies and resources that will enhance our customers’ experience and prepare us to meet the needs of our future stakeholders.”
The merged company will serve customers in Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois from some 90 locations, and will operate four core divisions in Agronomy, Energy, Grain, and Swine and Animal Nutrition. The combined organization will have more than 1,000 employees and $1.3 billion in annual sales. Co-Alliance and Harvest Land are already partners in United Agronomy Services LLP, a full-service agronomy retailer in Summitville, Ind.
“Merging Co-Alliance and Harvest Land enriches our ability to embrace the cooperative spirit by focusing on our member’s needs and investing in our local communities,” said Logue. “This historic merger creates a cooperative that can proactively navigate the ever-changing industries we service and provide an environment in which our customers and employees thrive.”
Harvest Land currently offers agronomy, energy, grain, and feed products and services from some 40 locations in Indiana and Ohio. Co-Alliance operates agronomy, propane, fuels, grain, seed, hog production, and feed businesses from more than 50 locations in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio.