Wilbur-Ellis buys aerial application business

Walnut Creek, Calif. — Wilbur-Ellis Co. announced that it has acquired the assets of Washington-based Farm and Forest Helicopter Service Inc., which has been servicing the forestry, nursery, and Christmas tree businesses in Oregon and Washington since 1964. Wilbur-Ellis said the acquisition will be part of its Agribusiness Division’s Northwest operations, and will increase its “already strong footprint in the region, expand its aerial application services, and add to its forestry customer base in the Northwest U.S.” Wilbur-Ellis has several agribusiness locations near Farm and Forest’s operations in Napavine, Wash. Wilbur-Ellis said current shortages of aerial application services in the Oregon and Washington areas, and opportunities to expand the business into tree fruit and other agricultural crops, make this an exciting acquisition for the company. “One of the key drivers for this acquisition was to combine our synergies for the benefit of the customers,” said Ken Manning, senior vice president of the Northwest operations. “They are truly going to appreciate the transparency of doing business with us and all the strengths that Wilbur-Ellis has to offer. Wilbur-Ellis will also greatly benefit from Farm and Forest’s well-qualified pilots and aerial application expertise in forestry.” Dan Foster, president of Farm and Forest, said his business has been growing steadily over the last few years. “We know that in order to get to the next level and provide our customers with all the valuable resources available, including technology, Wilbur-Ellis will be able to give us the means to stay competitive in this market,” Foster said. This is the second aerial business acquired by Wilbur-Ellis in the Northwest. Smith Air, also located in Eastern Washington, was purchased in April 2011. Wilbur-Ellis currently has other aerial operations in California, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Texas. Wilbur-Ellis’ Agribusiness Division generates nearly $1.8 billion in sales revenue and has 160 locations throughout the U.S.