ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, US — West Central Ag Services, a cooperative with 14 locations in west central Minnesota, has approved its sale to CHS, Inc. following a member vote. The transaction is expected to close in the coming weeks. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Based in Ulen, Minnesota, West Central Ag Services was founded in 2000 and offers grain and agronomy services to more than 3,000 members. CHS said the purchase, which was announced Nov. 27, aligns with strategic investments to grow its global agricultural supply chain and provide end-to-end value and enhanced market access for the cooperative system and its owners.

“The West Central Ag Services board is pleased that our members agreed that CHS is the best fit for our cooperative,” said Duane Brendemuhl, West Central Ag Services board president and chair. “Joining CHS connects our farmer-members in northwest Minnesota and eastern North Dakota to the global marketplace efficiently.”   

West Central Ag Services and its 198 employees will join CHS as an ag retail business unit called CHS West Central, based in Ulen and operating as part of the CHS global grain and agronomy supply chains. 

West Central Ag Services operates four grain, nine agronomy and one service locations. The cooperative has total licensed grain storage capacity of 22.5 million bushels. At the end of 2023, West Central Ag Services reported $767 million in total grain and merchandise sales with net income of $41.2 million, which was up from $18.7 million in net income in 2022.

Rick Dusek, executive vice president of ag retail, distribution and transportation at CHS, said West Central Ag Services is a welcome addition to the CHS network.

“Together, we will directly connect more producers to the global ag supply chain, providing broad market access for all our farmer-owners,” Dusek said. “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.”

CHS, the nation’s largest farmer-owned cooperative, serves customers in 65 countries and employs about 10,000 people worldwide, providing crop inputs, market access and risk management services. The CHS agronomy, grains, foods and energy businesses recorded revenues of about $39 billion in fiscal year 2024.