Large Agriculture Cooperative Starts Operations in South Dakota

A large agriculture cooperative formed by the merger of two co-ops in the Dakotas has started operations. North Central Farmers Elevator and Wheat Growers officially began business as Agtegra Cooperative on Thursday (February 1), headquartered in Aberdeen, South Dakota.

Members of the two co-ops voted September 2017 to merge. North Central had about 2,400 members in South Dakota and North Dakota, while Wheat Growers had 5,100 members in the two states.

The new co-op has nearly 6,800 members and 900 employees and is serving more than 60 communities in the two states.

Agtegra offers grain services, agronomy services, aerial application services, fuel, animal feed, and precision ag hardware and software products and services. The cooperative has more than 20,000 equity holders.

Agtegra Cooperative will operate under the leadership of CEO Chris Pearson, formerly CEO of Wheat Growers, and Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Grain Divison, Mike Nickolas, formerly CEO of North Central Farmers Elevator.

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