Merger Study Update
Mar 04, 2025
Tuesday, March 4, 2025
Dear Central Region Cooperative members,
This past month a CRC and UFC employee led team met regularly to identify and quantify operational, economic, and strategic benefits of a merger. The committee presented their findings at a joint meeting of the CRC and UFC boards on February 27.
We are pleased to announce the boards of directors unanimously agreed to proceed with a merger, contingent upon a successful vote by each cooperative’s members.
The committee identified these outcomes of a merger:
The boards believe combining the resources of two financially strong and successful cooperatives will increase our competitive advantage in rapidly evolving local and global agricultural markets. This will deliver more value to our members and employees in the years to come. By becoming one organization, we will be better equipped to continue to provide what members need without duplicating investments in assets, technology, and other offerings.
While the new company would be larger in size and scale than each of the current cooperatives, the new organization would be approximately the size of several neighboring cooperatives and considerably smaller than the largest cooperatives in the region.
We also see opportunities for employees to grow in their careers in the new organization. An aging agricultural workforce will require hiring employees to fill open positions due to retirements. We expect the need for employees will grow significantly over the next few years.
CRC members can learn more about the proposed merger at information meetings on:
Wednesday, March 26, at 10 a.m. – Hector Event Center, 160 Birch Ave. E., Hector
Thursday, March 27, at 6 p.m. – Sleepy Eye Event Center, 110 12th Ave. N.E., Sleepy Eye
If you are not able to attend a CRC meeting, you are invited to attend a UFC member meeting on:
Wednesday, March 26, at 6 p.m. – Berdan Center – 6 p.m. -- 705 E. 4th St., Winthrop
Thursday, March 27, at 10 a.m. – Berdan Center – 10 a.m. – 705 E. 4th St., Winthrop
We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming information meeting to learn more about the proposed merger. If you have questions in the meantime, please contact a CRC director.
We appreciate your interest and support as CRC plans for the future. Your board and management team remain focused on delivering continued strong performance and growth to meet our members needs today and for years to come.
Sincerely,
Larry Dean Steve Lax
Larry Dean, President Steve Lax, Secretary and Treasurer
Board of Directors Board of Directors
Dear Central Region Cooperative members,
This past month a CRC and UFC employee led team met regularly to identify and quantify operational, economic, and strategic benefits of a merger. The committee presented their findings at a joint meeting of the CRC and UFC boards on February 27.
We are pleased to announce the boards of directors unanimously agreed to proceed with a merger, contingent upon a successful vote by each cooperative’s members.
The committee identified these outcomes of a merger:
- Better serve members by eliminating overlapping service areas, duplicative investments, and resources.
- Stay competitive in an ever-changing environment with increased competition.
- Protect and efficiently use members’ equity by making strategic investments for the future as one cooperative versus each co-op making the same investments on the same fixed assets and rolling stock.
- Retain talented and experienced employees.
- Deliver more effective programs, technology and products than each company can offer today.
The boards believe combining the resources of two financially strong and successful cooperatives will increase our competitive advantage in rapidly evolving local and global agricultural markets. This will deliver more value to our members and employees in the years to come. By becoming one organization, we will be better equipped to continue to provide what members need without duplicating investments in assets, technology, and other offerings.
While the new company would be larger in size and scale than each of the current cooperatives, the new organization would be approximately the size of several neighboring cooperatives and considerably smaller than the largest cooperatives in the region.
We also see opportunities for employees to grow in their careers in the new organization. An aging agricultural workforce will require hiring employees to fill open positions due to retirements. We expect the need for employees will grow significantly over the next few years.
CRC members can learn more about the proposed merger at information meetings on:
Wednesday, March 26, at 10 a.m. – Hector Event Center, 160 Birch Ave. E., Hector
Thursday, March 27, at 6 p.m. – Sleepy Eye Event Center, 110 12th Ave. N.E., Sleepy Eye
If you are not able to attend a CRC meeting, you are invited to attend a UFC member meeting on:
Wednesday, March 26, at 6 p.m. – Berdan Center – 6 p.m. -- 705 E. 4th St., Winthrop
Thursday, March 27, at 10 a.m. – Berdan Center – 10 a.m. – 705 E. 4th St., Winthrop
We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming information meeting to learn more about the proposed merger. If you have questions in the meantime, please contact a CRC director.
We appreciate your interest and support as CRC plans for the future. Your board and management team remain focused on delivering continued strong performance and growth to meet our members needs today and for years to come.
Sincerely,
Larry Dean Steve Lax
Larry Dean, President Steve Lax, Secretary and Treasurer
Board of Directors Board of Directors