Dive Brief:
- The owners of United Suppliers, Inc., a customer-owned crop protection, seed, and crop nutrients wholesaler, and members of Land O'Lakes, Inc., have agreed to a merger of United Suppliers with Land O'Lakes’ crop input business.
- The first step of the deal will be to merge both companies’ seed and crop protection businesses under Winfield US, LLC. Combining their crop nutrient businesses will follow.
- "Customers are expected to benefit from expanded product offerings, enhanced precision agriculture services, tools and technologies, improved product insights, consulting services and more," according to a news release.
Dive Insight:
"Last year, Land O' Lakes' WinField division generated $4.9 billion in seed and crop protection product sales, and United generated $2.6 billion in crop protection, seed and crop nutrient sales," The Des Moines Register reported.
The two companies aim to bring together their product portfolios and increase their potential by merging in an industry that has seen much consildation.
Today's food industry is all too familiar with mergers and acquisitions of all types and sizes, from the failed Sysco-US Foods merger to the massive Kraft Heinz merger.
The deal will form "a single, relevant and competitive system of independent agricultural retailers," according to a news release.