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Co-Alliance & Custer Grain share in Governor's Awards

 

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb has tipped his cap to a business specializing in serving the needs of farmers for 91 years. Co-Alliance, LLP earned the Governor’s Half Century Business Award on April 11 for its longstanding contributions to the economy and workforce.

“It’s definitely something we’re proud of,” said Jeff Griffith, marketing director for company based in Avon, just west of Indianapolis.

Co-Alliance, one of the largest agribusiness supply and marketing cooperatives in the Midwest, is a partnership of five agricultural co-ops: Midland Co-op, Inc., Impact Cooperative, Inc., Frontier Co-op, Inc., LaPorte County Farm Bureau Cooperative Assoc., Inc., and Excel Cooperative, Inc.

Co-Alliance has 50 branch locations across the state and a limited presence in southern Michigan and central Ohio. Its workforce in Indiana now stands at about 500 people, officials said.

Seed, fertilizer and chemicals are among the products offered by Co-Alliance, also a supplier of propane and other fuels to approximately 20,000 households and farms in all three states. Griffith said agronomy is the largest division at Co-Alliance, followed by energy and grain storage.

Co-Alliance is also involved in swine and animal nutrition, chemical and fertilizer application and has feed mills along with a hog operation, he noted. The business is owned entirely by farmers with stock in their hometown co-ops underneath the Co-Alliance umbrella, and they share in the returns.

“As they do business with us, we pay them a percentage of that patronage based on our profitability in that particular year,” said Griffith, who estimated there are 4,000 or more farmer stockholders.

All of the co-ops partnering with Co-Alliance were all founded in the late 1920s. “We’re really proud of that history and proud of making an impact in the communities that we serve,” said Drew Coles, director of digital marketing and social media for Co-Alliance.

A Governor’s Century Business Award is also presented to companies that have remained in operation in Indiana for at least 100 years. There were 44 awards given this year. Those businesses are involved in various fields ranging from real estate, banking and trucking, to auto collision repair.

Only one other business related to agriculture was among the recipients. Custer Grain Co. in DeKalb County, founded in 1967, is a third-generation family owned and operated grain elevator with rail shipping capabilities.

Its storage capacity has grown from 80,000 bushels originally to slightly more than 3 million now, according the company’s website. The firm is also a supplier of seed and offers full agronomy services that include applying dry and liquid fertilizers and chemicals.

Nearly 1,500 companies have been recognized during the 27-year history of both awards. Besides longevity, commitment to community service is the primary factor in deciding the honor.

“We’ve been able to serve the needs of our member-owners, customers and local communities as they’ve changed throughout the years. We look forwards to finding new opportunities to do so over the next 50 years, and further,” said Co-Alliance CEO Kevin Stills.

4/18/2018