With roots dating back more than a century, Agtegra Cooperative continues to evolve through strategic mergers and bold acquisitions, leveraging longstanding partnerships to fuel growth and innovation across the Northern Plains.
Agtegra was formed in 2018 through the merger of two legacy cooperatives: North Central Farmers Elevator and South Dakota Wheat Growers. Today, it serves 7,000 members across South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Montana and Wyoming. From its headquarters in Aberdeen, South Dakota, the co-op operates more than 60 locations that handle 250 million bushels of grain and 500,000 tons of fertilizer annually. As an agricultural retailer, the co-op also off ers a wide range of other products and services — including storage, shipping, agronomy products, seed, crop protection, energy, feed and animal nutrition.
“Most of our business lines were inherited from the legacy cooperatives. The merger allowed us to pool our resources, resulting in a larger, more diversified organization,” said Jason Klootwyk, Agtegra’s chief executive officer. “Industry partners like CoBank have been instrumental in our growth, especially with the purchase of our export facility, which opened new doors and even more opportunities.”
In 2022, Agtegra expanded into the grain export market by joining forces with Bunge and Pan Ocean America, becoming joint owners of a state-of-the-art export grain terminal in the Pacific Northwest, a hub for moving grain to international markets. Agtegra acquired a minority interest in the facility, improving market access and export capabilities, especially for soybeans and corn.
CoBank has been a big part of our expansion and success.
“Agtegra ships more than 325 trains a year, and we needed ownership in that downstream supply chain to have greater visibility into the world markets. We set out to find the right partners, and our investment in EGT made that possible,” said Klootwyk. “Through this venture, our partners have been extremely receptive to a farmer-owned cooperative joining the team. Our size and scale make us the largest independent shipper to the Pacific Northwest, which provides a steady fl ow of business that our partnership has been able to leverage and add value to. With CoBank’s support, we’ve been able to make a substantial investment,” Klootwyk said.
CoBank helped Agtegra fund the investment in the export facility, expanding its presence in the international grain market while financing other significant projects and investments totaling close to $175 million in the past three years. The bank, along with other Farm Credit System partners, also recently re-syndicated Agtegra’s line of credit, ensuring access to the capital and financial resources needed to continue its operational growth.
“We’ve had two phenomenal years in a row at Agtegra, and that has added even more enthusiasm and energy about our future,” Klootwyk said. “CoBank has been a big part of our expansion and success. They rally around us through challenging times and celebrate our wins, helping ensure we stay relevant for the next 100 years.”