Pratum Cooperative, a locally owned cooperative serving growers throughout the Willamette Valley and Central Oregon, has joined the ownership group of Aligned Ag Distributors (AAD), the retailer-owned crop inputs distributor announced Sept. 1.
Based in Salem, Ore., and founded in 1946, Pratum operates agronomy, energy and seed businesses. Its agronomy division serves more than 30 crops — including hazelnuts, berries and specialty seed in the Willamette Valley, and hay, alfalfa and carrot seed in Central Oregon — and the cooperative holds a vertically integrated position in the global grass seed industry.
“We are excited to welcome Pratum Cooperative as our newest owner,” said Mary Tolke, president and CEO of Aligned Ag Distributors. “Pratum brings a unique business footprint, particularly through its leadership in the grass seed industry, along with the kind of grower-focused, team-oriented culture that fits exceptionally well with Aligned Ag and our other existing owners.”
For Pratum, the move is about staying independent without giving up supply.
“In our geography, our customers have a unique crop mix, and we need to be able to make decisions that fit their operations, so staying independent and being able to adapt to shifting market conditions is really important to us,” said Doug Kuenzi, agronomy division manager at Pratum Cooperative. “Aligned Ag gives us the opportunity to be part of an independently aligned supply network that helps us ensure consistent access to the products our growers need.”
Kuenzi said AAD’s existing ownership group factored into the decision, describing the other owners as “cutting-edge companies that are the top of the top in ag retail.” Joining the group, he added, lets Pratum keep its local focus while gaining “additional strength and long-term supply security.”
AAD is one of several ownership groups formed by independent retailers seeking direct manufacturer relationships. AAD was founded 11 years ago, and the business has approximately half a billion dollars in crop protection product sales.
