Mitch Altermatt joins Cystal Valley as CEO
The Crystal Valley Board of Directors announces Mitch Altermatt has been selected as the cooperative’s next Chief Executive Officer. Altermatt will officially begin his new role on April 28, 2025, following the retirement of long-time CEO Roger Kienholz.
Altermatt brings a deep background in agribusiness and cooperative leadership, most recently serving as CEO of United Farmers Coop, where he helped guide the organization through strategic growth, operational improvements, and long-term planning efforts.
Prior to that, Altermatt held leadership roles at CHS and has spent much of his career focused on serving growers and rural communities across southern Minnesota.
“Mitch is deeply committed to the cooperative model and the rural communities it supports,” said Gene Meyer, Chairman of the Crystal Valley Cooperative Board of Directors. “We’re confident his experience, steady leadership, and strong communication style will serve both our employees and patrons well.”
Altermatt said, “Crystal Valley has a strong reputation across the region, and I’m honored to join a team that’s clearly focused on delivering value to its members. I’m looking forward to getting to know the employees and patrons who make this cooperative what it is.”
ICL to acquire biologicals company
ICL will acquire the majority of activity of Evogene’s subsidiary, Lavie Bio Ltd, which also includes Evogene’s MicroBoost AI for AG platform.
“Today marks a significant milestone in Lavie Bio’s journey,” said Amit Noam, CEO of Lavie Bio. “By combining our capabilities with ICL’s expertise, we can further accelerate the development of groundbreaking ag-biological products that will provide innovative solutions to farmers around the world.”
Lavie Bio is a recognized leader in the ag-biologicals industry with a robust pipeline of microbiome-based ag-biological products, and the acquisition includes Lavie Bio’s core team, the BDD technology platform, the company’s microbial bank and data assets, the majority of the company’s development programs, and its commercial products.
“This transaction reflects Evogene’s ongoing strategy to unlock the value of its assets for the benefit of its shareholders,” said Ofer Haviv, CEO of Evogene. “We are confident that the integration of Lavie Bio’s activities into ICL will significantly advance the global ag-biologicals field and drive impactful innovation in agriculture.”
The transaction is expected to close during the second quarter of 2025, subject to the fulfillment of customary closing conditions.
