In its 75th anniversary year, Tennessee Farmers Cooperative continues to
provide exciting innovations to
agriculture in the southeastern United
States, most recently in the from of a
new agronomy joint venture, Green
Point AG.
TFC Chief Executive Officer Bart Krisle announced the organization of the business was complete and it would begin operation Sept. 1.
The new company is the result of three organizations combining their agronomy business to leverage their collective strengths. The partners in the joint venture are:
•Agri-AFC — a joint venture between Alabama Farmers Cooperative and WinField United, formed in 2003. Agri-AFC will contribute both its wholesale and retail agronomy segments to the partnership.
•GreenPoint AG — a joint venture between TFC and WinField United, formed in 2012. GreenPoint AG’s entire retail agronomy company is included in the new undertaking, which will also be referred to as “GreenPoint AG.”
•TFC Agronomy wholesale business — The regional cooperative’s wholesale agronomy operation is included, but TFC will continue to have other non-agronomy businesses that are outside this joint venture.
The new GreenPoint AG will encompass $1 billion in wholesale and retail sales, making it among the top seven largest agronomy distribution companies in the nation. It will operate 99 retail and wholesale agronomy locations in 10 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas, servicing 11 crops across 28 million acres.
The new GreenPoint AG will be based in Decatur, Ala., and have regional offices in Memphis and LaVergne.
More than 800 employees will be working together in the new venture “to deliver uncompromising value to growers,” say company officials. These employees share a collective history, representing deep knowledge and experience serving the markets GreenPoint AG will serve.
Current employees of the legacy companies will transition to GreenPoint AG, say officials. There is no plan to relocate employees or reduce the workforce.
“This move is a strategic decision to harness the benefits of shared talent and increased productivity,” says Krisle. “The collaboration will create a more competitive company and provide expanded buying power. Consolidations are continuing throughout the supply chain in the agriculture industry, and experts are forecasting continued economic uncertainty for our farmers. There continues to be pressure on all businesses to find ways to become more efficient, and this agreement positions Green-Point AG for long-term success and growth.”
All three legacy companies were in solid financial shape before the move, and the shared venture will only make the new entity stronger, says Krisle.
The 53 member Co-ops and 10 Associate Members that make up the Tennessee Co-op system will still be locally owned, independent businesses and are not included in the joint venture. TFC will continue to offer support services to member Co-ops, such as regional accounting, Co-op Financial Solutions, risk management, human resources, marketing and communications, and many others.
“Growers will still be working with the same people at their local Co-op as always,” assures Krisle. “Our goal is to continue to improve Co-op product offerings and services and to remain competitive and relevant in the marketplace.”
GreenPoint AG will be led by new CEO Jeff Blair, who was hired through an extensive national search process. He most recently served as president of the Plant Nutrients Division for The Anderson’s, an agribusiness focused on wholesale, retail services, and specialty plant nutrient manufacturing serving the Eastern Corn Belt. He had previously led the sales and marketing team for Intrepid Potash, a company that served a number of regional customers, including Agri-AFC.
Blair is a former attorney, Airborne Ranger, and Intelligence Officer, whose tours included serving as Europe and Africa’s Quick Reaction Force out of Italy, peace keeping in Bosnia, and a combat tour with the Special Forces in Afghanistan in 2002 and early 2003.
“I believe this new company is the right company, with the right people, and the right strategy to help our farmers and retail members succeed in this ever changing world,” says Blair. “And make no mistake about it; that is our mission. To help our farmers and retail customers succeed in this hyper-competitive, ever changing environment. Our vision is also clear: we want to be the premier provider of agronomic products and services in the Southeastern United States. Now ‘premier’ is an important word for me. We don’t necessarily want to be the biggest, but we do want to be the best.”
Blair grew up on a small island off the coast of Seattle. He has been married to wife Carrie, who is also a former Army officer, for 21 years and the couple have three daughters, Alexis, Abigail, and Eleanor. The family is in the process of relocating to Huntsville, Ala.
The company will be governed by a board of directors that will include two members each from TFC, AFC, and WinField United.
“The depth of agronomic expertise, resources, and products position GreenPoint AG to better meet customer needs and stand out from industry competition,” says Krisle.
Additional details about GreenPoint AG can be found at greenpointag.com as they become available.