La Coop fédérée Signs an Agreement with W-S Feed & Supplies Limited and Strengthens Its Position as a Leader in the Animal Nutrition Industry

MONTRÉAL, Aug. 27, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ - La Coop fédérée, an agri-food cooperative with operations across Canada, and W-S Feed & Supplies Limited, announced today that La Coop fédérée will purchase a 50% stake in the animal nutrition company based in Tavistock, ON. W-S Feeds operates two feed mills in Ontario, in Tavistock and Mount Forest. The new partnership will continue to manufacture a wide variety of feeds for dairy production, including organic, beef, swine and poultry production.

"This investment represents a strategic entry into the Ontario market, in the animal nutrition industry this time" says Ghislain Gervais, president of La Coop fédérée. "This partnership develops our portfolio of operations in the province and shows how important it is for us to provide farmers across the country with quality products and solutions for their animal feed," he adds.

After recently gaining a foothold in the Prairie provinces for its animal feed activities with the acquisition of Standard Nutrition Canada, La Coop fédérée's Agri-business Division keeps extending this line of business which is already well established in Québec and the Maritimes. Earlier this year, the Agri-business Division also announced the acquisition of Cargill's crop input and grain assets in Ontario, a transaction pending the approval of Canada's Competition Bureau.

The closing of the transaction following this agreement in principle remains subject to the fulfillment of certain conditions, which should be completed in the upcoming weeks. The terms of the transaction will not be disclosed.

"Over its 50 years of existence, W-S Feed & Supplies has thrived on its family-oriented legacy, by making sure that all its operations measured up against the highest quality standards in the industry and that management and sales teams remained dedicated to customer service and satisfaction every step of the way" explains Paul Wideman, president of W-S Feeds. "Building on this strong foundation, the new partnership with La Coop fédérée will bring new opportunities for our business and new expertise and value to the Ontario farmers that we serve," he added.

"W-S Feed & Supplies has all the qualities that we look for in a business partner: shared values that put the needs of customers at the heart of operations, great quality products, strong presence in Southern Ontario and steady growth in key livestock production markets" says Sébastien Léveillé, executive agri-business vice-president of La Coop fédérée. "With our world-class research program in animal nutrition and extensive supply network, we will deliver even more value and innovation to our customers," he adds.

Establishments included in the sale are:

• Mount Forest Feed Mill swine and poultry feed, certified organic
• Tavistock Feed Mill multi-species

The transition will be seamless for current W-S Feed & Supply customers as key management and sales teams will remain in position.  

About La Coop fédérée

Founded in 1922, La Coop fédérée is the largest agri-food enterprise in Quebec and it is the 24th largest agri-food cooperative in the world. It represents more than 120,000 members, members, agricultural producers and consumers grouped into nearly 70 cooperatives with operations spread out in many Canadian provinces. More than 13,000 people are employed at La Coop fédérée which has annual revenues of $6.3 billion. Including its affiliated network, La Coop fédérée has nearly 18,000 employees and consolidated revenue of $9.2 billion. Its activities are separated into three Divisions: Olymel S.E.C (under the Olymel, Flamingo and Lafleur banners), the Agri-business division (under the La Coop, Elite, Agrocentre Agrico and Agromart banners), and Groupe BMR under the BMR, Unimat, Agrizone and Potvin & Bouchard banners). For further information, visit www.lacoop.coop. Twitter account: twitter.com/LaCoop_federee.

About W-S Feed & Supplies Ltd.

Established in 1965, W-S Feed & Supplies Ltd., offers a wide variety of feeds, including organic ones, for dairy, beef, swine and poultry, as well as a selection of pet food and animal health products. W-S Feeds has steadily grown with acquisitions of Mount Forest Elevators Ltd and the Tavistock New Life Mill.  Manufacturing divisions within the company include Mount Forest and Tavistock. W-S Feeds has 5 dealers across Ontario. For more information, please visit: www.wsfeeds.ca Twitter account @WSFeedSupplies

SOURCE La Coop fédérée