Aligned Ag Distributors News

Green Valley Farm Supply Joins AAD

AMES, IA (8/01/2017)- Aligned Ag Distributors LLC (Aligned Ag Distributors™) has announced that Green Valley Farm Supply, Inc., of Gonzales, California, will be joining Franklin Holding Company LLC effective October 1, 2017.  They join six founding owners and the four that have been added since Aligned Ag Distributors was formed in early 2015.  Aligned Ag Distributors is jointly held by Franklin Holding Company and WinField® United and provides crop protection procurement and rebate management services exclusively to the owners of Franklin Holding Company.

“We are delighted to have Green Valley Farm Supply join our ranks”, said Mary Tolke, CEO of Aligned Ag Distributors.  “They are well positioned in key vegetable growing areas in California and Arizona and will help us expand our reach and our portfolio of product offerings on the west coast.”  “They are joining several other highly reputable retail distribution businesses that influence and serve key markets in the U.S.”, said Steve Watts, Chairman of Franklin Holding Company.  “This is an important next step as we continue our efforts to provide superior market influence and access in support of the manufacturers of our crop protection products.”

Further inquiries may be directed to:  info@alignedagdistributors.com

Aligned Ag Names Tolke President/CEO

AMES, IA – Aligned Ag Distributors LLC announced this morning the appointment of Mary Tolke to the position of President/CEO, effective July 1.

Tolke joins Aligned Ag Distributors LLC after overseeing sales for seven western states for Winfield United.  Prior leadership roles include, four years as a director of the Account Customer Team for Winfield, national accounts manager at BASF for almost five years and various

 marketing, and management positions with Monsanto. In her new role, Tolke will oversee the operational, market development, and growth of Aligned Ag Distributors and its owner/customers. 

“We are delighted to have Mary Tolke taking on this key leadership role,” says Steve Watts, Chairman of the Board.  “We are excited with the team Brad Oelmann assembled during his tenure and feel that Mary and her team are now in great position to tackle future growth opportunities for Aligned Ag Distributors.”

Further inquiries may be directed to:  info@alignedagdistributors.com

Land O’Lakes, Inc. names Brad Oelmann EVP Member Relations, Business Development Services

ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – Land O’Lakes, Inc. today named Brad Oelmann executive vice president for Member Relations and Business Development Services effective Aug. 1.

“Every day, our members are facing new challenges, from decreasing crop prices to bigger competitors in the wake of consolidation. As a cooperative, one of the most positive things we can do is strengthen our members,” said Chris Policinski, president and CEO of Land O’Lakes, Inc. “From this vantage point, Brad will be able to fully develop and implement a superior suite of member products and services, all with the intention of helping members compete in the marketplace.”

Brad will be responsible for a consolidated view of all Land O’Lakes dairy and ag members. In addition to being CEO of both United Suppliers Inc. and Aligned Ag Distributors, a wholesale crop inputs distribution company, he played key marketing roles for United Suppliers and spent a year with United Agri Products (UAP) as director of products and markets. In addition, he spent 13 years with American Cyanamid in various sales, marketing, and management roles. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Ag Business from Iowa State University and grew up on a farm in north central Iowa.

In August 2015, the owners of Ames, Iowa-based United Suppliers, Inc. and member-owners of Land O’Lakes approved a merger. The first step of the merger combined the two companies’ seed and crop protection businesses under WinField United. The second step, expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2017, will combine the companies’ crop nutrients businesses.

Brad Oelmann is appointed CEO of Aligned Ag Distributors

AMES, IA (6/9/2016) – Aligned Ag Distributors LLC announced this morning the appointment of Brad Oelmann to the position of President/CEO, effective July 1.  Oelmann has served as President/CEO for United Suppliers, Inc., since 2007 and will continue to provide direction and oversee the transition of their remaining business units until their merger with Winfield US is finalized in 2017.

Oelmann joins Aligned Ag Distributors LLC after overseeing the rapid expansion of United Suppliers during his tenure.  Prior to taking on that leadership role Oelmann served for seven years as Marketing Manager of their chemical division following a year with UAP and 13 year stint with American Cyanamid where he served in numerous positions before returning to his native Iowa. In his new role Oelmann will oversee the operational, market development, and growth aspirations of Aligned Ag Distributors and its owner/customers.  ​

"We are delighted to have Brad Oelmann taking on this key leadership role," says Steve Watts, who will remain as Chairman of the Board.  "We have assembled an outstanding management team, are executing our business plan on schedule, and are now poised to tackle future growth opportunities."

Further inquiries may be directed to:  info@alignedagdistributors.com

Aligned Ag Announces Tim Krueger as VP Market Development

AMES, IA (5/25/2016) – Aligned Ag Distributors LLC announced this morning the appointment of Tim Krueger to the position of VP Market Development.  

Tim joins Aligned Ag Distributors LLC with an extensive background in the crop protection distribution business.  For the past sixteen years Tim has been with Bayer CropScience and has served in a variety of sales, marketing, and account management roles with the last four years spent as District Sales Manager for California and Arizona.  Prior to that he was with Novartis and Merck, AgVet (now Syngenta Ag) and spent a short time with a retail agronomy business as a consulting Pest Control Advisor.

In his new role Tim will handle retail program management and market development efforts on behalf of Aligned Ag Distributors beginning with the 2017 marketing year.  These efforts will be coordinated with our key supply partners, our procurement team, and our ten owner/customers. 

"Tim's appointment to our staff is in accordance with the timeline we established earlier to begin coordinating retail programs on behalf of our customer/owners," says Steve Watts, President/CEO.  "Tim has an extensive background and will be able to hit the ground running.  We are delighted to have him joining our team." 

Tim's first day on the job will be June 6.

Warren Hragyil Appointed VP Crop Protection

AMES, IA (8/17/2015) – Aligned Ag Distributors LLC announced this morning the appointment of Warren Hragyil to the position of VP Crop Protection. 

Warren comes to Aligned Ag Distributors LLC with an extensive background in the crop protection distribution business.  For the past five years Warren has served as Sourcing & Manufacturer Strategy Manager in the United Suppliers, Inc., Crop Protection and Seed Business unit.  Prior to that he was a Portfolio Manager with DuPont and a Business Manager with a privately held crop protection distribution company.  In his new role Warren will handle crop protection procurement, rebate management, and oversee day-to-day operations for Aligned Ag Distributors LLC at the Ames and Eldora locations.

"We are very fortunate to have acquired Warren's services as we prepare for our launch October 1," says Steve Watts, President/CEO.  "He has the experience and working relationships to hit the ground running and most importantly, he possesses a strong desire to work with our key suppliers to exceed our owner/customers expectations."

Warren's first day on the job will be September 1.

Four New Members Added to Aligned Ag Distributors

AMES, IA (8/01/2015) - Aligned Ag Distributors LLC (Aligned Ag Distributors™) has announced the addition of four new customer/owners to Franklin Holding Company LLC.  They are: The Lyman Group, Inc. of Woodland, CA, Willard Agri Service, Inc. of Frederick, MD, Colusa Country Farm Supply, Inc., of Williams, CA, and Centennial Ag Supply, Co. of Kersey, CO. Aligned Ag Distributors was formed earlier this year and is a joint venture distribution company owned by Franklin Holding Company LLC and United Suppliers, Inc.

All ten owners of Franklin Holding Company LLC are independently owned and operated businesses, however, their crop protection divisions are formally aligned under the umbrella of Aligned Ag Distributors.  "Each of our new owners operate sizeable and highly reputable retail distribution businesses that have much in common with those of our founding owners.  We are delighted to have them join Franklin Holding Company LLC and become part of the Aligned Ag Distributors network," said Steve Watts, Chairman of Franklin Holding Company and CEO of Aligned Ag Distributors.  "This is an important next step in our quest to eventually align with and support the most influential retailers throughout the U.S."