CNI

What CNI does

CNI Ag (formerly Chem-Nut Inc.) is a privately held U.S. wholesale distributor of agricultural inputs founded in 1974 by members of the Southern Peanut Warehouseman's Association and headquartered in Leesburg, Georgia. The company supplies crop protection products, seed, adjuvants, specialty fertilizers, industrial vegetation management products, and turf & ornamental products exclusively to independent agricultural retailers and cooperatives, deliberately avoiding direct-to-grower sales to preserve channel-partner trust.

CNI operates through six divisions — Crop Protection, Adjuvants, Seed (INTEGRA corn/soybeans, Catapult inoculants, Barn Burner sunflowers), AgriMinerals, Industrial Vegetation Management, and Turf & Ornamental — distributing 2,000+ SKUs sourced from 120+ manufacturer partners. Differentiated offerings include a patented DRA (Drift Reduction Agent) technology underlying the DRAKON and Pacific Premium Capsize adjuvant lines, the OMAHA kelp-extract foliar line, and value-added platforms such as CNIRGY Agronomics (university-partnered product trials and CCA-credit webinars) and the AgLogic Chemical stewardship program.

The business model is wholesale B2B distribution: revenue is generated through one-time product sales to 600+ independent ag retailers across 40 states, fulfilled through 24 distribution centers and supported by regional account managers and customer-service/logistics staff. Pricing is quote-based rather than publicly disclosed, with multi-year contract cadences, and the company carries no disclosed external investment, parent entity, or public listing.

Name

CNI

Legal name

CNI Ag

Website

https://cniag.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CNI Ag is a privately held U.S. wholesale distributor of agricultural inputs (crop protection, seed, adjuvants, specialty fertilizers, IVM, and turf products) serving 600+ independent ag retailers and cooperatives across 40 states via 24 distribution centers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Leesburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Distribution of Agricultural Products: CNI operates as a wholesale distributor supplying crop protection products, seed, seed treatments, adjuvants, and specialty fertilizers to independent agricultural retailers and cooperatives. Revenue is generated through product sales across multiple divisions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CNI is a wholesale distributor of agricultural inputs supplying crop protection products, seed, seed treatments, adjuvants, and specialty fertilizers to independent agricultural retailers and cooperatives. The company operates 24 distribution centers across 40 states, offering over 2,000 SKUs from 120+ supplier partners and proprietary brands such as INTEGRA seed, Catapult inoculants, and DRAKON adjuvants.

Product overview

CNI is a wholesale distributor of agricultural products operating as a multi-divisional platform that supplies crop protection, seed, adjuvants, specialty fertilizers, and related products to independent ag retailers across the United States. The company's product portfolio is organized into distinct divisions: Crop Protection (offering 2,000+ SKUs from 120+ suppliers including chemicals, biologics, and off-patent products), Adjuvants (including proprietary brands like Bower, AMStrike, Drakon, Pacific Premium Capsize, and Pacific Premium Response X), Seed (featuring proprietary INTEGRA corn and soybean seed brands, Catapult inoculants, and Barn Burner CL Wildlife Sunflowers), AgriMinerals (specialty fertilizers and micronutrients including OMAHA kelp extract, PRIME 8-32-5, and Utility GZ), Industrial Vegetation Management (IVM), and Turf & Ornamental. CNI also provides value-added services through its CNIRGY Agronomics platform (conducting product trials and research) and AgLogic stewardship program. The company operates 24 distribution centers across 40 states serving 600+ independent ag retailers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CNIRGY: Agronomics platform developed by CNI that reflects the combined efforts of all CNI divisions, focusing on conducting trials with products from supplier partners and CNI proprietary products
• INTEGRA
• Catapult
• Barn Burner

Products and services

• INTEGRA Seed

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000+ research trials supporting OMAHA kelp extract product
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Over 120 Crop Protection SupplierscoreTechnology or IntegrationCNI is aligned with every major manufacturer of crop protection products, offering over 2,000 SKUs from 120+ suppliers including commodity ag chemicals to latest technology products.
• University PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCNIRGY Agronomics platform collaborates with universities for conducting product trials with supplier partners and CNI proprietary products, supporting customers with crop protection, seed, seed treatments, adjuvants, agri-mineral, and biologicals research.
• Supplier PartnerscoreTechnology or IntegrationCNI conducts trials with supplier partners and CNI proprietary products through the CNIRGY platform to support customers with product understanding and recommendations.
• AgLogic Chemical LLCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgLogic Chemical LLC developed a comprehensive stewardship program to educate sellers and users on responsible labeled use of products, providing long-term availability of pest management tools.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Helena Agri-Enterprises: One of the largest U.S. distributors of crop protection products, fertilizers, and seed treatments to ag retailers and growers. Directly comparable to CNI in product portfolio (adjuvants, crop protection, specialty fertilizers), customer base (independent ag retailers and co-ops), and wholesale distribution model.
• WinField United (Land O'Lakes): Crop input wholesale and agronomy arm of Land O'Lakes, supplying seed, crop protection, and adjuvants to ag retailers and co-ops nationwide. Closely comparable in business model, customer base, and product breadth — both serve the independent retailer channel with proprietary and third-party brands.
• Wilbur-Ellis Agribusiness: U.S. ag input distributor supplying crop protection, seed, and specialty products through a network of retail locations. Comparable in product mix, customer base (independent retailers and growers), and wholesale-plus-retail distribution approach.
• GROWMARK: Large farmer-owned ag cooperative distributing crop protection, seed, and crop nutrients across the U.S. Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. Direct peer in business model (cooperative wholesale to retail members) and product portfolio overlap with CNI's crop protection and seed divisions.
• Brandt Consolidated: Specialty ag retailer and distributor focused on adjuvants, crop protection, and specialty plant nutrition. Closely comparable to CNI's adjuvant and AgriMinerals divisions, particularly in proprietary formulation and specialty distribution.

Broad incumbents

• Nutrien Ag Solutions: The largest crop input retailer in North America and a division of Nutrien Ltd, offering crop protection, seed, and fertilizer through a vast North American retail network. Overlaps CNI on product category and customer base but at vastly larger scale and with vertically integrated supply.
• J.R. Simplot (Agribusiness): Diversified agribusiness that distributes crop protection, seed, and fertilizer across the western U.S. and internationally. Comparable in core product categories and distribution to ag retailers, though part of a much broader food and fertilizer industrial portfolio.
• CHS Inc. Largest U.S. farmer-owned ag cooperative, distributing crop nutrients, crop protection, and seed through its retail network. Comparable in wholesale distribution to ag retail customers, though operating at substantially larger scale and across broader energy and grain segments.

Regional players

• MKC (Mid Kansas Cooperative): Large Kansas-based ag cooperative distributing crop protection, seed, and fertilizer to grower-owners across the central U.S. Comparable in business model (cooperative wholesale/retail) and product mix, but focused on a more regional footprint than CNI's nationwide presence.
• Agtegra Cooperative: Grain and agronomy cooperative serving the Northern Plains with crop protection, seed, and fertilizer distribution. Comparable in cooperative wholesale-to-retail model and crop input portfolio, but primarily regional rather than nationwide.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cniag

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CNI