Heritage Cooperative

What Heritage Cooperative does

Heritage Cooperative is a privately held, farmer-owned agricultural cooperative operating across Ohio (and into Illinois) with a 100+ year operating history and more than 600 employees. It serves over 5,000 member-owners and 15,000+ customers through four integrated business divisions: Grain Marketing & Services (20+ elevator locations offering cash bids, futures brokerage, basis/hedge-to-arrive contracts, storage, and deferred pricing for corn, soybeans, and wheat), 1st Choice Energy Services (propane, diesel, gasoline, heating oil, and lubricants to residential, commercial, and agricultural customers), Agronomy Services (ShurGrow proprietary seed plus partner brands such as Asgrow, DeKalb, Croplan, Xitavo, and Brevant; fertilizer and crop protection; 4R Nutrient Stewardship-certified application; ROGO robotic soil sampling; variable rate seeding; and integration with Climate FieldView, AgLeader, and Precision Planting), and Animal Nutrition/Country Stores (Heritage Animal Nutrition and Performance Feed brands, two state-of-the-art feed mills at Columbiana and Nashport, and 10+ retail locations for feed, show supplies, pet, lawn, and garden products).

Underlying technology is a hybrid of physical infrastructure (grain elevators, agronomy campuses with computer-automated liquid load-out and 10,000+ ton UAN storage, feed mills, energy delivery fleet, custom application RoGator fleet) and digital platforms, led by the Heritage Growers Portal for cash bids, futures, account management, and grain transactions, and integrations with Barchart/CME/ICE for market data and StoneX for market commentary.

The revenue model is predominantly transactional fee-based across the four product streams (grain merchandising spreads, agronomy inputs, energy distribution margins, feed milling margins) supplemented by a managed-services financing program (tiered input financing up to multi-million customer lines) and cooperative patronage distributions. The go-to-market is direct-to-customer through field agronomists, grain originators, and energy service technicians, layered with a member-led community model of cattle meetings, county fairs, and educational content. Strategic emphasis in 2025–2026 includes an $11 million agronomy facility investment in Upper Sandusky, expanded 4R stewardship certifications, and tiered pricing tied to loyalty and volume commitments.

Name

Heritage Cooperative

Legal name

Heritage Cooperative

Website

https://heritagecooperative.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1900

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Heritage Cooperative is a 100+ year, farmer-owned agricultural cooperative serving 5,000+ members and 15,000+ customers across Ohio via four divisions: grain merchandising, 1st Choice Energy, agronomy (including proprietary ShurGrow seed), and animal nutrition through Heritage Country Stores.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Cooperative Services

NAICS

Farm Product Warehousing and Storage (493130), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting (11)

SIC

Wholesale-Farm Product Raw Materials (5150), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Farm-to-Consumer Cooperative Markets (Local Producer Co-ops) (CRAHALAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Member-Owned Food Cooperatives (CRAHALAA)

Keywords

• Agricultural cooperative
• Grain marketing services
• Agronomy inputs
• Animal feed nutrition
• Energy and fuels

Headquarters

HQ city

Delaware

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Grain Merchandising & Storage: Grain origination, storage, and marketing services. Provides spot sales, basis contracts, hedge-to-arrive contracts, target price orders, delayed price, and deferred payment options for corn, soybeans, and wheat.
2. Agronomy Products & Services: Crop inputs including seed, fertilizer, crop protection chemicals, and custom application services. Also includes soil sampling, tissue analysis, and variable rate seeding services.
3. Energy Products: 1st Choice Energy division providing propane, diesel, gasoline, heating oil, and lubricants to residential, commercial, and agricultural customers.
4. Animal Feed & Nutrition: Production and distribution of animal feed products through Heritage Animal Nutrition and Performance Feed brands. Includes bulk and bagged feeds for dairy, beef, swine, poultry, equine, sheep, goats, and companion animals.
5. Input Financing Program: Financing program for crop input purchases with tiered interest rates based on customer loyalty and volume commitments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Heritage Cooperative is a farmer-owned agricultural cooperative operating across four core business divisions: grain merchandising and storage at 20+ Ohio elevator locations, agronomy services (proprietary ShurGrow seed, crop inputs, soil sampling, custom application, and input financing), 1st Choice Energy Services (propane, diesel, gasoline, heating oil, and lubricants), and Heritage Animal Nutrition (bulk and bagged feed for dairy, beef, swine, poultry, equine, and companion animals) supported by Heritage Country Store retail locations.

Product overview

Heritage Cooperative is an agricultural cooperative operating a diversified platform across four core business divisions: Grain Marketing & Services (cash bids, futures, storage, and marketing programs at 20+ Ohio locations), 1st Choice Energy Services (propane, diesel, lubricants for residential/commercial/agricultural customers), Agronomy Services (seed including proprietary ShurGrow brand and partner brands, crop inputs, ag technology services, and stewardship programs), and Heritage Animal Nutrition (animal feeds and Country Store retail). The Heritage Growers Portal provides online account access. These divisions serve over 5,000 members and 15,000+ customers through 20+ grain locations, 14+ Country Store locations, and multiple agronomy facilities across Ohio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ShurGrow Seed: Seed brand providing premium genetics and seed traits including corn, soybean and wheat hybrids for growers. Part of Heritage story for over 60 years.
• Performance Feed
• Heritage Animal Nutrition

Products and services

• Grain Marketing & Services Comprehensive grain merchandising services including cash bids, futures trading, storage facilities, and marketing programs at 20+ Ohio locations, offering spot sales, basis contracts, hedge-to-arrive contracts, target price orders, delayed pricing, and deferred payment options for corn, soybeans, and wheat.
• Agronomy Services Full-service agronomy offerings including seed, crop inputs (fertilizer, crop protection chemicals), ag technology services (soil sampling, tissue analysis, variable rate seeding, field scouting), 4R stewardship programs, and tiered input financing programs for row crop producers.
• ShurGrow Seed Heritage Cooperative's proprietary seed brand offering corn, soybean, and wheat hybrids backed by Ohio trials, including the ShurCoat multi-component seed treatment technology for disease and pest protection.
• 1st Choice Energy Services Energy services division delivering propane, diesel, gasoline, heating oil, and lubricants to residential, commercial, and agricultural customers, including commercial fueling solutions, residential home energy, and farm fuel services.
• Heritage Animal Nutrition Animal feed and nutrition services producing bulk and bagged feeds for dairy, beef, swine, equine, poultry, sheep, goats, rabbits, companion animals, and show animals at state-of-the-art feed mills in Columbiana and Nashport, Ohio, with delivery service.
• Performance Feed Professionally formulated, fixed-formula animal feed brand delivering quality, consistency, and performance since 1983, distributed through a dealer network.
• Heritage Country Stores Retail farm supply stores offering livestock and companion animal feeds, show supplies, animal feeding equipment, lawn and garden products, wildlife feed, and pet supplies across 10+ Ohio locations with unique community-specific offerings.
• Input Financing Program Crop input financing program with tiered interest rates (0% Early Advantage to Prime+3%) based on customer loyalty and seed purchase commitments, enabling financing for seed, fertilizer, and crop protection purchases with annual loan cycles.
• Ag Technology Services Technology-enabled agronomy services including ROGO robotic grid soil sampling, geo-referenced soil and tissue sampling, variable rate seeding, field scouting, and integration with Climate FieldView, Precision Planting, and AgLeader R7 platforms.
• Show Supply Livestock show supplies featuring Weaver Livestock and Sullivan Supply products including halters, blankets, shampoos, brushes, grooming supplies, fans, clippers, trim stands, and pens, available at 14 retail locations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Fueling the Cure fundraising exceeded $2 million for cancer research
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• ROGOsupportingTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with ROGO for robotic soil sampling system that collects consistent depth soil cores and adequate samples in repeatable, timely fashion.
• Climate FieldView (Bayer)supportingTechnology or IntegrationClimate FieldView platform integration allowing collection of weather, planting, spraying, harvest, and fertilizer as-applied data in one place.
• Precision PlantingcoreTechnology or IntegrationPremier Precision Planting Dealer providing certified meter technicians, repairs, adjustments, and upgrades for planters.
• AgLeadersupportingTechnology or IntegrationR7 Tool for full-farm connectivity providing field analysis and input optimization recommendations.
• WinField UnitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner for agronomic insights, Answer Plot research, and Secure financing program.
• ValvolinesupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTrusted lubricant brand partner for commercial energy services.
• Phillips 66supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFuel brand partner for commercial energy services.
• GrowmarksupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFuels and lubricants supplier partner.
• Marathon PetroleumsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFuel brand partner for commercial energy services.
• ZoetissupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAnimal health products partner for livestock medications, vaccines, and diagnostic products.
• ElancosupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAnimal health products partner for livestock medications, vaccines, and diagnostic products.
• Merck Animal HealthsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAnimal health products partner for livestock medications, vaccines, and diagnostic products.
• Purina Animal NutritioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual cattle nutrition meetings co-hosted with Purina featuring expert speakers for producer education.
• TruterrasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainability partnership for ecosystem markets and environmental impact measurement.
• Campbell'ssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainable wheat sourcing partnership through Truterra for Campbell's products.
• Raven PrecisionsupportingTechnology or IntegrationPrecision agriculture technology partner through Top Gun certification program for custom application systems.
• Asgrow (Bayer)supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSeed brand partner for soybean genetics.
• Dekalb (Bayer)supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSeed brand partner for corn genetics.
• Croplan (WinField)supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSeed brand partner for crop genetics.
• Xitavo (BASF)supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSoybean seed brand partner.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Trupointe Cooperative: Ohio-headquartered farmer-owned cooperative offering grain, agronomy, energy, and feed services to producers across the same Western Ohio footprint as Heritage Cooperative. Directly comparable in service mix, member-owner model, and geographic overlap.
• Sunrise Cooperative: Ohio-based agricultural cooperative providing grain marketing, agronomy inputs, energy, and feed services. Closely mirrors Heritage's four-division structure and Ohio member base, making it a directly competing regional peer.
• Centerra Co-op: Northeast Ohio agricultural cooperative formed from mergers of multiple local co-ops, offering grain, agronomy, energy, and farm supply services. Overlaps directly with Heritage's grain, energy, and retail country store operations.
• Mid-Wood Inc. Ohio-based cooperative serving producers with grain, agronomy, energy, and feed. Competes with Heritage for farmer-members in overlapping Ohio counties, especially in the grain and agronomy segments.
• Town & Country Co-op: Ohio-based agricultural cooperative serving farmers with grain, agronomy, energy, and feed. Directly comparable to Heritage in service mix and Ohio footprint, particularly in central and north-central Ohio markets.

Broad incumbents

• Growmark: Large regional agricultural cooperative system with energy, agronomy, and grain operations across the Midwest, supplying fuel and crop inputs. Comparable in energy distribution and agronomy service mix but operates at a much larger, multi-state scale.
• CHS Inc. Largest U.S. agricultural cooperative, with energy, agronomy, grain, and feed businesses. Overlaps with Heritage across grain origination, propane/fuel, and crop input distribution, but at a national/global scale.
• Ag-Pro Companies: Large John Deere dealership and agronomy retailer operating across multiple states with crop input distribution. Overlaps with Heritage's agronomy, custom application, and precision agriculture offerings.

Regional players

• Landus Cooperative: Iowa-headquartered farmer-owned cooperative with grain, agronomy, and animal nutrition businesses. Comparable in member-owned ag services model, though primarily serves a different Midwest geography than Heritage.

Emerging players

• Premier Crop Systems: Data-driven agronomy services provider offering variable rate recommendations, analytics, and sustainability tracking. Comparable to Heritage's tech-enabled agronomy services in focus area, though specialized in analytics rather than physical distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/heritagecoop
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCGGH0Fye-LDf01VKs6QEAVQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/heritagecooperative
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heritage-cooperative
• Instagramyoutube.com/channel/UCGGH0Fye-LDf01VKs6QEAVQ

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 Heritage Cooperative