Hensall Co-op
Hensall Co-op is a Canadian farmer-owned cooperative serving 6,000+ members with an integrated agricultural supply chain spanning crop inputs, animal nutrition, dry bean and food-grade soybean processing, energy, grain marketing, freight forwarding, and ready-to-eat meals across Canada and 40+ export markets.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1937
- HeadquartersHensall, Canada
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Hensall Co-op does
Hensall Co-op is a farmer-owned cooperative founded in 1937 in Huron County, Ontario, that has grown into one of the largest non-financial co-operatives in Canada, with over 6,000 farm member-owners, 30+ locations across Ontario and Manitoba, and operations reaching customers in more than 40 countries. The cooperative runs an integrated agricultural supply chain spanning crop inputs (seed, fertilizer, crop protection, custom application including SoilOptix® precision agriculture and YDrop®/Greenseeker® services), animal nutrition (poultry and swine feed with vaccination programs and Shur-Gain® specialty products), food processing (edible dry beans and food-grade non-GMO soybeans), energy distribution (petroleum, propane, natural gas, electricity, lubricants, including ProActive® premium diesel), grain and ingredient marketing, international freight forwarding through Hensall Global, and ready-to-eat meals through Hensall Foods under The Screaming Chef™ brand. Its proprietary technology platform FieldTrace® provides field-to-fork traceability, and AI-enhanced color sorting equipment was deployed across processing facilities in 2024 to improve quality control.
The business model is primarily transactional across all divisions — selling agricultural inputs to growers, processing and selling dry beans/soybeans to food manufacturers globally, distributing energy products, and providing freight forwarding services — supplemented by member investment programs (High Interest Savings Accounts, Special Member Investments from 3 months to 10 years) and an annual patronage dividend structure that reinvests profits back to members. Go-to-market relies on 25+ field marketers working directly with growers, an enterprise sales motion to global food manufacturers, and a network of physical locations delivering to farm, commercial, industrial, and residential customers. The cooperative processes and ships over 300,000 metric tonnes of dry beans and food-grade soybeans annually, achieved $1B+ in revenue by 2022 (the latest disclosed milestone), and has recently expanded into the United States through the 2023 acquisitions of Gentec Inc. (Idaho) and Minn-Dak Growers Ltd. (Upper Great Plains).
Hensall Co-op firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hensall Co-op
- Legal name
- Hensall Co-op
- Website
- https://hensallco-op.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1937
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Hensall Co-op is a Canadian farmer-owned cooperative serving 6,000+ members with an integrated agricultural supply chain spanning crop inputs, animal nutrition, dry bean and food-grade soybean processing, energy, grain marketing, freight forwarding, and ready-to-eat meals across Canada and 40+ export markets.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hensall Co-op industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Agricultural Cooperative Services
- SIC
- Wholesale-Farm Product Raw Materials (5150), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Supply Chain, Marketing & Contracting Advisory (Grain/Livestock Marketing) (AFACAJAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Integrated Poultry Operations (Vertically Integrated Farms) (AFAEADAI), Poultry Export & Specialty Certification Processing (Halal/Kosher, Organic, Antibiotic-Free, Traceability Programs) (AFANACAL)
Keywords
Where Hensall Co-op is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hensall
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices12 records
Markets served
Hensall Co-op business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Agricultural Product Sales: Sale of agricultural inputs including seed, fertilizer, crop protection products, and animal nutrition feed to growers and livestock producers. Products are sold through the cooperative's network of locations with field marketing support.
- Dry Beans and Food Grade Soybean Processing and Sales: Processing and global sale of dry beans and food-grade non-GMO soybeans to food manufacturers and importers. Ships over 300,000 metric tonnes annually to customers in over 40 countries.
- Energy Products: Sale of petroleum products (gasoline, diesel), propane, natural gas, electricity, and lubricants to farm, commercial, industrial and residential customers in southwestern Ontario.
- Freight Forwarding and Logistics Services: International freight forwarding, freight brokerage, ocean container trucking, and bulk agricultural trucking services through Hensall Global subsidiary.
- Ready-to-Eat Meals: Production and sale of fresh, ready-to-eat chilled meals under The Screaming Chef brand and for private label customers through Hensall Foods subsidiary.
- Grain and Ingredient Marketing: Commodity marketing of grains and ingredients to end-users for feed production and industrial use, including by-products such as soybean meal, distiller grains, and wheat shorts.
- Member Investment Returns: Unsecured investments from members earning interest at rates typically higher than GIC rates. Investment types include High Interest Savings Accounts and Special Member Investments ranging from 3 months to 10 years.
- Patronage Dividends: Annual patronage dividends declared on members' eligible businesses, reinvested in patronage loan accounts and paid out over time with accrued interest.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Lifetime membership for individuals, partnerships, or farming corporations |
| Subscription | Monthly | High Interest Savings Account |
| Subscription | Monthly | Special Member Investments |
| Other | Annual | Mandatory Member Investment for Patronage |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels8 records
Hensall Co-op product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hensall Co-op is a diversified farmer-owned agricultural cooperative that supplies crop inputs (seed, fertilizer, crop protection), animal nutrition feed, energy products (petroleum, propane, lubricants), and grain marketing services to its 6,000+ member-owners across Ontario and Manitoba. The cooperative also operates world-class processing facilities for edible dry beans and food-grade non-GMO soybeans, exporting to customers in 40+ countries, and runs an integrated freight forwarding and logistics subsidiary (Hensall Global) plus a ready-to-eat meal subsidiary (Hensall Foods / The Screaming Chef). Member-owned governance, patronage dividends, and traceability through the proprietary FieldTrace® system underpin the offering.
Product overview
Hensall Co-op is a diversified agricultural co-operative offering a comprehensive portfolio of products and services across the supply chain. The core offerings include: Animal Nutrition (poultry and swine feed with vaccination services), Crop Services (seed, fertilizer, crop protection, custom application, and precision agriculture), Food Products (edible dry beans and food-grade non-GMO soybeans with global reach to 40+ countries), Energy (petroleum, propane, diesel, lubricants), Freight Forwarding & Logistics (Hensall Global for multimodal transportation), Grain & Ingredient Marketing, and Hensall Foods subsidiary (ready-to-eat meals under The Screaming Chef brand). Digital products include FieldTrace® for crop management and traceability, and a Customer Information System for member services. The co-operative operates over 30 locations across Ontario and Manitoba, serving over 6,000 member-owners.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Screaming Chef: Fresh, ready-to-eat chilled meals brand manufactured by Hensall Foods subsidiary, using innovative in-pack steam cooking method with longer refrigerated shelf-life without artificial preservatives or additives
- Silverline Seeds
- FieldTrace
Products and services
- Animal Nutrition
Quantifiable outcome
- Process and ship over 300,000 metric tonnes of dry beans and food-grade non-GMO soybeans annually
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Hensall Co-op
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Hensall Co-op technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability1 record
Feature3 records
Hensall Co-op partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Syngenta SeedscoreLaunched Silverline Seeds in partnership with Syngenta to strengthen the Identity Preserved (IP) program for specialty crop production. This partnership provides growers access to high-quality seed varieties with enhanced disease resistance and improved adaptability.
- Overseas Container Forwarding Inc. and Overseas Container Logistics Ltd.minorAcquired equity interest in Overseas Container Forwarding Inc. and Overseas Container Logistics Ltd. with offices in Vancouver and Seattle. This strategic investment expands logistics capabilities for container shipping and international trade.
- Ag Energy Co-operativecoreThrough partnership with Ag Energy Co-operative (AEC), Hensall Co-op members can purchase and order electricity and natural gas directly. AEC provides these energy products to agricultural and rural customers through the cooperative network.
- FCC (Farm Credit Canada)minorFCC Input Financing partnership allows Hensall Co-op growers to apply for financing to free up cash flow for purchasing fuel, fertilizer, and crop protection products. Growers have 12 months to purchase and up to 18 months to pay.
- Shur-GainminorShur-Gain products offered for backyard poultry, equine and pets through Hensall Co-op's specialty animal nutrition offerings, providing additional product options for hobby farmers and small-scale animal producers.
- RealAgriculturecorePartnership with RealAgriculture for Edible Bean School video series, producing educational content for agricultural producers. The series has run for 6 seasons and provides production guidance for dry bean growers.
- Shell LubricantsminorHensall Co-op offers a full line of Shell lubricants, coolants and associated products through their energy division, providing high-quality lubricant products to agricultural and commercial customers.
- Seed Partners (Dekalb, Croplan, Syngenta, C&M, Brevant)coreAccess to Dekalb, Croplan, Syngenta, C&M and Brevant seed brands providing customized seed solutions for individual acres and business goals across the trading area.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves16 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Hensall Co-op competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- GROWMARK Inc. US farmer-owned agricultural cooperative providing crop inputs, grain marketing, energy, and animal nutrition across the Midwest. Closest functional analogue to Hensall's diversified farm-supply-plus-marketing cooperative model.
- Nutrien Ag Solutions: Retail arm of Nutrien, the world's largest crop input provider, with crop input distribution and agronomic services across North America. Directly comparable to Hensall's Crop Services division in seed, fertilizer, crop protection, and precision agriculture.
- CHS Inc. Largest US farmer-owned cooperative with grain origination, crop inputs, animal nutrition, energy, and global grain/oilseed marketing. Directly comparable to Hensall's vertically integrated ag cooperative structure and broad segment mix.
- Federated Co-operatives Limited: Saskatchewan-based diversified Canadian cooperative with energy, food, and ag retail across Western Canada. Highly comparable governance and ownership structure (member-owned, retail co-op), with overlapping energy distribution and consumer/producer members.
- Parrish & Heimbecker: Canadian grain, food ingredients, and milling company with deep Ontario/Western Canada presence (Hensall even acquired one of its Hensall-area facilities). Closest like-for-like competitor in IP grains and edible dry beans in Canada.
- Ag Processing Inc. (AGP): US farmer-owned cooperative processing and marketing soybeans, grains, and related food/feed ingredients. Closest cooperative analogue to Hensall's identity-preserved soybean and dry bean export business with similar member-grower supply structure.
Broad incumbents
- Cargill: World's largest privately held agribusiness with grain origination, oilseed processing, animal nutrition, and food ingredients globally. Indirectly comparable as an incumbent buyer and competitor to Hensall's dry bean and IP soybean supply chain.
- Richardson International: Privately held Canadian agribusiness with grain handling, oilseed processing, milling, and food ingredients across Western Canada. Broadly comparable in scale and grain/oilseed handling; not a co-op but a major incumbent competitor for Hensall's bean and IP soybean exports.
- Archer Daniels Midland (ADM): Global agricultural processor and food ingredient provider with grain origination, oilseed crushing, and animal nutrition. Comparable as a diversified incumbent serving food manufacturers with bean, soy, and grain ingredients globally.
- Viterra: Global grain, oilseed, and pulses originator and merchandiser with significant Canadian handling footprint. Comparable in commodity origination, handling, and global export of pulses and grains that overlap Hensall's food products business.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Hensall Co-op social profiles
Digital presenceHensall Co-op financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hensall Co-op leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
Hensall Co-op subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries8 records
Hensall Co-op funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hensall Co-op M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Hensall Co-op
What does Hensall Co-op do?
Hensall Co-op is a diversified farmer-owned agricultural cooperative that supplies crop inputs (seed, fertilizer, crop protection), animal nutrition feed, energy products (petroleum, propane, lubricants), and grain marketing services to its 6,000+ member-owners across Ontario and Manitoba. The cooperative also operates world-class processing facilities for edible dry beans and food-grade non-GMO soybeans, exporting to customers in 40+ countries, and runs an integrated freight forwarding and logistics subsidiary (Hensall Global) plus a ready-to-eat meal subsidiary (Hensall Foods / The Screaming Chef). Member-owned governance, patronage dividends, and traceability through the proprietary FieldTrace® system underpin the offering.
Is Hensall Co-op a public or private company?
Hensall Co-op is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Hensall Co-op founded?
Hensall Co-op was founded in 1937. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Hensall Co-op based?
Hensall Co-op is headquartered in Hensall, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Hensall Co-op make money?
Eight revenue lines are on record. Agricultural Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are dry Beans and Food Grade Soybean Processing and Sales, energy Products, freight Forwarding and Logistics Services, ready-to-Eat Meals, grain and Ingredient Marketing, member Investment Returns and patronage Dividends.
Who are Hensall Co-op's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are GROWMARK Inc., Nutrien Ag Solutions, CHS Inc., Federated Co-operatives Limited, Parrish & Heimbecker and Ag Processing Inc. (AGP). Broad incumbents are Cargill, Richardson International, Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) and Viterra.
Does Hensall Co-op have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hensall Co-op.
What industry is Hensall Co-op in?
Hensall Co-op's product category is Agricultural Cooperative Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFACAJAH, Supply Chain, Marketing & Contracting Advisory (Grain/Livestock Marketing), with a secondary code of AFAEADAI, Integrated Poultry Operations (Vertically Integrated Farms). Its SIC code is 5150.