West Central FS

What West Central FS does

West Central FS is a member-owned agricultural cooperative operating as part of the GROWMARK, Inc. system, headquartered at 1445 Monmouth Blvd., Galesburg, Illinois. The cooperative serves farmers and businesses across Fulton, Hancock, Henderson, Knox, McDonough, and Warren counties in Illinois and Lee county in Iowa through 25+ branch locations, with a focus on improving the profitability of its patron-owners through a diversified portfolio of agronomy, energy, and technology products and services.

The company sells seed, crop protection products, crop nutrients, adjuvants, plant performance products, and grain systems and buildings to agricultural producers. Its energy offerings include propane for residential and farm customers, plus commercial fuels and lubricants distributed through FAST STOP gas stations and fleet supply channels. Digital and precision agriculture services include the myFS Solution Center for account management and online payments, the myFS Agronomy application for crop input and field record management, Climate Fieldview integration, precision planting equipment, variable rate technology, and soil sampling. The FS Technology Learning Center provides farmer education on seed testing and crop production practices.

Revenue is generated primarily through one-time sales of agronomy, energy, and turf products, supplemented by agricultural services (futures, grain marketing, precision technology) and recurring revenue from FS Agri-Finance lending. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with a 2.5% convenience fee applied to credit and debit card payments. The cooperative employs a direct-to-farmer go-to-market model via field agronomy teams and local branches, complemented by digital self-service channels and educational events.

Name

West Central FS

Legal name

West Central FS

Website

https://westcentralfs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

West Central FS is a member-owned agricultural cooperative serving farmers, residents, and businesses across seven counties in western Illinois and one county in Iowa with 25+ locations, offering agronomy inputs, energy products, precision agriculture services, and agricultural financing through the GROWMARK system.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Cooperative Services and Inputs

NAICS

Support Activities for Crop Production (11511), Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating (115112)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Farmer Cooperatives & Co-op Retail (AFABAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Agronomy Advisory & Field Services (Retailer-Affiliated) (AFABAJAH), Carbon, Sustainability & Farm Certification Support (Agro-Environmental Advisory) (AFACABAL), Fertilizer Distribution, Storage & Terminals (Warehousing, Depots, Import/Export Terminals) (AFABABAJ)

Keywords

• Agricultural cooperative services
• Crop input supply
• Precision agriculture
• Propane and fuel distribution
• Agricultural financing

Headquarters

HQ city

Galesburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Agronomy Products: Seed, crop protection, adjuvants, plant performance products, crop nutrients, and related agronomy supplies sold to farmer members.
2. Energy Products: Propane, fuels, additives, and lubricants sold to residential, commercial, and agricultural customers.
3. Agricultural Services: Grain systems, buildings, futures trading guidance, and precision technology services.
4. Turf Products: Turf seeds and turf management products for residential customers.
5. FS Agri-Finance: Agricultural financing solutions for farmers, generating revenue through lending and credit services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

West Central FS is a member-owned agricultural cooperative that supplies farmers, businesses, and residential customers with agronomy inputs (seed, crop protection, crop nutrients, adjuvants, plant performance products), energy products (propane, fuels, lubricants), turf products, and precision agriculture technology. It also delivers agricultural services including grain systems, grain marketing, futures guidance, and tailored farm financing through FS Agri-Finance, all distributed through 25+ local locations and digital platforms.

Product overview

West Central FS is a member-owned agricultural cooperative offering a comprehensive portfolio of products and services across multiple segments. The core offerings span agronomy (seed, crop protection, nutrients, plant performance, adjuvants, grain systems), energy (propane, fuels, lubricants, FAST STOP gas stations), and technology solutions (precision planting, Climate Fieldview, soil sampling, VRT). Digital services include myFS Solution Center for account management and myFS Agronomy for agronomy operations. The cooperative serves farmers and businesses across Fulton, Hancock, Henderson, Knox, McDonough, and Warren counties in Illinois and Lee county in Iowa through 25+ locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Seed Solutions High-yield seed solutions for corn, soybeans, wheat, and forages, for farmer-members in the cooperative's service territory.
• Crop Protection Products and solutions for protecting crops throughout the growing season, for farmer-members.
• Crop Nutrients Nutrient management products to support optimal crop growth and yield, for farmer-members.
• Adjuvants Adjuvant products that enhance the performance of crop protection applications, for farmer-members.
• Plant Performance Products Products designed to improve plant health and performance throughout the growing cycle, for farmer-members.
• Grain Systems & Buildings Grain storage systems and building solutions for farms and agricultural operations, for farmer-members.
• Propane Reliable propane supply for homes, farms, and businesses across the cooperative's service territory.
• Fuels & Additives Commercial fuels and additive products for on-road and off-road applications, for businesses and commercial customers.
• Lubricants Performance lubricants for protecting assets in commercial and agricultural operations, on-road or off-road.
• FAST STOP Gas Stations Branded gas station network offering diesel fuel, gasoline, biodiesel, and ethanol-blended fuel options to consumers and businesses.
• Turf Management Professional turf management products and services for residential lawns, for homeowners.
• Turf Seeds Premium grass seed products for establishing and maintaining residential lawns.
• Precision Planting Equipment Advanced precision planting equipment for accurate seed placement and optimized crop establishment, for farmer-members.
• FS Agri-Finance Tailored agricultural financing solutions to support sustainable farm growth, offered through the FS cooperative system for farmer-members.
• Western Grain Marketing Cash Bids Grain marketing service providing real-time cash bid information for grain sales, for farmer-members.
• Futures Agricultural futures market information and resources for risk management, for farmer-members.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GROWMARK, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company and cooperative system partner providing brand identity, technology platforms (myFS), operational frameworks, and product supply chains for West Central FS as part of the FS cooperative network.
• Western Grain MarketingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGrain marketing partnership providing cash bid access and grain pricing information for West Central FS farmer customers to market their grain.
• FS Agri-FinancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgricultural financing solutions offered as part of the FS cooperative system, providing tailored financing options for farmers to purchase inputs and equipment.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Helena Agri-Enterprises: National ag retailer distributing crop protection, fertilizer, seed, and precision agriculture services. Direct competitor in midwest/central US retail agronomy.
• Nutrien Ag Solutions: Retail arm of Nutrien Ltd., offering crop nutrients, crop protection, seed, and digital agronomy services directly to US growers. Direct competitor in retail agronomy with similar product portfolio.
• Wilbur-Ellis Agribusiness: Multi-generational agricultural input distributor offering crop protection, seed, fertilizer, and precision agriculture across the western and midwestern US. Comparable product mix and customer base.
• Simplot Grower Solutions: Retail division of J.R. Simplot providing crop nutrition, protection, seed, and Precision Ag technology to North American growers. Directly comparable retail agronomy model.
• Heartland FS: Sibling FS cooperative under GROWMARK system serving adjacent Illinois/Iowa territory. Closest direct comparable in cooperative model, product mix, and operating footprint.

Broad incumbents

• GROWMARK, Inc. Parent organization of the FS cooperative system; comparable as the umbrella entity that supplies agronomy products, energy, and technology platforms to West Central FS. Operates a broader regional footprint across multiple US states.
• CHS Inc. Largest US agricultural cooperative, providing agronomy, energy, grain, and financing services to farmer-owners. Comparable in business model and product breadth, though at national scale.

Regional players

• Landus Cooperative: Iowa-based farmer-owned cooperative offering agronomy, grain, feed, and data services. Comparable cooperative model operating in a neighboring Iowa geography with overlapping customer base.

Others

• CoBank: Cooperative bank that finances Farm Credit System associations and agribusinesses, including cooperatives. Comparable as a financial backer in the cooperative agricultural ecosystem, similar to FS Agri-Finance's role.
• Climate LLC (Climate Fieldview): Bayer-owned precision agriculture platform integrated with West Central FS. Comparable as the digital agronomy layer (mapping, yield analysis, variable rate) that the cooperative resells to its members.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WestHarpe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 West Central FS