Glacial Plains Cooperative

What Glacial Plains Cooperative does

Glacial Plains Cooperative is a patron-owned agricultural cooperative headquartered in Murdock, Minnesota, that serves farmer-members and rural residents across West Central Minnesota through five operating divisions: Agronomy, Energy, Feed, Grain, and Retail. Established in 2001 through the combination of United Farmers Elevator and Swift Coop Oil Company, the cooperative today operates seven-plus locations spanning Murdock, Benson, Clontarf, De Graff, and Milan, and is governed under Minnesota cooperative statutes with member-elected directors and retained-earnings distributions to patrons.

The cooperative's product and technology stack covers the full crop input-to-marketing lifecycle. The Agronomy division (40-plus professionals) provides seed (including CROPLAN via WinField United), dry and liquid fertilizer, crop protection products, custom chemical and fertilizer application, precision agriculture (variable rate technology, GPS-guided prescriptions, soil testing, tissue sampling, field mapping), in-house crop insurance (since 2006), and a Grower360 online portal for account, grain, and field data. The Energy division delivers Cenex-branded refined fuels, propane, lubricants, and racing fuels (E-98, E85), with monitored tank systems for farm gas, diesel, and LP. The Feed division operates a feed mill at De Graff with bagged livestock feed, bird seed, and online ordering. The Grain division provides cash bids, futures (CME), contract options, and elevator operations across locations. Retail includes two C-stores selling convenience items and prepared foods (Godfather's Pizza, Champs Chicken). Local agronomic research is anchored by the WinField United Answer Plot at Murdock, integrating NDAWN weather data and Barchart market feeds.

Glacial Plains makes money primarily through transactional sales across its five divisions, supplemented by recurring or contract revenue from custom application services, financed input programs (CHS Financial, John Deere Financial, Secure by WinField United, and an internal charge account with 1.5% monthly / 18% annual finance charges on past-due balances), grain marketing contracts, and C-store fuel and food sales. Patron equity returns (e.g., a $454,000 payout on December 5, 2019) and member-elected governance distinguish the cooperative ownership model from a conventional investor-owned ag retailer. The go-to-market is sales-led, relying on personalized agronomy consultation, seasonal meetings (Spring Meetings, Answer Plot Days), and text-alert-driven mobile markets, supported by the cooperative's website and Grower360 portal.

Name

Glacial Plains Cooperative

Legal name

Glacial Plains Cooperative

Website

https://glacialplains.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Glacial Plains Cooperative is a patron-owned agricultural cooperative serving farmers and rural residents in West Central Minnesota. Operating across Agronomy, Energy, Feed, Grain, and Retail divisions, it delivers crop inputs, grain marketing, fuel, feed, and financing through seven-plus locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Murdock

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Agronomy Products and Services: Revenue from crop inputs including seed, fertilizer, crop protection products, custom application services, and precision agriculture solutions. Also includes financing and crop insurance services.
2. Grain Marketing: Revenue from grain elevator operations, grain marketing services, cash bids, futures, and contract options for corn, soybeans and other crops.
3. Energy Products: Revenue from propane, refined fuels (Cenex gasoline, diesel), lubricants, and racing fuels. Also includes equipment service and monitoring systems.
4. Feed Products: Revenue from feed mill services, livestock feed products, bird seed, and bagged feed at multiple locations.
5. Retail (C-Store and Food Service): Revenue from convenience store items, deli/food service including Godfather's Pizza, Champs Chicken, and other prepared foods.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Glacial Plains Cooperative is a multi-divisional agricultural cooperative that supplies crop inputs (seed, fertilizer, crop protection products) along with custom application and precision agriculture services to farmers, operates grain marketing and elevator services for corn, soybeans and other crops, distributes propane, refined fuels, lubricants and racing fuels, produces livestock feed and bird seed, and runs a convenience store. The cooperative combines physical service at multiple West Central Minnesota locations with online account management through the Grower360 portal and locally tailored agronomic advice from the WinField United Answer Plot research program.

Product overview

Glacial Plains Cooperative is a multi-divisional agricultural cooperative based in Murdock, Minnesota, providing a comprehensive portfolio of products and services to farmers and rural communities. The cooperative operates through five core divisions: Agronomy (seed, fertilizer, crop protection, precision agriculture, and crop insurance/financing), Energy (propane, refined fuels, lubricants, and racing fuels), Feed (livestock feed and bird seed), Grain (marketing and elevator services), and Retail (convenience store with prepared foods). Key sub-products and services include the WinField United Answer Plot research program, variable rate precision ag technology, financing programs through CHS Financial Services/John Deere Financial/Secure by WinField United, tank monitoring systems, and the Grower360 online customer portal. The cooperative serves locations across West Central Minnesota including Benson, Clontarf, De Graff, Milan, and Murdock.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Agronomy Services Full-service agronomy offering providing custom application of chemicals and fertilizer, soil tests, tissue sampling, field mapping and variable rate technology for row-crop farmers in West Central Minnesota.
• Seed Sales (Corn, Soybeans, Alfalfa, CROPLAN) Sale and agronomic support of crop seed including corn, soybeans and alfalfa, with CROPLAN seed products sourced through WinField United, for farmers in West Central Minnesota.
• Fertilizers (Dry and Liquid) Full line of dry and liquid crop nutrient products supplied to help crops stay healthy and optimize yield potential, available to farmer members of the cooperative.
• Precision Agriculture Services Variable rate technology, field mapping, soil and tissue sampling and GPS-guided applications that produce accurate, cost-effective field prescriptions for farmer members.
• Answer Plot Research Program WinField United Answer Plot program providing year-round local agronomic, seed and crop protection research, strategies and trial data from the Murdock research plots, serving farmer members with regionally validated recommendations.
• Crop Insurance (MPCI and Hail) In-house Multi-Peril Crop Insurance (MPCI) and Hail Insurance services offered to farmer members to manage production risk.
• Financing Programs (CHS, John Deere Financial, Secure) Crop input financing programs available to farmer members through CHS Financial Services, John Deere Financial and Secure by WinField United, plus an internal charge account.
• Propane Delivery Leading propane delivery service in West Central Minnesota for homes, farms and outdoor activities, with monitored tank options to prevent run-outs.
• Refined Fuels (Cenex Gasoline and Diesel) Licensed Cenex-distributed gasoline and diesel fuels including Cenex RoadMaster XL, Ruby FieldMaster and WinterMaster, sold to farms, businesses and consumers across West Central Minnesota.
• Lubricants (Cenex) Full line of Cenex lubricants covering industrial hydraulic fluids, heavy-duty diesel engine oils, tractor fluids and related products, distributed as part of the Energy division.
• Racing Fuels (E-98 and E85) High-octane racing fuels including E-98 and E85 for racing applications requiring faster ignition and higher horsepower.
• Monitored Tank Service Remote tank monitoring service for Farm Gas, Diesel and LP that alerts customers when fuel levels are low, available to Energy customers.
• Livestock Feed and Bird Seed Feed mill services supplying livestock feed products, bird seed and bagged feed from the De Graff facility and additional locations, available online and in-store.
• Grain Marketing and Elevator Services Grain marketing and elevator services providing cash bids, futures, contract options, harvest policy and market commentary for corn, soybeans, wheat and other crops, helping patrons navigate volatile grain markets.
• Convenience Store (C-Store) and Deli Convenience store and deli at the Benson location offering 24-7 fuel, convenience items, and prepared foods including Godfather's Pizza, Champs Chicken, Teco's tacos, burgers, salads, sandwiches, breakfast items and seasonal soups.
• Grower360 Online Customer Portal Online customer portal that lets grower members view their account balance, grain assembly sheets, field plans and other cooperative account information.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WinField UnitedcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001WinField United provides the Answer Plot program - a year-round resource for local agronomic, seed and crop protection expertise, strategies, and the latest information and data. Glacial Plains hosts a regional Answer Plot at the Murdock location for local agronomic research and trials.
• CenexcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlacial Plains is a licensed Cenex distributor carrying their branded premium fuel line including Cenex RoadMaster XL, Ruby FieldMaster, WinterMaster diesel fuels, and full line of Cenex lubricants.
• Godfather's PizzaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGodfather's Pizza is served at the Benson C-Store deli. Online ordering available through godfathers.com.
• Champs ChickenminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChamps Chicken is served at the Benson C-Store deli alongside other food items.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• MFA Incorporated: Midwestern regional agricultural cooperative operating grain, agronomy, energy, and feed services across Missouri and surrounding states; closely comparable size, cooperative structure, and service mix to Glacial Plains.
• Ag Processing Inc (AGP): Cooperative-owned grain processing and marketing company serving Upper Midwest farmer-members; comparable grain origination, handling, and cooperative governance model to Glacial Plains' grain division.
• Growmark: Major regional agricultural cooperative serving Midwest and Mid-Atlantic farmers with crop inputs, grain, energy, and feed services; highly comparable business model and service mix to Glacial Plains.
• Pro Cooperative: Iowa-based regional agricultural cooperative providing grain, agronomy, and energy services to farmer-members; similar size and service mix to Glacial Plains serving an adjacent Upper Midwest geography.
• CHS Inc. Largest US agricultural cooperative operating grain, agronomy, energy, and food processing divisions serving farmers across multiple states; the closest direct competitor running the same multi-division cooperative model as Glacial Plains.
• Central Valley Ag: Nebraska-based agricultural cooperative offering grain, agronomy, and energy services; comparable multi-division co-op structure serving farmers in the central US grain belt.
• Heartland Co-op: Iowa-based regional agricultural cooperative providing grain, agronomy, and energy services to farmer-members; similar regional co-op model serving Upper Midwest crop producers.

Broad incumbents

• Land O'Lakes: Large member-owned cooperative that owns WinField United (Glacial Plains' agronomy partner) and Purina animal nutrition; broader portfolio but directly overlapping crop inputs, seed, and feed categories.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/glacialplains
• Facebookfacebook.com/GlacialPlainsCooperative
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/glacial-plains-cooperative

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Glacial Plains Cooperative