Central Ontario FS
Central Ontario FS is a Guelph-based retail cooperative division of GROWMARK, Inc. providing agronomy inputs, energy products (fuels, lubricants, propane), and grain marketing services to farmers and businesses across Central and Southwestern Ontario through 20+ service locations and the FAST STOP fuel network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2024
- HeadquartersGuelph, Canada
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Central Ontario FS does
Central Ontario FS is a retail cooperative division of GROWMARK, Inc., headquartered in Guelph, Ontario, providing agronomy, energy, and grain marketing products and services to farmers and businesses across Central and Southwestern Ontario. The company was formed on September 1, 2024 through the combination of two GROWMARK retail divisions: FS PARTNERS (agronomy and grain) and UPI Energy FS (energy products and services). It serves local farmer-producers, commercial fleet operators, and residential homeowners through more than 20 service locations, the FAST STOP fuel network of 100+ Ontario locations, the IPN cardlock network of approximately 70 sites, and 24/7 propane delivery. Core agronomy offerings span seed (corn, wheat, soybean varieties), crop protection (herbicides, insecticides), and crop nutrients sourced from major suppliers including Nutrien, Yara, Mosaic, Koch, BASF, Bayer, Corteva, Syngenta, FMC, and UPL. Energy offerings include refined and renewable fuels, lubricants, propane for residential and commercial use, and the FAST STOP fuel card program. Grain marketing is delivered in partnership with Great Lakes Grain, and the entity holds 4R Nutrient Stewardship certification at five locations (Ayr, Delhi, Drayton, Elmvale, Mitchell).
The underlying technology stack centers on the myFS Solution Centre, a digital account-management platform enabling bookings, transaction history, service management, and instant alerts across devices. Agronomic decision-support is delivered through Precision Agriculture services that combine soil testing, crop removal data, field history, yield goals, and site-specific fertility recommendations under the 4R Nutrient Stewardship framework. As a member of the GROWMARK FS System — a cooperative network serving more than 40 U.S. states plus Ontario — Central Ontario FS inherits shared technology platforms, procurement leverage, and the FS brand. Sub-brands include FAST STOP (fuel stations), FS Propane, GreenYard (turf seed), and myFS Solution Centre. The company has distributed $12.4 million in patronage to local farmer-members since 2012 under a no-annual-fee membership model.
The business model is multi-stream retail revenue: one-time sales of agronomy inputs (seed, crop protection, crop nutrients), transactional revenue from fuels, lubricants, propane delivery, and the FAST STOP fuel card, plus transaction-fee grain marketing through the Great Lakes Grain partnership. Patronage distributions to farmer-members function as a recurring cooperative profit-sharing mechanic. The go-to-market is sales-led, anchored by crop specialists and energy specialists at branch locations, supplemented by the myFS digital platform and direct delivery. Membership in the GROWMARK FS System provides purchasing scale, technology, and operational support that would be uneconomic to replicate independently. An announced July 2026 acquisition of Haley's Elevator Inc. (Burford, Ontario) extends grain origination into Brant, Norfolk, and Oxford Counties in conjunction with Great Lakes Grain.
Central Ontario FS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Central Ontario FS
- Legal name
- Central Ontario FS, a division of GROWMARK, Inc.
- Website
- https://centralontariofs.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2024
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Central Ontario FS is a Guelph-based retail cooperative division of GROWMARK, Inc. providing agronomy inputs, energy products (fuels, lubricants, propane), and grain marketing services to farmers and businesses across Central and Southwestern Ontario through 20+ service locations and the FAST STOP fuel network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Central Ontario FS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Agricultural Supply and Energy Distribution
- NAICS
- Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating (115112), Natural Gas Distribution (2212), Oilseed and Grain Farming (1111)
- SIC
- Agricultural Services (700), Natural Gas Distribution (4924)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fertilizer Distribution, Storage & Terminals (Warehousing, Depots, Import/Export Terminals) (AFABABAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Carbon, Sustainability & MRV Services for Farms (Baseline, Monitoring, Reporting, Verification) (AFACACAK), Grain & Agri-Bulk Terminals (Elevators, Silos, Feed Grains) (TLAHABAD)
Keywords
Where Central Ontario FS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Guelph
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Central Ontario FS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Agronomy Products and Services: Sale of seed, crop protection products, and crop nutrients to farmers, along with agronomic advisory services
- Energy Products: Sale of fuels, lubricants, and propane to residential, commercial, and agricultural customers
- Grain Marketing: Grain marketing services through Great Lakes Grain partnership, helping farmers market their grain production
- FAST STOP Fuel Card Program: Fuel card services for commercial and agricultural customers with monthly billing
- Membership/Patronage Program: Cooperative structure with patronage distribution to farmer members - $12.4M distributed since 2012
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels3 records
Central Ontario FS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Central Ontario FS is a farmer-owned agricultural cooperative that supplies agronomy inputs (seed, crop protection, crop nutrients), energy products (fuels, lubricants, propane), and grain marketing services to farmers, commercial fleets, and residential customers across Central and Southwestern Ontario. It also operates the FAST STOP fuel station network and a digital myFS Solution Centre platform for account management and agronomy insights.
Product overview
Central Ontario FS offers a comprehensive portfolio of agricultural and energy products and services. The core offering spans agronomy solutions including seed, crop protection, and crop nutrients (macronutrients, micronutrients, enhanced efficiency products) from suppliers like Koch, Mosaic, NutriAg, Alpine, Nutrien, and Yara. Energy products include fuels, lubricants, and propane for residential and commercial use. The company operates FAST STOP gas stations (100+ locations) and the GreenYard turf seed sub-brand. The myFS Solution Centre platform enables account management, order tracking, and service delivery. The company serves Central and Southwestern Ontario farmers through 20+ service locations, with grain marketing coordinated through Great Lakes Grain partnership.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- GreenYard: Grass seed blends for use in home lawns and turf products
- FAST STOP
- FS Propane
- myFS Solution Centre
Products and services
- Agronomy Products (Seed, Crop Protection, Crop Nutrients) Seed, crop protection, and crop nutrient products supplied to farmers in Central and Southwestern Ontario, supported by agronomy expertise and 4R Nutrient Stewardship practices.
- Precision Agriculture Services Data-driven agronomy services for farmers that integrate 4R Nutrient Stewardship, field-level insights, and precision tools to optimize input use and yield.
- Energy Products (Fuels, Additives, Lubricants) Bulk fuels, fuel additives, and lubricants supplied to commercial fleet operators and farmers across the service network.
- Propane Delivery Residential and commercial propane delivery for home heating, outdoor living, and agribusiness needs across Central and Southwestern Ontario.
- FAST STOP Gas Stations Cardlock and retail fuel stations providing fuel access to commercial fleets and the public, including the FAST STOP fuel card program.
- FAST STOP Fuel Card Program Fuel card program offering fleet customers transaction access, account management, and reporting across FAST STOP stations.
- Grain Marketing Services Grain marketing services for farmers, delivered through the Great Lakes Grain partnership, providing access to grain buyers and market expertise.
- GreenYard Turf Seeds Turf seed products sold to residential and commercial customers for lawn and turf establishment.
- myFS Solution Centre Online customer portal enabling account management, agronomy data, and service access for farm and commercial customers.
- Cooperative Membership / Patronage Program Membership in the GROWMARK cooperative system providing farmer-owners with patronage rebates and governance representation.
Quantifiable outcome
- Greenhouse gas emissions reduced by up to 75 percent using UAN with nitrification inhibitors at corn eighth-leaf stage
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Central Ontario FS
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Central Ontario FS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Central Ontario FS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Great Lakes GraincoreStrategic partnership for grain marketing services. Great Lakes Grain is a grain merchandising company operating elevator facilities. Central Ontario FS provides grain marketing services in partnership with Great Lakes Grain, serving Brant, Norfolk and Oxford Counties through the Haley's Elevator acquisition.
- GROWMARK, Inc.coreParent cooperative organization. Central Ontario FS is a retail division of GROWMARK, Inc. The company is part of the FS System network serving customers in more than 40 states and Ontario. GROWMARK provides technology platforms (myFS), operational support, and brand affiliation.
- Haley's Elevator Inc.coreAcquisition announced July 2026 for elevator located in Burford, Ontario. Will be operated with Great Lakes Grain to provide grain marketing services in Brant, Norfolk and Oxford Counties. Michael Haley will continue to operate the facility during transition.
- CleanfarmsminorNot-for-profit industry stewardship organization managing agricultural plastic and waste collection events for safe disposal of unused pesticides, empty containers, and more.
- Independent Petroleum Network (IPN)minorCanada's largest independent fueling network connecting self-serve cardlocks across Ontario. Nearly 70 cardlock locations.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Central Ontario FS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- CHS Inc. CHS is a large US-based farmer-owned cooperative with energy, agronomy, and grain businesses. As a cooperative with energy (propane, fuels), agronomy (crop nutrients, seed), and grain operations, CHS operates at significantly larger scale but follows a directly comparable member-owned retail cooperative structure to Central Ontario FS.
- Cargill: Cargill is one of the largest agricultural merchants globally, with grain origination and marketing operations that overlap with Central Ontario FS's grain marketing business through Great Lakes Grain. While Cargill operates at vastly larger scale and across geographies, its grain merchandising activities are comparable.
- GROWMARK, Inc. GROWMARK is the parent regional cooperative of Central Ontario FS, serving member-owners across 40+ US states and Ontario with agronomy, energy, and grain systems. While Central Ontario FS is a division, GROWMARK's broader FS System defines its strategic, technological, and procurement context, making it the most structurally comparable organization.
Direct peers
- Nutrien Ag Solutions: Nutrien Ag Solutions is the retail arm of Nutrien, the world's largest crop input provider. It is the most direct competitor to Central Ontario FS, offering seed, crop protection, crop nutrients, and digital agronomy services to North American farmers through a similarly extensive branch network.
- Helena Agri-Enterprises: Helena Agri-Enterprises is a US-based distributor of crop protection, crop nutrition, seed, and precision agriculture products and services. Its combination of proprietary specialty fertilizer formulations, agronomic advisory, and retailer-distributed model closely parallels Central Ontario FS's agronomy offering.
- Wilbur-Ellis: Wilbur-Ellis is a US/Canadian ag retailer providing crop protection, crop nutrition, seed, and precision agriculture services through retail branches. Its multi-line agricultural retail model closely matches Central Ontario FS's agronomy business, including the production and distribution of branded specialty fertilizer products.
- WinField United (Land O'Lakes): WinField United is the crop inputs and insights business of Land O'Lakes, a major US farmer-owned cooperative. It retails seed, crop protection, crop nutrients, and prescription agronomy services through a network of locally-owned retailers in a model highly analogous to the FS System and Central Ontario FS's agronomy offering.
- Great Lakes Grain: Great Lakes Grain is a Canadian grain merchandising company operating elevator facilities and is the explicit strategic partner of Central Ontario FS for grain marketing services. It shares co-operative origins, owns/operates the elevators, and provides the grain marketing capabilities that Central Ontario FS extends to its farmer-members.
Others
- UPI (United Petroleum Inc. / UPI Energy FS): UPI Energy FS was one of the predecessor divisions merged in 2024 to form Central Ontario FS, focused on energy products and services. While now consolidated, UPI and similar Canadian fuel distributors (e.g., Superior Propane) provide the closest historical peer reference for the propane and fuel card business carried into Central Ontario FS.
- IPN (Independent Petroleum Network): IPN is Canada's largest independent fueling network with nearly 70 cardlock locations across Ontario, and is a channel partner of Central Ontario FS for the FAST STOP fuel card program. As a co-marketing partner in fuel distribution and fleet card services, IPN is a directly comparable Canadian fuel network operator.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Central Ontario FS social profiles
Digital presenceCentral Ontario FS compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Central Ontario FS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Central Ontario FS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Central Ontario FS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Central Ontario FS M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Central Ontario FS
What does Central Ontario FS do?
Central Ontario FS is a farmer-owned agricultural cooperative that supplies agronomy inputs (seed, crop protection, crop nutrients), energy products (fuels, lubricants, propane), and grain marketing services to farmers, commercial fleets, and residential customers across Central and Southwestern Ontario. It also operates the FAST STOP fuel station network and a digital myFS Solution Centre platform for account management and agronomy insights.
Is Central Ontario FS a public or private company?
Central Ontario FS is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Central Ontario FS founded?
Central Ontario FS was founded in 2024. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Central Ontario FS based?
Central Ontario FS is headquartered in Guelph, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Central Ontario FS make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Agronomy Products and Services are the primary driver. The others are energy Products, grain Marketing, FAST STOP Fuel Card Program and membership/Patronage Program.
Who are Central Ontario FS's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are CHS Inc., Cargill and GROWMARK, Inc.. Direct peers are Nutrien Ag Solutions, Helena Agri-Enterprises, Wilbur-Ellis, WinField United (Land O'Lakes) and Great Lakes Grain. Others are UPI (United Petroleum Inc. / UPI Energy FS) and IPN (Independent Petroleum Network).
Does Central Ontario FS have an API?
No public API is recorded for Central Ontario FS.
What industry is Central Ontario FS in?
Central Ontario FS's product category is Agricultural Supply and Energy Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFABABAJ, Fertilizer Distribution, Storage & Terminals (Warehousing, Depots, Import/Export Terminals), with a secondary code of AFACACAK, Carbon, Sustainability & MRV Services for Farms (Baseline, Monitoring, Reporting, Verification). Its NAICS code is 115112 and its SIC code is 700.