Jeff Troike and Kevin Still of Keystone Cooperative

Keystone Cooperative will serve customers in Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and Illinois. It will have four core divisions, including energy, agronomy, grain, and swine and animal nutrition. Keystone will employ over 1,700 team members throughout the states served, with expected annual revenue of $3 billion.

The boards have chosen Kevin Still, current president and CEO of Co-Alliance, to hold the same positions at Keystone. Ceres Solutions current CEO Jeff Troike will become the executive vice president of Keystone alongside Co-Alliance’s current executive vice president Scott Logue.

(Editor’s note: Kevin Still served as general manager of the former Pulaski County Farm Bureau Co-op in the 1980s. Jeff Troike grew up on a farm in Starke County. Both have worked their way up through the agriculture cooperative system for the past 40 years.)

“Keystone Cooperative brings together two financially strong, legacy-rich and highly successful cooperatives. This historic merger creates a cooperative that is equipped to navigate the ever-changing markets of today’s agriculture and energy industries,” said Still. “This powerful combination will build a cooperative that maximizes efficiencies, capitalizes on technology, and has the resources to enhance our customer experience while preparing for the needs of our future stakeholders,” he added.

“Our membership has recognized the value of this combination, and we are looking forward to achieving our promise of a cooperative that is focused on the success of our members, the vitality of our rural communities, and providing an unparalleled return for our farmer-owners,” Troike said.

This merger announcement comes after a thorough due diligence process and the collaborative joint venture, Endeavor Ag & Energy, which serves Central Michigan in agronomy, propane and feed.

Rick Brubaker, chairman of Ceres board of directors, underscored the value of the merger, saying, “Our successful partnership with the Endeavor business in Michigan helped exhibit the collaborative capacity of our organizations. We look forward to seeing this team find even more synergies with our broader businesses.”

Tim Burke, chairman of Co-Alliance board of directors, affirmed the merger opportunity, stating, “This merger is a testament to our shared vision and unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional value to our customers.

Together we will create a stronger, more resilient cooperative that will remain successful for our future generations.”

Keystone Cooperative will be headquartered in Indianapolis.

Co-Alliance Cooperative, Inc. is a member-owned supply and marketing operation delivering innovative solutions for farmer-members and customers across Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan specializing in agronomy, propane, fuels, grain, seed, hog production, and feed. The customer-focused company strives to deliver on its collective mission to lead with people and technology, grow profitably, give back locally, and remember its cooperative roots.

Ceres Solutions Cooperative, Inc. is a 100 percent farmer-owned local cooperative, headquartered in Crawfordsville, that serves customers across 37 counties in Indiana and Michigan. The business strives to build long-term relationships and add value through a comprehensive line of energy, agronomy, seed and feed products and services. More than 750 experienced Ceres Solutions team members are focused daily on delivering service, stewardship and innovation to earn and keep customer trust.