Ag retailers have always relied heavily on their state associations to stay on top of the latest regulations and legislative news to ensure they are in fertilizer and pesticide compliance. From NH3 training and certification, to the dicamba FAQs, these groups have assisted the crop production supply and service industry in promoting the sound stewardship and use of agricultural inputs.
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Woolsey Brothers Farm Supply
Illinois rank: No. 8
CropLife 100 rank: No. 100
Headquarters: Vandalia, IL
Organization type: Independent Local Dealership
2020 Revenue: <$25 million
Profile: Woolsey Brothers Farm Supply Inc. provides chemicals, portable buildings, farm equipment, and farm supplies to Vandalia, IL.
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Allerton Supply Co.
Illinois rank: No. 7 CropLife 100 rank: No. 91 Headquarters: Allerton, IL Organization type: Independent Local Dealership 2020 Revenue: Less than $25 million Profile: Allerton Supply Co. serves a seven county area surrounding Allerton, IL, providing fertilizer, crop protection chemicals, seed, precision ag services and custom application. The company strives to improve the performance of its customers farming operations thru professional employees, quality products, services and information.
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B and D Chemical
Illinois rank: No. 6 CropLife 100 rank: No. 86
Headquarters: Cullom, IL
Organization type: Independent Local Dealership 2020 Revenue: $26-$50 million Profile: B and D Chemical, Inc. was started in 2004 by Brandon Grubbs and Darrell Haag of Cullom, IL. Located in the heart of Illinois’ corn and soybean production area, B and D Chemical specializes in agriculture chemical sales, liquid fertilizers, and agronomy.
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Pearl City Elevator
Illinois rank: No. 5 CropLife 100 rank: No. 82 Headquarters: Lena, IL Organization type: Cooperative 2020 Revenue: $26-$50 million Profile: In business more than 90 years, Pearl City Elevator works with its customers to develop marketing options for the crops they produced, ensuring the local producers of necessary input products and manufacturing feed for the livestock raised.
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United Prairie
Illinois rank: No. 4 CropLife 100 rank: No. 30 Headquarters: Tolono, IL Organization type: Independent Local Dealership 2020 Revenue: $101-$200 million Profile:United Prairie was formed in 1996, when Unity Grain and Grand Prairie Cooperative combined their crop production divisions in order to serve their customers more efficiently.
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BRANDT
Illinois rank: No. 3 CropLife 100 rank: No. 25 Headquarters: Springfield, IL Organization type: Independent Local Dealership 2020 Revenue: $101-$200 million Profile: BRANDT’s product portfolio offers customers greater control against the uncertainties of nature. It was founded to help farmers mitigate the risks inherent in nature.
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Effingham Equity
Illinois rank: No. 2 CropLife 100 rank: No. 17 Headquarters: Effingham, IL Organization type: Cooperative 2020 Revenue: $201 million-$1 billion Profile: One of the largest independent agricultural cooperatives in Illinois, Effingham Equity offers a broad range of products to fulfill our customers needs: Agronomy, Grain Services, Feed & Livestock, Petroleum, Hardware & Supplies.
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GROWMARK
Illinois rank: No. 1 CropLife 100 rank: No. 4
Headquarters: Bloomington, IL
Organization type: Cooperative 2020 Revenue: More than $1 Billion Profile: GROWMARK is a cooperative organization based in Bloomington, IL. Its shareholders are those who use our products and services.
One state association that has been a leading influencer on legislative and regulatory policies for ag retailers has been the Illinois Fertilizer & Chemical Association (IFCA). Led by the recently retired President Jean Payne, IFCA has made a number of contributions to the industry over the last 20-plus years, including hours of service exemption, halting ammonia theft, addressing water quality issues, and establishing outstanding ammonia, applicator, and grain training facilities with the Asmark Institute.
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Illinois ag retailers have benefited greatly from these accomplishments, most notably some of the largest organizations in the state. In the 2020 CropLife100ranking of the largest U.S. ag retailers, eight companies are headquartered in Illinois (third most of any state). These range from smaller independent dealerships like Woolsey Brothers Farm Supply (ranked No. 100 overall), to larger cooperatives such as GROWMARK (No. 4). To find out all of the Illinois-based companies that made the list (in reverse order of sales) — with a HUGE assist from IFCA — view the slideshow.
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Editor’s note: Companies included in the CropLife 100 listings were limited to independent dealerships and cooperatives that offer fertilizer, crop protection, seed, and custom application services. Figures do not include a host of services, such as data management, consulting/scouting, or grain elevator revenue. Dealerships and cooperatives are ranked in order by total sales in their respective sales group.
3358 Illinois Ag Retailers Ranked Among the CropLife 100
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In today’s complex and fast-paced crop production sector, the team at CROPLIFE keeps 21,000 agricultural retailers, distributors and their suppliers up to date on such decidedly 21st century issues as seed technology, biotechnology, precision agriculture, customer service and retention, and business management. See all author stories here.
