Over the course of 40 years, plenty of changes typically take place in the business world. One-time corporate behemoths such as Sears, Kodak, and Blockbuster Video have gone from being ranked No. 1 in their respective marketplaces to bankrupt and barely remembered over the span of that time.
Headquarters: Maumee, OH 1984 Sales: Over $80 Million 2001 Rank: No. 29 2001 Sales: $25-$49 Million 2023 Rank: No. 32 2023 Sales: $151-$200 Million
Headquarters: Columbia, MO 1984 Sales: Over $80 Million 2001 Rank: No. 13 2001 Sales: $100-$499 Million 2023 Rank: No. 8 2023 Sales: $201 Million to $1 Billion Pictured is MFA’s facility in Albany, MO.
(as Western Farm Services and Crop Production Services in 1984) Headquarters: Loveland, CO 1984 Sales: Over $80 Million 2001 Rank: No. 7 and No. 10 2001 Sales: $100-$500 Million+ 2023 Rank: No. 1 2023 Sales: Over $1 Billion Pictured is an aerial view of Nutrien Ag Solutions in Holdrege, NE. Photo: Stueve Construction
Headquarters: Bloomington, IL 1984 Sales: Over $80 Million 2001 Rank: No. 4 2001 Sales: Over $500 Million 2023 Rank: No. 3 2023 Sales: Over $1 Billion
Headquarters: Boise, ID 1984 Sales: Over $80 Million 2001 Rank: No. 10 2001 Sales: $100-$498 Million 2023 Rank: No. 4 2023 Sales: Over $1 Billion Pictured is Simplot Grower Solutions’ facility in St. Anthony, ID. Photo courtesy of Marcus Construction
Headquarters: Frederick, MD 1984 Sales: Over $80 Million 2001 Rank: No. 57 2001 Sales: $15-$24.9 Million 2023 Rank: No. 61 2023 Sales: $51-$100 Million
(as Cenex in 1984) Headquarters: Inver Grove Heights, MN 1984 Sales: Over $80 Million 2001 Rank: Not ranked 2023 Rank: No. 6 2023 Sales: Over $1 Billion
(as Ranch Fertilizer in 1984) Headquarters: Fort Pierce, FL 1984 Sales: Over $50 Million 2001 Rank: No. 20 2001 Sales: $50-$99 Million 2023 Rank: No. 46 2023 Sales: $101-$150 Million Pictured is Diamond R. Fertilizer’s East Palatka, FL facility.
Headquarters: Colfax, WA 1984 Sales: Over $20 Million 2001 Rank: No. 19 2001 Sales: $50-$99 Million 2023 Rank: No. 24 2023 Sales: $201 Million to $1 Billion Pictured are Chairman Alex McGregor (left) and President Ian McGregor, who represents the fourth generation involved with the company. Photo courtesy of The McGregor Company.
Headquarters: Clinton, WI 1984 Sales: Over $20 Million 2001 Rank: No. 53 2001 Sales: $15-$24.9 Million 2023 Rank: No. 34 2023 Sales: $151-$200 Million
Headquarters: Effingham, IL 1984 Sales: Over $20 Million 2001 Rank: No. 31 2001 Sales: $25-$49 Million 2023 Rank: No. 16 2023 Sales: $201 Million to $1 Billion
Headquarters: Springfield, IL 1984 Sales: Over $10 Million 2001 Rank: No. 47 2001 Sales: $15-$24.9 Million 2023 Rank: No. 21 2023 Sales: $201 Million to $1 Billion
Headquarters: Orlando, FL 1984 Sales: Over $20 Million 2001 Rank: Not ranked 2023 Rank: No. 58 2023 Sales: $101-$150 Million
Headquarters: Walnut Ridge, AR 1984 Sales: Over $10 Million 2001 Rank: No. 52 2001 Sales: $15-$24.9 Million 2023 Rank: No. 77 2023 Sales: $26-$50 Million
Headquarters: Frostproof, FL 1984 Sales: Over $10 Million 2001 Rank: No. 45 2001 Sales: $25-$49 Million 2023 Rank: No. 78 2023 Sales: $26-$50 Million
Headquarters: Greensberg, IN 1984 Sales: Over $10 Million 2001 Rank: No. 33 2001 Sales: $25-$49 Million 2023 Rank: No. 38 2023 Sales: $151-$200 Million Pictured is the fourth generation of the Reed family working for the Kova Ag Team. Photo credit: Kova
Headquarters: Hills, IA 1984 Sales: Over $10 Million 2001 Rank: No. 65 2001 Sales: $15-$24.9 Million 2023 Rank: No. 81 2023 Sales: $26-$50 Million
In the agricultural world, too, this phenomenon is also in play. Indeed, looking through a December 1984 copy of Farm Chemicals magazine (which contained the first CropLife 100 listings), observers will find ads for long-gone crop protection product manufacturers such as Shell Chemical Co., Rhone-Poulenc, USS Agri-Chemicals, and Cyanamid. This also extends into the equipment space as well.
And in truth, the CropLife 100 isn’t immune to this trend. Since that first listing appeared back in December 1984, 83 companies ranked on the 2023 CropLife 100 are different than the ones that appeared 40 years ago. However, there are 17 companies on this year’s CropLife 100 list of the nation’s top ag retailers that were also present during the first rankings from 1984. A few of these are now doing business under different names (due to mergers or corporate name changes along the way), but these ag retailers still can trace at least part of their histories back to that first CropLife 100 publication.
In the slideshow above, we feature the “original 17” ag retailers by comparing how they rank today vs. that very first appearance on the very first CropLife 100.
