Local cooperatives Effingham-Clay Service Company, Effingham, Illinois, and Wabash Valley Service Company, Grayville, Illinois, announced today that they have finalized a partnership with regional cooperative GROWMARK, Inc., Bloomington, Illinois, to form Total Grain Marketing (TGM), LLC. The partnership creates one of the largest cooperative grain operations in Illinois.

TGM, LLC includes the former assets of Huisinga Grain, Inc., and Willow Hill Grain, Inc., recently purchased by GROWMARK. Effingham-Clay Service Company will integrate its current grain operations with those of TGM, LLC. Randy Handel, Effingham-Clay Service Co. general manager, will manage the day-to-day operations of the combined business.

Handel says, “Our partnership with Wabash Valley Service Company and GROWMARK provides access to more end-user markets, and strengthens the package of grain services we provide our producers.”

Wabash Valley Service Company will merge the Willow Hill plant food and crop production services into existing Wabash Valley Service operations.

“Our partnership with Effingham-Clay Service Company and GROWMARK strengthens our long-standing commitment to provide the best crop production products and recommendations for our members,” says Wabash Valley Service Company General Manager Todd Neibel.

GROWMARK Chief Executive Officer Bill Davisson adds, “This partnership is a result of the GROWMARK Member Partnering program, which benefits local producers, the member cooperative shareholders, and the shareholders of GROWMARK.”

Effingham-Clay Service Company serves the Illinois counties of Clay, Coles, Cumberland, Effingham, Marion, Moultrie, and Shelby with a wide array of grain marketing services, farm supply products, and related crop production services. More information is available at: www.effclayfs.com.  

Wabash Valley Service Company provides farm supply products and related crop production services in the Illinois counties of Crawford, Edwards, Gallatin, Hamilton, Jasper, Lawrence, Richland, Wabash, Wayne, and White. More information is available at: www.wabashvalleyfs.com. 

GROWMARK is a regional cooperative providing agriculture-related products and services and grain marketing in the Midwest. FS brand farm supplies and related services are also marketed to farmers in the northeastern United States and Ontario, Canada through local GROWMARK member cooperatives, and by GROWMARK subsidiaries. More information is available at www.growmark.com.