By Jolene Farley
Shareholders in Hills-Beaver Creek Farm Service voted Monday to merge with New Vision Co-op, Worthington.
"It passed. We had a wonderful turnout," said Hills-Beaver Creek Co-op Farm Service Board President Allen Fick, Beaver Creek. "We had 80 percent of the votes returned, 95 percent of those in favor."
The merger will occur on March 1.
Three members of the Hills-Beaver Creek Farm Service board will be added as associate members on the New Vision Co-op board until December, according to New Vision Co-op manager Frank McDowell.
New Vision membership will vote at their annual meeting to add another district to their current four membership districts.
If the vote passes, one board member from the new district will be elected to the current ten-member board.
"I think that the Hills-Beaver Creek Board is to be commended," McDowell said. "They made kind of a visionary move going with a bigger company."
McDowell said making the jump over smaller neighboring co-ops took courage. The merger passing is a testament to the work the board and employees did informing the voters.
A merger with 94 percent voter approval has never happened in Minnesota before, according to McDowell.
The lagging farm economy and a general economic slowdown were instrumental in the board’s unanimous decision to put the matter up for a vote.
"I don’t know of any real big changes right upfront," said Hills-Beaver Creek Co-op Farm Service Interim Manager Dave Broesder. "They can continue to do business at each location as they have in the past."
New Vision will honor contracts made with the current co-op for fertilizer and chemical purchases after the merger, according to Fick.
In May 1993 the Beaver Creek Cooperative Elevator merged with the Hills Cooperative Farm Service. The new company became the Hills-Beaver Creek Co-op Farm Service.
