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Northern Seeds new owners have big plans |
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Wednesday, 25 July 2007 |
Effect July 19, the seed conditioning plants of Northern Seed Service in Pondera County and of Columbia Grains International in Conrad will be operated by a new entity, Northern Seed, LLC.
“We are bullish on the long-term potential of agricultural crops in the Golden Triangle and they are going to need quality seeds to compete,” says Ron Ueland, a partner in Northern Seed, LLC.
He went on to add, “We are very pleased to announce that we have purchased the former Northern Seed Service, Inc. business from Dave Howard, and are even more pleased to announce that we were able to retain him to manage this new strategy.”
The new entity has also entered into an agreement to take control of the former Columbia Grains seed conditioning plant in Conrad.
This site will give the new business additional capacity to meet the producer’s needs. Northern Seed, LLC is a partnership formed by Barkley Ag Enterprises and Ueland Family, LP.
Barkley Ag Enterprise is based in Yuma, Ariz. And has other interests in Montana, including majority interest in WestBred, LLC, and the Montana based research and development company of small grains.
Ueland Family, LP is based in Butte, also has other Montana investments, including Intercontinental Truck Body, based in Conrad.
The affiliated research company, WestBred, LLC, is based in Bozeman and is planning on launching a number of new lines of seeds over time for this market, and will need a relationship with a strategic seed production company in the Conrad area.
“The capacity of these two seed facilities gives them that strategic option,” said Ueland.
“With the advent of our ‘BG Barley’ line for health foods, bio-fuels crops, quality malt barley, and higher demands on the quality of traditional wheat, we will need these resources to help farmers take advantage of these opportunities,” Ueland stated.
It was also noted that WestBred, LLC is committed to contributing its strong licensing program through an Associate Seed Dealers network, of which Northern Seed, LLC will be one.
Howard will manage the combined operations of the former Columbia Grain Seeds and Northern Seed, Inc.
“He has over 30 years experience in the seed industry and has done a great job of running is own business for many years,” Ueland noted
“Now, with added resources, we hope to be able to offer the producers more capacity and variety with the two facilities,” he added.
Dustin Erickson and Tony Watson, two veterans of the seed industry, have been employed to manage the two individual conditioning plants, both of which are operational now.
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