Select Sires Inc., five other cooperatives vote to unify as Select Sires Cooperative

The boards of directors of Select Sires Inc., based in Plain City, Ohio, and five other member cooperatives have voted to unify into Select Sires Cooperative Inc.

Other voting cooperatives include All West/Select Sires, CentralStar Cooperative Inc., COBA/Select Sires Inc., Select Sires MidAmerica Inc., and Minnesota Select Sires Co-op, Inc. The vote still needs to be ratified by member-owners or delegates of each cooperative before the unification is official.

“The decision to unify is going to be a pivotal force for Select Sires. We have had a tremendous history of success, but we can’t lean on our laurels,” said Dorothy Harms, chair of the Select Sires Inc. board of directors. “We must move forward, look to the future and make changes to secure our position as the industry leader.”

All six member cooperatives agreed to a unification study in 2016 that would assess the benefits and risks of unification. Premier Select was the only vote that did not agree to unification, but the cooperative will still remain a member of Select Sires Cooperative Inc. and have access to their programs.

Select Sires emphasized that member-owners will continue to receive the same level of service throughout the unification process. They also said the unification will bring broader opportunities and connections to member-owners as the cooperative network expands, including cost pooling for resources that allows for valuable investment without raising costs on farmer-owners.

"As a unified cooperative, Select Sires will continue the tradition of excellence while maintaining grassroots leadership and holding the success of farmer-owners and employees above all else," a press release said.