Uniag Cooperative and Sollio Agriculture have joined forces to create the Sollio & Uniag Cooperative Agriculture joint venture, officially effective since Nov. 1.
New synergies for agricultural families to thrive
Napierville, November 8th 2021 – Uniag Cooperative and Sollio Agriculture have joined forces to create the Sollio & Uniag Cooperative Agriculture joint venture, officially effective since Nov. 1. Over the past few years, the two organizations have worked to bring together all of Uniag Cooperative’s agricultural activities in a one-step business model to better support agricultural families in the western Montérégie and eastern Ontario.
In addition to his position as Uniag Cooperative’s General Manager, Mr. Jean-Sébastien Leblanc assumes the general management of the partnership. In his role at Sollio & Uniag Cooperative Agriculture, Mr. Leblanc works with Mr. Casper Kaastra, CEO of Sollio Agriculture, to ensure the sustainability of their sectors and to remain among the leaders in the industry. The governance of the agricultural partnership is conducted by a board of directors composed of representatives from both entities, who ensure that the interests of members in their various sectors of activity are served in both Ontario and Quebec.
Synergies at the service of agricultural members
“As did other large cooperatives in our network, we have implemented a partnership that allows us to bring Uniag Cooperative members closer to our wholesaler, Sollio Agriculture, in an innovative business model, without intermediaries. This is an important step in the ongoing evolution of our organization, creating even more value for farm families. We are proud to put the strength of Canada’s largest agricultural network within reach of every producer,” said Jean-Sébastien Leblanc, General Manager of Uniag Cooperative and Sollio & Uniag Cooperative Agriculture.
“It is with great pride and enthusiasm that we created Sollio & Uniag Cooperative Agriculture. Sollio Agriculture’s role is to listen to retailers and farmers to continually ensure the relevance of our offering: supply expertise and agronomic knowledge sharing,” says Casper Kaastra, CEO, Sollio Agriculture. “That’s why we are putting all our energies together in this partnership, which will create increased value for Quebec and Ontario farms.”
“Our priority is to respond to the concerns of our members while keeping a close relationship with them and our customers. Thanks to this partnership, Uniag Cooperative has given itself the means to achieve its ambitions and benefits from a competitive position on its territory. The result: greater efficiency, agility and profitability. We are now in a position to meet the needs of farmers who wish to have high quality inputs at a competitive price,” said Sylvain Brault, President of the new Sollio & Uniag Cooperative Agriculture partnership and President of Uniag Cooperative.
From left to right : Jean-Sébastien Leblanc, General Manager of Sollio & Uniag Cooperative Agriculture, Casper Kaastra, CEO of Sollio Agriculture and Sylvain Brault, President of Sollio & Uniag Cooperative Agriculture