Aligned Ag Distributors

"Know your customers, meet their needs, and always follow through." That's the simple philosophy behind Carolina Eastern's success. Find out how the new Aligned Ag Distributors owner's commitment to customer service sets it apart. #CustomerFocus #Agriculture #Agronomy

We are thrilled to announce that Carolina Eastern, Inc., a well-respected agricultural business in the Southeast, has joined the AAD ownership group! With deep roots in agriculture and a commitment to innovation, Carolina Eastern shares the collaborative, independent spirit of all AAD owners. Welcome aboard, Carolina Eastern! Read more below.

The McGregor Company is adding a new level of service for irrigated crops with the acquisition of D&M Chem in Cowiche, Washington. The two now will team up to raise the bar for service to producers who raise irrigated apples, hops, blueberries and other key crops of the Inland Pacific Northwest. Upon joining The McGregor Company family business, the D&M Chem leadership team will continue to operate the 27-year-old company with an eye on further growth in the future. https://bit.ly/3IfOr3f

Practical innovation that solves grower-customers’ problems and enables them to be their best has been fundamental to Richvale, California-based Butte County Rice Growers Association’s (BUCRA) operations since day-one over a century ago. “I think always being a good steward of resources is a good policy,” says BUCRA President Carl Hoff. “We are always willing to look at how we can adjust how we manage our normal processes and business divisions. But we remain grounded in practical investment and delivering the right solutions to our growers.” That philosophy — specifically how it’s applied to key areas like technology and environmental sustainability — is a big reason BUCRA was ranked #65 in the 2023 Crop Life Top 100 list of the nation’s highest-performing ag retailers. https://bit.ly/3O68wwh

Crop production in the Mid-Atlantic region is a matter of constantly evolving and adapting. The area’s farmers know that, and so does Bob Willard, President of Frederick, Maryland-based Willard Agri-Service. That’s why he and the whole Willard team is driven by being proactive in ensuring they have the products, services and expertise customers need, when they need it. “Our growers have evolved and adapted. So, we’ve evolved and adapted,” says Willard, who serves as President alongside brother Billy, who's currently the company's CEO. “We have to be able to jump and react for our customers. They expect that from us, and we do everything we can to never let them down.” The application of that ethic to everything Willard Agri-Service does for its customers in the Mid-Atlantic is a big reason why the company was ranked #61 in the 2023 Crop Life Top 100 list of the nation’s highest-performing ag retailers. https://bit.ly/3Hl0trC

Though he’s been with the Linden, California-based ag retailer for three decades, Todd Hudelson is far from the most tenured team member at Mid Valley Agricultural Services, Inc. What’s made him so loyal to the company he now leads as CEO is a major part of why Mid Valley landed as #35 on the 2023 Crop Life Top 100 list of the nation’s highest-performing ag retailers. “Our culture is one of our strongest points, and we don’t want to change that. We’ve found it draws quality people from other companies — including our competitors — because of our reputation and people talking about it,” Hudelson says. “We’ve had some great people join our team even when we haven’t been looking. Good people are hard to find. When we bring them in, we certainly want to take care of them, and that’s why our culture is such a big area of focus for us.” https://bit.ly/4bb2Dbh

Memories of the Farm Crisis in the 1980s still linger in Roy Young’s mind. A farmer at the time, Young now leads Rupert, Idaho-based Land View, Inc., and those recollections do more than just occupy his memory bank. They are fundamental to how he leads the ag retailer that ranked #58 on the 2023 Crop Life Top 100 list of the nation’s highest-performing ag retailers. “We pride ourselves on being independent. We’ve always hung our hat on respect for the farmer, partnering with good businesspeople and helping them continue to be successful however we can. We’ll continue to do that,” Young says. “Our business has changed a lot, and we are always looking to embrace change so we’re always there for our customers.” Young prioritizes a businesslike approach in providing what similarly business-minded farmers need. And he sees what the Land View team of agronomists and specialists offer growers as not replacements for their expertise and experience, but complements to make them even more successful. https://bit.ly/3tXesRp

Though he’s been with the Linden, California-based ag retailer for three decades, Todd Hudelson is far from the most tenured team member at Mid Valley Agricultural Services, Inc. What’s made him so loyal to the company he now leads as CEO is a major part of why Mid Valley landed as #35 on the 2023 Crop Life Top 100 list of the nation’s highest-performing ag retailers. “Our culture is one of our strongest points, and we don’t want to change that. We’ve found it draws quality people from other companies — including our competitors — because of our reputation and people talking about it,” Hudelson says. “We’ve had some great people join our team even when we haven’t been looking. Good people are hard to find. When we bring them in, we certainly want to take care of them, and that’s why our culture is such a big area of focus for us.” https://bit.ly/4bb2Dbh

It’s now one of the last family-owned ag retailers in California’s San Joaquin Valley. What started as a grain warehouse in Bakersfield more than six decades ago is today Buttonwillow Warehouse Company, a full-service ag retailer guided by a fairly simple guiding principle as it evolves to maintain service for producers at its 12 locations. “You can never go wrong doing the right thing," says Buttonwillow CEO Clay Houchin, who's worked at his family's company for 21 years. "I have to make sure that I’m consistent, always transparent and truthful." That philosophy is universal across every member of the Buttonwillow team, and it’s a big reason why the company was named #28 on the 2023 Crop Life Top 100 list of the nation’s highest-performing ag retailers. https://bit.ly/3Hiffzg

Challenges that to many would seem insurmountable are no big deal for Ernie Roncoroni and his team at Woodland, California-based Grow West. The independent ag retailer prioritizes its ability to “pivot and move” in ensuring its service and product offerings are exactly what its customers need. That ethic of adaptability and flexibility — along with the communication and transparency necessary to make sure customers are confident in their relationships with the ag retailer — are fundamental to how the entire Grow West team works, and it’s why the retailer was ranked #25 on the 2023 Crop Life Top 100 list of the nation’s highest-performing ag retailers. "You just can’t get stuck in the mud. That’s what I keep telling our people,” says Roncoroni, Grow West President. “We have to just adapt to the situation every day, continue to communicate the best we can and be honest and transparent with everything.” https://bit.ly/3SjYFFO