Efficiently navigating today’s crop input marketplace takes a global perspective. But making sure Northern California growers have what they need, when they need it and at costs that fit their crop budgets is very much a local effort.

At the convergence of these two worlds lies Aligned Ag Distributors™ (AAD). The organization connects those global product markets with growers’ local agronomic needs. Grow West and 11 other AAD owners — all independent, regional ag retailers and service providers around the country with the local expertise their customers demand — work together to create cost efficiencies in global crop protection, fertilizer and seed markets through collaboration, all while sharing innovative ideas that continue to raise the bar for grower service.

“Ag production is local; it’s all about the right seed, chemicals and fertilizer on every acre. But everything that supports that acre is global and complex. Aligned Ag Distributors has an innovative business model that leverages the extensive infrastructure of ag retail owners to operate as efficiently as possible for owners and suppliers,” said AAD President Mary Tolke. “To me, AAD is the vehicle that enables independent ag retailers to come together, act as one and stay focused on their growers while AAD handles supply relationships in these global markets.”

Unifying regional ag retailers around the country

Aligned Ag Distributors was founded in 2015 by Grow West and a handful of other ag service providers who faced similar challenges in maintaining relevant positions in increasingly competitive and complex global markets for the products their customers needed. Ownership in AAD provides Grow West market intelligence that enables its team to make informed purchase decisions that contribute to cost savings for the company and its customers alike, said Grow West President and CEO Ernie Roncoroni.

“As an organization, we are always working to make sure we’re making the best, most informed decisions we can for our customers. Aligned Ag helps us do that and, if we have to, pivot to a different product or partner if we need to,” he said. “This marketplace is not easy, but Aligned Ag has allowed us to be able to focus on our customers and take some of the research into smart buying decisions off our plate that we were spending a lot of time on before.”

Aligned Ag Distributors owners work together to evaluate and create business relationships with suppliers of key products for their customers. It’s a well-planned process that assesses suppliers on key elements like overall product portfolios, long-term availability and ease of doing business to ensure they’re forging long-lasting, productive business relationships.

How AAD ‘levels the playing field’ for owners

This approach to supplier relationships, AAD market intelligence, and a focus on inventory and return on investment put Grow West and other AAD owners “on a level playing field” with larger competitors that would otherwise have a marketplace advantage with things like crop protection products and fertilizer. Combined with the local expertise of Grow West PCAs and other team members, it’s enabling the company to not just stay on the cutting edge with innovations that can advance production for grower customers but also focus on another area that’s foundational for Grow West: the vitality of its communities.

“Being part of Aligned Ag helps us be more competitive and relevant to growers. That, in turn, helps us do more to make sure we support our communities as much as possible,” Roncoroni said. “Our employees are so important to us, and being involved in the communities where we all live and work is a big priority for us. Being an AAD owner lets us do more for our communities.”

Aligned Ag Distributors continues to grow and evolve, though that process is deliberate and focused on not just a growing number of ag retailers. Instead, it’s about identifying the right like-minded independent regional companies who share the ethics of innovation and service to growers. Case in point: the organization added Carolina Eastern, Inc., as an owner this fall. Executive Vice President of the South Carolina-based company Butch Rodgers said he’s already seen the benefits of the decade-old organization to his company. Despite the geographic and cropping differences between South Carolina and California, he’s already connected with Roncoroni and other AAD owners in ways that will ultimately benefit the company his father co-founded in 1972.

Shared philosophies of service and innovation

“These AAD owners are independent business owners who share our philosophy. I think the knowledge we can gain from the relationships with the likes of Grow West is huge for us. It’s not a huge group of people, but these relationships will certainly give us an advantage in our market,” Rodgers said. “And I know I can pick up the phone and call [Roncoroni] anytime I want, and vice versa.”

Looking ahead, Roncoroni expects AAD to continue to deliver even more value to its owners while likely growing in the future with the addition of more new owners like Rodgers’ Carolina Eastern. But despite that change, the focus will remain on making sure owners are equipped with what they need to meet current and future customer needs.

“We will always act as one. We work really hard to stay transparent with key suppliers and work toward ways to be more efficient,” Roncoroni said. “While it may feel like we’re giving up some independence, we’re really making sure we cement ourselves a strong future. Working together, we will continue to stay on the cutting edge for our customers.”