La Coop fédérée, an agri-food cooperative with operations across Canada, and W-S Feed & Supplies Ltd. announced Aug. 27 that La Coop will purchase a 50% stake in the Tavistock, Ont.-based animal nutrition company.

W-S Feeds operates two feed mills in Ontario, in Tavistock and Mt. Forest. The new partnership will continue to manufacture a wide variety of feeds for dairy production as well as organic, beef, swine and poultry production, the announcement said.

"This investment represents a strategic entry into the Ontario market -- in the animal nutrition industry this time," La Coop president Ghislain Gervais said. "This partnership develops our portfolio of operations in the province and shows how important it is for us to provide farmers across the country with quality products and solutions for their animal feed."

After recently gaining a foothold in the prairie provinces of Canada for its animal feed activities with the acquisition of Standard Nutrition Canada, La Coop's Agri-business Division keeps extending this line of business, which is already well established in Quebec and the Maritimes, the announcement said.

Earlier this year, the Agri-business Division also announced the acquisition of Cargill's crop input and grain assets in Ontario -- a transaction pending the approval of Canada's Competition Bureau.

The closing of the transaction following this agreement in principle remains subject to the fulfillment of certain conditions, which should be completed in the upcoming weeks, the companies said. The terms of the transaction will not be disclosed.

"Over its 50 years of existence, W-S Feed & Supplies has thrived on its family-oriented legacy by making sure that all its operations measured up against the highest quality standards in the industry and that management and sales teams remained dedicated to customer service and satisfaction every step of the way," explained Paul Wideman, president of W-S Feeds. "Building on this strong foundation, the new partnership with La Coop fédérée will bring new opportunities for our business and new expertise and value to the Ontario farmers that we serve."

"W-S Feed & Supplies has all the qualities that we look for in a business partner: shared values that put the needs of customers at the heart of operations, great-quality products, strong presence in southern Ontario and steady growth in key livestock production markets," said Sébastien Léveillé, La Coop executive agribusiness vice president. "With our world-class research program in animal nutrition and extensive supply network, we will deliver even more value and innovation to our customers."

The transition will be seamless for current W-S Feed & Supply customers as key management and sales teams will remain in position, the announcement said.

Founded in 1922, La Coop fédérée is the largest agri-food enterprise in Quebec and the 24th-largest agri-food cooperative in the world. It represents more than 120,000 members, agricultural producers and consumers grouped into nearly 70 cooperatives with operations spread out in many Canadian provinces. With more than 13,000 employees, La Coop has annual revenues of $6.3 billion. Including its affiliated network, the co-op has nearly 18,000 employees and consolidated revenue of $9.2 billion. Its activities are separated into three divisions: Olymel S.E.C (under the Olymel, Flamingo and Lafleur banners), Agri-business (under the La Coop, Elite, Agrocentre Agrico and Agromart banners) and Groupe BMR (under the BMR, Unimat, Agrizone and Potvin & Bouchard banners).

Established in 1965, W-S Feed & Supplies Ltd. offers a wide variety of feeds -- including organic feeds -- for dairy, beef, swine and poultry as well as a selection of pet food and animal health products.