October 19, 2012

Masterfeeds and Ridley merge Canada livestock and poultry feed businesses
 

Masterfeeds Inc. and Ridley Inc. announce a merger of their respective Canada-based livestock and poultry feed and nutrition businesses into a new organisation called Masterfeeds LP.
 

The combination of Masterfeeds and Ridley's Canadian feed business, which operates as Feed-Rite, will create the second largest feed provider in Canada. The new entity will operate, among other things, 22 feed manufacturing plants and employ over 500 people in a business spanning across Quebec, Ontario and the Prairie Provinces. Masterfeeds LP will be headquartered in London, Ontario and led by current Masterfeeds Inc. Chief Executive Officer, Rob Flack.
 

"Masterfeeds and Feed-Rite are two of the most respected brand names in Canadian animal agriculture," said Flack. "We are excited about bringing the strengths of both companies together as we continue to serve our dealers and customers with dynamic feeding solutions and a larger, more efficient geographic footprint in Canada. As Canadian meat, milk and egg producers have become fewer, larger and ever more sophisticated, it has been obvious for some time that the feed industry in Canada would benefit from a similar transformation. As the feed industry evolves, we expect there to be more opportunities for Masterfeeds LP to grow in the future," added Flack.
 

"The Feed-Rite name will celebrate its 75th anniversary in Canada next year," stated Ridley CEO, Steve VanRoekel. "Ridley's commitment to the long-term in Canada has been unwavering since we acquired the business nearly 20 years ago. We've never hesitated to make the changes necessary to maintain a competitive advantage, and this merger puts all stakeholders in the Feed-Rite organisation in a position for even more opportunity going forward."
 

Each of Masterfeeds Inc. and Ridley Inc. will contribute essentially all of their Canadian feed operating assets in exchange for relative shareholdings in Masterfeeds LP. That transfer is expected to result in no material impact overall to Ridley's balance sheet, nor is it expected to have any material effect on the structure or other operations of Ridley Inc. Both parties expect the merger to result in significant new synergies over time. Completion of the merger is expected to take 30-45 days and is subject to the execution of definitive agreements and normal conditions including regulatory approvals.
 

Masterfeeds has an 83-year history of research, innovation and service to animal agriculture in Canada. Headquartered in London, Ontario, Masterfeeds is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ag Processing Inc. (AGP). AGP, headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is a farmer-owned cooperative engaged in the procurement, processing, marketing and transportation of grains and grain products. AGP, which acquired Masterfeeds in 1991, is owned by 175 local cooperatives representing over 250,000 farmers throughout the Midwest, and five regional cooperatives representing farmers throughout the US and Canada.
 

Ridley Inc., headquartered in Mankato, Minnesota and Winnipeg, Manitoba, is one of North America's leading commercial animal nutrition companies. Ridley manufactures and distributes a full range of animal nutrition products under a number of highly regarded trade names.
 

Ridley's Canadian feed business, operating under the trade name Feed-Rite, is reported in Ridley’s financial statements as the Canadian Feed Operations segment.