U.S. partners buy Canadian bean processor

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Published: June 6, 2013

One of the largest dry bean processing companies in Canada has been sold to U.S. interests.

The Andersons, Inc. out of Ohio and Lansing Trade Group from Kansas have signed an agreement to purchase Thompsons Limited of Blenheim, Ont.

Thompsons owns 12 elevators, 11 farm input centres, two seed processing plants, five bean processing plants and a wheat processing plant.

All of the firm’s assets are located in Ontario with the exception of one bean processing facility in East Grand Forks, Minnesota.

Wes Thompson, president of Thompsons, said the buyers were a good fit.

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“Our companies have very similar cultures and have a strong commitment to providing outstanding customers service,” he said in a press release.

Thompsons has a combined owned and leased grain storage capacity of 20 million bushels.

“For The Andersons this acquisition establishes a foothold in Ontario with a similarly diversified agricultural company adjacent to our eastern corn belt roots,” said The Andersons chief executive officer Mike Anderson.

Bill Krueger, president of Lansing Trade Group, had similar thoughts about the acquisition.

“The opportunity for Lansing to grow our existing Canadian presence with such a cornerstone company fits out long-term strategy,” he said.

About the author

Sean Pratt

Sean Pratt

Reporter/Analyst

Sean Pratt has been working at The Western Producer since 1993 after graduating from the University of Regina’s School of Journalism. Sean also has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Saskatchewan and worked in a bank for a few years before switching careers. Sean primarily writes markets and policy stories about the grain industry and has attended more than 100 conferences over the past three decades. He has received awards from the Canadian Farm Writers Federation, North American Agricultural Journalists and the American Agricultural Editors Association.

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