WABASH — North Central Co-op (NCC) of Wabash, and Berrien County Farm Bureau Oil Co. of Eau Claire, Mich., recently announced their stockholders and boards of directors approved a merger agreement to combine the two cooperatives. Effective August 1, Berrien employees and patrons will become employees and patrons of NCC, as the merged cooperatives will continue to operate as North Central Co-op.

“Merging will serve all the customers of both co-ops very well today and in the future. We are pleased to have the Berrien County employees and patrons as part of the NCC team,” said NCC CEO Mark Tullis. The two cooperatives share a long history of serving their customers in their respective areas of expertise. Berrien County serves producers in Berrien, Van Buren and Cass counties in Michigan through a full-service line of petroleum and propane products along with a tractor and auto repair shop and tire business. NCC serves customers in north-central Indiana and regions of Michigan by providing energy, agronomy and feed products and services.

This merger brings together two well-established cooperatives to form a larger, more stable and more diversified business in the long term. “Both co-ops have enjoyed success in their communities, and merging together will ensure a promising future for stakeholders of both Berrien and NCC,” said Tullis. “We plan to maintain the level of service and products our customers receive as we have since we were founded in 1927.”