FREEMONT AND PIQUA OHIO — Both Sunrise and Trupointe Cooperative members confirmed majority support of the merger that will join them officially on Sept. 1. Much progress has been made since the special meetings on March 7, which tallied the results.

Immediately following these meetings, both cooperative’s board of directors held council to select the six representatives from each current board, 12 total, who will represent the new entity. Under the new cooperative, the board of directors will represent membership through districts and are as follows:

Chairman — John Lowrey, Wapakoneta, Ohio, Auglaize County; District 1

Vice Chairman — Pete Hazel, Wakeman, Ohio, Huron County, District 3

Secretary — Gene Cook, Clyde, Ohio, Seneca, County, District 1

Assistant secretary — Doug Swaim, Cedarville, Ohio, Green County, District 2

Members: Rick Brill, Wellington, Ohio, Loraine County, District 3; Mike Kocher, Galion, Ohio, Marion County, District 3; James Metzger, Wapakoneta, Ohio, Auglaize County, at large; Bart Neer, South Vienna, Ohio, lark County, District 2; Ben Ritz, Attica, Ohio, Seneca County, District 1; Steve Snider, Piqua, Ohio, Shelby County, at large; Dean Sweeting, North Fairfield, Ohio, Huron County, at large; and Kirk Walker, New Vienna, Ohio, Clinton County, District 2.

As a newly formed board of directors, immediate decisions included identifying the entity name and headquarters, On Sept. 1, operations will begin as Sunrise Cooperative Inc. with all corporate functions being completed from offices in Fremont and Piqua, Ohio.

George Secor, the presiding CEO of Sunrise Cooperative, will lead the new entity. The newly combined entity will operate more than 40 facilities with more than 400 full-time employees and begin operations with total sales just under $900 million. Products and services will be provided in agronomy supply, animal nutrition, grain marketing, power fuels, propane and turf and ornamental.