About CHS

CHS is a diversified global agribusiness cooperative owned by farmers and local cooperatives across the United States. Our 10,000-plus dedicated employees around the globe have a singular purpose: Creating connections to empower agriculture. We help drive sustainable growth for our owners and customers with a strong, efficient supply chain, access to global markets, and exceptional products and services.

Learn more about the CHS cooperative connection

Field to table

As a farmer-owned cooperative, CHS connects growers to consumers around the world. We purchase grain from a network of cooperatives and farmer-owners and match it with the needs of domestic and global food and feed customers in 65 countries. CHS also manufactures and distributes a variety of Cenex® brand energy products and offers crop inputs through wholesale and retail operations in more than 450 communities in the United States to help farmers grow healthy, profitable crops.

CHS at a glance

Governance

CHS is a cooperative, which means it’s governed by the farmers and local cooperatives that own it. Our owners have elected 17 full-time farmers or ranchers to serve on the CHS Board of Directors, representing eight regions from across the country. The number of directors representing each region is determined by business volume and the number of farmers, ranchers and cooperatives in the area.

More information about CHS governance can be found in the CHS Articles of Incorporation, CHS Bylaws and the Committee Charters.

Learn more about the CHS Board of Directors

Sponsorships

CHS covers every base in agriculture to help farmers win. We are proud to lend our name to CHS Field and sponsor the St. Paul Saints, Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Wild and collegiate sports.

See more images of CHS on the field

Learn more about CHS community giving

Our core values

Integrity

We set high standards and hold ourselves accountable.

Inclusion

We believe excellence and growth stem from diverse thinking.

Safety

We put the well-being of our people, customers and communities first every day.

Cooperative spirit

We work together for shared success and to strengthen our communities.

Our business & services

Agronomy

Energy

Global grain & processing

Services

Our history

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2020s

2010s

2000s

1990s

1980s

1970s

1950s & 1960s

1940s

1920s & 1930s

2020s

2023 – CHS Broadbent to build grain export terminal in Victoria, Australia
2023 – FFA receives largest gift in CHS Foundation history
2023 – CF Industries and CHS to produce, distribute low-carbon nitrogen fertilizer
2023 – TEMCO export facilities expand to include Texas Gulf
2022 – CHS Foundation celebrates 75 years
2022 – CHS announces intention to return $1 billion to owners
2021 – CHS announces Mankato, Minn., soybean refinery expansion
2021 – Growmark and CHS announce Cooperative Ventures
2021 – CHS completes expansion of Fairmont, Minn., soybean crushing facility
2021 – CHS announces expansion of Myrtle Grove, La., export facility
2020 – CHS Agronomy Levesol® products receive patent

2010s

2019 – CHS fully acquires West Central Distribution
2017 – Jay Debertin named president and CEO
2016 – CHS completes investment in CF Industries Nitrogen, LLC
2014 – CHS acquires Rochelle, Ill., ethanol plant
2014 – CHS issues CHSCN, Class B, Series 2 and CHSCM, Class B, Series 3 Preferred Stock
2014 – CHS joins Cargill and ConAgra Foods to create Ardent Mills, a flour milling company
2014 – CHS returns record $637 million to its owners
2013 – CHS opens Taiwan and Uruguay offices
2012 – CHS enters Canada with Alberta agronomy acquisition
2011 – NCRA buyout agreement takes place
2010 – CHS opens grain trading office in Argentina and grain and crop nutrients office in Jordan

2000s

2009 – CHS expands global presence with grain export venues in Australia, Ukraine and Russia and grain marketing office in Argentina
2008 – CHS begins Black Sea operations in Ukraine
2007 – CHS opens grain marketing offices in Switzerland and China
2005 – CHS announces $325 million coker project at Laurel, Mont., refinery
2005 – Ventura Foods acquires Marie's® and Dean's® dressings and dips
2003 – CHS announces wholly owned subsidiary originating and marketing soybeans from Brazil
2003 – The company adopts CHS Inc. as its legal name
2002 – CHS acquires Agway’s Grandin, N.D.-based sunflower business
2001 – CHS announces a joint venture, Horizon Milling, LLC, in flour milling with Cargill, Inc.

1990s

1998 – Cenex and Harvest States unite
1995 – Cenex constructs 302-mile crude oil pipeline near Cut Bank, Mont.
1995 – Harvest States and Wilsey Foods, a subsidiary of Mitsui & Co. Ltd., form joint venture Ventura Foods
1995 – Harvest States annual grain volume tops 1 billion bushels
1994 – Harvest States acquires an export facility at Myrtle Grove, La., and river terminal at Davenport, Iowa
1992 – Cenex acquires majority ownership of the 75,000-barrels-per-day National Cooperative Refinery Association at McPherson, Kan.
1992 – Cenex completes 256-mile pipeline extension in North Dakota
1992 – Harvest States and Continental Grain enter a joint venture, the Tacoma Export Marketing Co. (TEMCO) at Tacoma, Wash.

1980s

1988 – First CENEX convenience store opens
1987 – Cenex joins with Land O’Lakes to form the Cenex/Land O’Lakes Ag Services marketing joint venture
1983 – North Pacific Grain Growers and GTA merge to form Harvest States Cooperatives
1981 – Cenex becomes one of the top 10 U.S. propane suppliers

1970s

1978 – Cenex introduces pay-at-the-pump technology
1975 – GTA adds a branch office in Portland, Ore., opens two barge-loading terminals on the Mississippi River
1972 – Cenex enters the transportation business
1971 – Cenex begins supplying cooperatives in the Pacific Northwest

1950s & 1960s

1960 – A 424-mile petroleum products pipeline from the Laurel refinery to a terminal at Minot, N.D., is completed
1960 – GTA purchases the Honeymead soybean processing plant and the Archer Daniels Midland elevator line in southern Minnesota

1940s

1946 – Cenex expands plant food operations by becoming a major stockholder of CF Industries
1945 – Cenex enters the feed, plant food and seed business
1943 – An oil refinery at Laurel, Mont., is purchased and a one-third interest in the National Cooperative Refinery Association at McPherson, Kan., is acquired
1942 – GTA moves into wheat milling

1920s & 1930s

1938 – Farmers Union Grain Terminal Association (GTA) opens for business in St. Paul, Minn.
1932 – In conjunction with other regional cooperatives, National Cooperatives (later named Universal Cooperatives) is organized
1931 – Cenex, originally the Farmers Union Central Exchange, is founded
1929 – North Pacific Grain Growers, Inc. (NPGG) is organized as a regional cooperative, with 60 affiliated local cooperatives