Fourteen Western Canadian Independent Ag retailers took a major step forward in securing their long-term market dominance with Friday’s announcement of the official formation and launch of AgLink Canada, a strategic and commercial alliance with AgLink Australia.

Four of the independent members are from Manitoba and one of the Redfern Farm Services. The group hopes the new alliance will help forge better relations with manufacturers.

“Which we hope in the end will allow us to have a more favourable nations relationship with them an ultimately help to hold onto more marketing dollars that we probably learn to think that we could justify” said Redfern's owner Ray Redfern.

Foreseeing the unique challenges and change gathering on the horizon in the crop input sector, became the catalyst that brought the very best Independent retails together to work at crafting an enduring and meaningful market response. The leadership of this group looked globally for successful membership models and quickly identified the AgLink Australia model as a leading global success story.

“I'm careful not to call it a buying group because that is an offset to it but we are still going to support the distributor model. We hope to be able to say not withstanding our organization will commit to a program of marketing and we think we can execute more sincerely than the poor distributor can.”

AgLink Au., a collective of 16 Australian Independent Ag retailers, commands an input market share of $1.2 Billion AUD. With over 30 years of experience AgLink Australia has mastered the elusive organizational and management formula which forges the unmatched value of local entrepreneurial spirit, with the power of scale.

AgLink Canada’s 14 independent members, collectively managing a substantial market share, will have immediate access to all intellectual property, management systems, governance models and related know-how as part of this alliance.

AgLink Canada’s Board of Directors is comprised of highly respected independent retail icons broadly known for their dedication to community, customers, innovative thinking and integrity.

Bill Dowdle, the long-time CEO of AgLink in Australia for the past eleven and a half years has agreed to move to Canada as CEO and lead the successful establishment of the group.