ORIGINALLY WRITTEN DON RATZLAFF
The proposed merger of Cooperative Grain & Supply and Mid-Kansas Cooperative Association was not ratified by CG&S members at their annual meeting last week.
The proposal drew a 54 percent favorable response, but a two-thirds vote was required by the Kansas Cooperative Act.
The vote was 78-66 in favor of the Hillsboro-based cooperative uniting with the Moundridge-based cooperative as the Mid-Kansas Cooperative Association.
Lyman Adams, CG&S general manager, said with the result of the vote, it’s back to business as usual.
“We will continue to operate as Cooperative Grain & Supply just like we were before,” he said. “All merger talks have stopped.”
Adams said he and members of the CG&S board thought the proposal would be approved by a majority of members but were uncertain going in whether it would achieve two-thirds approval.
“It’s kind of one of those things where you put all of the facts out there and then you wait to see who comes and who votes,” Adams said.
He said he didn’t think any one issue stood out as an obstacle.
“I think it was a combination of various reasons,” he said. “Whether people thought the company would be too big, or wanted to stay as is…. It was combination of things.”
Adams said the 144 votes cast represented about one-fourth of the CG&S membership.
“People sometimes feel one vote doesn’t matter, but every vote counts-in every election, whether it’s a church election, or a city election or whatever. Votes do count and make difference.
“From the board’s standpoint and my management standpoint, we were disappointed it didn’t pass, but yet we’re ready to move forward as CG&S and continue our goal of being the best co-op around.”
