Wisconsin River Co-op recently announced that it has purchased Pest Pros Inc., an independent crop consulting firm and plant disease diagnostic laboratory located in Plainfield, Wisconsin.
Pest Pros provides a range of crop management services to assist growers in solving production problems. Founded as an integrated pest management (IPM) scouting services provider in 1984, Pest Pros Inc. has evolved to offer a full line of crop and pest management advice and testing services including nematode testing and molecular plant disease diagnostics.
Their services include: crop scouting, disease diagnostics and testing, nematode testing and recommendations, tissue testing and recommendations, soil sampling and fertility recommendations, nutrient management planning, potato storage and seed health monitoring and field scale product evaluation.
Pest Pros will continue to serve its customers from its existing facility, and will offer expanded services through Wisconsin River Co-op’s agronomy facilities in Adams, Mauston and Plover, Wisconsin.
Randy Van Haren, the founder of Pest Pros Inc., will continue working with Wisconsin River Co-op to further expand the business. “By partnering with Wisconsin River Co-op, we will have the additional equipment and people, and financial and other resources, to provide our customers with the best possible service, and to expand our offerings and service area. Our employees will have great opportunities to grow with Wisconsin River Co-op as well.”
Timothy Diemert, CEO of Wisconsin River Co-op, added, “Wisconsin River Co-op and Pest Pros Inc worked together prior to the acquisition, and we were attracted to Pest Pros because of the high level of service it offered its customers, and the talent of its employees. Randy Van Haren has built a highly respected business, and we are excited to continue growing it together.”
Wisconsin River Co-op has been serving central Wisconsin for over 80 years. With services ranging from agronomy, feed and grain to LP and refined fuels to convenience and auto parts stores -- the Wisconsin River Co-op has operations in Adams, Mauston, Necedah, Plover and Wisconsin Dells.