AMES, IOWA, US — Smith Fertilizer & Grain is the fifth company in the past several months to join the Landus optimization model, which is an alternative to traditional mergers and acquisitions for agriculture retail.

“We are excited to welcome the Smith Fertilizer & Grain team to our growing Optimization network,” said Matt Carstens, president and chief executive officer of Landus. “They demonstrate a like-minded commitment to leaning into the future of agriculture and putting the profitability of their farmers first.”

As part of the agreement, Max Smith, president and CEO of Smith Fertilizer & Grain, will maintain his current role.

“Our Smith Fertilizer & Grain family is proud of our long legacy of hard work and commitment to doing what’s right for our customers above all else,” Smith said. “Collaboration with a company like Landus allows us to continue doing what we do best while growing from our partner’s expertise as well. This model lets us both share in each other’s strengths; It’s collaboration at its finest.”

Landus first announced the optimization framework in April. Participating companies maintain autonomy, preserve local community presence, and enhance farmer relationships while participating in a shared platform of strength.

This new model is designed for collaboration and optimization on grain, feed, soybean processing, agronomy, data, technology, logistics, and back-office functions. It also provides the opportunity to maximize capital investments, infrastructure capacity, and employee talent.

Agreements are tailored to the strengths of each party and developed on a case-by-case basis.

In addition to Smith Fertilizer & Grain, other companies collaborating with Landus include Mid State Milling, NuWay-K&H Cooperative, Snittjer Grain and United Farmers Cooperative.