|
|
 |
 |
 |
Agristar Global Networks Launches In November
|
CHICAGO, Aug.
13, 2001 — Agristar Global Networks, Ltd., a new communications
company established to bridge the connectivity gaps between the world’s
leading farms and their primary trade partners, will begin U.S. operations
in November. Agristar will integrate, for the first time, the world’s
top commercial farms, production input manufacturers and their dealers,
commodity end users and other agricultural businesses into a two-way,
always-on broadband satellite network.
Agristar was developed by Chicago-based Global Land, Ltd., an agricultural
investment and development firm. “Agristar Global Networks is structured as a
completely neutral communications network linking the world’s
best farms to the people and companies with whom they do business,”
said Cliff Ganschow, Chairman of both Global Land and Agristar Global Networks. Initial
strategic investors are Sydney-based Rural Press Limited, the world’s
largest agricultural publisher, and Merial Limited, the global leader
in the animal health industry. “We anticipate having a broad
spectrum of leading industry partners involved in Agristar as it moves
forward,” Ganschow said, “and Rural Press and Merial have
great stature in this regard.” Rural Press owns approximately
80 U.S. and foreign farm publications and has investments in agricultural
Internet companies in Australia and New Zealand. Merial has annual
sales in excess of $1.6 billion in more than 150 countries, with main
operating centers in Atlanta and Lyon, France.
“The need to facilitate increasing flows of information across
the food and fiber chain’s many segments is growing exponentially,”
Ganschow said. “By establishing broadband satellite networks
throughout the industry, Agristar Global Networks is immediately positioned to become
its leading communications and electronic commerce system.” Ganschow
said the top 10 percent of all commercial farms, which Agristar Global Networks has
identified as its core subscriber audience from proprietary databases,
account for more than 75 percent of the farm inputs and services purchased
and commodities marketed annually. In addition to leading farms, satellite
units also will be distributed to company and independent dealerships
that want to connect electronically with top farmers.
In a related development to Agristar’s launch plans, Agristar
has acquired DirectAg.com, Inc., one of the industry’s best-known
independent Internet sites. Kip Pendleton, founder and CEO of DirectAg,
based in St. Paul, Minn., will become a member of Agristar’s
board of directors. “We are forming various financial and working
alliances with a number of leading independent exchanges,” Ganschow
said, “and DirectAg is widely recognized as one of the top Internet
companies in agriculture. We’re pleased to have them involved
in Agristar from the outset.”
Dan Kearney, Merial’s Ruminant Animal Business Head for North
America, said, “We are excited to be involved with Agristar,
bringing this emerging technology, high-speed connectivity and the
benefits of the Internet to our key customers. Initiatives such as
this demonstrate our continued commitment to the agricultural industry
and our commitment to using technology to improve business effectiveness.”
Media Contact
Warren E. Clark
847-836-5100
warren.clark@ccimarketing.com
Agristar Contact
Kip Pendleton
President
kip.pendleton@agristar.com
|
| |
 back
to top |
| |
|
