Universal Cooperatives, based in

Eagan, Minnesota Eagan ( ) is a city in Dakota County, Minnesota. It is south of Saint Paul and lies on the south bank of the Minnesota River, upstream from the confluence with the Mississippi River. Eagan and the other nearby suburbs form the southern section o ...

, was a

cooperative A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-control ...

controlled by 17 regional

agricultural marketing Agricultural marketing covers the services involved in moving an agricultural product from the farm to the consumer. These services involve the planning, organizing, directing and handling of agricultural produce in such a way as to satisfy farm ...

and agricultural supply cooperatives. The distribution system included 110 regional feed mills, 26 warehouses, and 7 research farms. The company was formed November 1, 1972 by a merger of United Cooperatives, Inc. of

Alliance, Ohio Alliance is a city in eastern Stark County, Ohio, United States. With a small district lying in adjacent Mahoning County, the city is approximately northeast of Canton, southwest of Youngstown and southeast of Cleveland. The population was 21 ...

and National Cooperatives, Inc. of

Albert Lea, Minnesota Albert Lea is a city in Freeborn County, in southern Minnesota. It is the county seat. Its population was 18,492 at the 2020 census. The city is at the junction of Interstates 35 and 90, about south of the Twin Cities. It is on the shores of ...

. The companies had inter-mixed ownership, leading to merger discussion, and eventual merger. On May 11, 2014, Universal Cooperatives, Inc. and its domestic subsidiaries filed for voluntary Chapter 11

bankruptcy Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor ...

United Cooperatives, Inc.

United Cooperatives began in 1930 as Farm Bureau Oil Company, and changed its name in 1936. Founding members include: * Indiana Farm Bureau Cooperative Association,

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mari ...

* Farm Bureau Services, Inc.,

Lansing, Michigan Lansing () is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is mostly in Ingham County, although portions of the city extend west into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. The 2020 census placed the city's population at 112,644, making ...

* Ohio Farm Bureau Service Company,

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...

National Cooperatives, Inc.

National Cooperatives was founded in 1933 by * Farm Bureau Oil Company,

Central Cooperative Wholesale Co-operative Central Exchange (CCE, Finnish: Keskusosuuskunta), founded in 1917 and known from the spring of 1931 as Central Co-operative Wholesale, was the coordinating entity of a network of consumers' co-operatives located primarily in the state ...

Superior, Wisconsin , native_name_lang = oj , nickname = , total_type = , motto = , image_skyline = Tower Avenue.jpg , imagesize = , image_caption = Downtown Superior , ima ...

* Farmers Union Central Exchange,

Saint Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County, Minnesota, Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississip ...

* Midland Cooperative Oil Association,

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

* Union Oil Company (Missouri), in 1935 renamed Consumers Cooperative Association and in 1966 Farmland Industries North Kansas City, Missouri

Brands

Universal owns the CO-OP brand, which is used on

tire A tire (American English) or tyre (British English) is a ring-shaped component that surrounds a Rim (wheel), wheel's rim to transfer a vehicle's load from the axle through the wheel to the ground and to provide Traction (engineering), t ...

batteries Battery most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source *Automotive battery, a device to provide power t ...

farm chemical A farm (also called an agricultural holding) is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. The name is used fo ...

s, animal health products, twine, and

lubricant A lubricant (sometimes shortened to lube) is a substance that helps to reduce friction between surfaces in mutual contact, which ultimately reduces the heat generated when the surfaces move. It may also have the function of transmitting forces, t ...

s. It distributes tires through the

Mr. Tire Mr. Tire is an American auto service company. The company was founded in 1970 by Joseph Tomarchio Sr. Based out of Rochester, New York, the company provides various automotive repair services across 13 U.S. states. History Mr. Tire was founded ...

chain.

External links

Universal Cooperatives web site
{{Co-operatives Alliance, Ohio Economy of the Midwestern United States Agricultural cooperatives in the United States Cooperative federations Cooperatives based in Minnesota