EMERALD PARK — The ribbon was cut on Thursday in Emerald Park on the first UFA Farm and Ranch Supply Store in the Saskatchewan market.
The grand opening event featured plenty of dignitaries and free food, and marks UFA’s expansion in the province. This is their 13th location in the province, but their first Farm and Ranch store offering.
“UFA has been in Saskatchewan for a few years, primarily through our petroleum offering,” said Fred Thun, their president and CEO.
“It's gone really well. It's been well received by the farming and ranching community. And as we've looked at our businesses as a whole, Saskatchewan began to welcome us more. So, coming to Saskatchewan today at Emerald Park for our first Farm and Ranch store in the province, it's a combination of, does the market need us? But more importantly, does the market want us?”
Thun believed that the grand opening is “indicative of the market saying, farmers and ranchers saying, we want you here. So that, in combination with doing the strategic work, has allowed us to be here. We think it's a great spot. We think it's going to serve the community well.”
The new store is located on the service road just off Highway 1 north of Emerald Park and White City. Officials said the location was strategically chosen to be close to the wide-open fields and the agriculture-focused businesses that are prominent along that stretch of road heading toward Regina.
Among those at the store opening was Agriculture Minister David Marit. He welcomed UFA coming to the Emerald Park area.
“Obviously, you know, like I said, it's important for the province of Saskatchewan when we see these farm supply stores open up in the province,” said Marit.
“This is the first, as my understanding, I'm sure they're going to probably do more. But to see a company want to invest in the province on anything to do in the ag sector is obviously welcome news, and we welcome the investment that they've made here, plus the hiring of a lot of people that are going to work in the facility. But it just gives an opportunity for the ag sector, you know, around the Regina area, to utilize another facility that carries the supplies that they need.”
About UFA’s entry in Emerald Park
As a farm and ranch store, UFA’s stock will include such things as basic hardware, pet food and “just the stuff you need for life,” said Thun.
“So while we do have fence posts, wire, those types of things that are farm and ranch specific, anybody who comes to UFA will find something that they need, particularly in the hardware area.”
UFA is an Alberta-based, farmer-owned co-operative of 125,000 members, and Thun said there is opportunity for Saskatchewan farmers to become members.
“Absolutely. Any individual, any farm corp can be a member at UFA. The really neat thing about UFA is that, while membership has incredible benefits, you do not have to be a member to shop at UFA. So that is one of the things that I'm really proud of, is that this is a very inclusive business. And I know we have something for everyone.”
While UFA is a familiar institution in communities throughout Alberta, they will face competition in the Saskatchewan marketplace, especially from the Co-op. But Thun expressed confidence the store will be a success.
“So I think in the agricultural community especially, when you need something, you go where you can get it, and UFA will be a place where you can get it with great service, great expertise, and at a good price.”
The store also fills a void with the closure and liquidation of Peavey Mart, which is now in the process of reopening stores under a new ownership structure.
“Well, I think it's never a good thing when a community loses a store,” said Thun.
He said the closing of Peavey Mart “exacerbated the need, and I'm actually quite proud that we have some former Peavey Mart employees who have joined us at UFA and are now part of the service team here. We're benefiting from their expertise, and I'm thrilled that we're able to offer employment to people who want to work in this area.”
The new store in Emerald Park is not the only expansion activity for UFA. Just recently, they bought AgraCity Crop and Nutrition Ltd., a crop input supplier which had been in court-supervised creditor protection proceedings since last December.
The deal to purchase AgraCity closed in April, and Thun called it a unique acquisition.
“One is, this is centred around serving the farming community. These are products that farmers need. The other thing that's really neat is that, as part of our bid for AgraCity, we made a commitment in court to basically make whole all the farmers who had not been delivered product over the last number of years by AgraCity."
Thun said that as they have begun to “deliver product that farmers have been waiting for for a year, the reaction has just been astounding. It's just been wonderful to be part of that.”
