Sustaining Sponsor Spotlight: AgCredit, Agricultural Credit Association

The Ohio AgriBusiness Association is pleased to feature our Sustaining Sponsors in the 2024 Spotlight Series. This week, the focus is on Bronze Sponsor: AgCredit, Agricultural Credit Association.

Location (Main Headquarters): Fostoria, OH

Year started: We are a part of the Farm Credit System established in 1916

Number of employees: 152

Number of facilities: 15 branch offices; corporate offices are located in Fostoria OH.

Type of services offered: Financing for farms, homes, land, equipment and agribusinesses, leasing, appraisals, crop insurance, and special financing programs for young, beginning, small and minority farmers.

Company history: The Farm Credit System was formed in 1916 with the signing of the Federal Farm Loan Act which led to the formation of 12 Federal Land Banks. Over the years, a variety of different associations were created and merged under the Farm Credit System. AgCredit was formed in 1992 by the merger of Buckeye PCA and FLCA of Fostoria and today serves 18 counties in northern Ohio.

How has your company changed over the years? Similar to the farmers and agribusinesses we serve, technology has been the most significant driver of change for our business. The digitization and electronic delivery of many processes has provided increased speed and efficiency in the operations of our financial services. Technology will continue to evolve our processes in the future.       

How do you see your company growing in the future? We believe growth will happen when we are guided by our primary core value: Treat customers and prospects as we would like to be treated. 

We believe in genuine lifetime relationships. We will earn lifetime relationships by tailoring constructive financial packages that enhance the success of a customer’s operation. We will help our customers choose a product or service that’s in their best interest. We are committed to customer betterment and helping them make sound, constructive decisions to reach business and family goals. Our values have allowed the association to have growth in loan volume for 26 consecutive years.

Interesting tidbits about your business: We are part of the Farm Credit System and are a member-owned cooperative that returns profits to its members through our patronage program. We’ve been returning patronage for the past 37 consecutive years.

How has OABA helped your business or the agribusiness industry? Through its LAUNCH program, OABA has been extremely helpful in developing future business and industry leaders. AgCredit has had a number of its team members participate in this program with excellent results and feedback. We value OABA as an advocate for Ohio agriculture and feel they do a great job of representing the interests of Ohio agriculture, as well as our lending cooperative.

Anything else you would like to share: Be sure to check out the AgCredit Said It podcast. Our hosts sit down with experts from across the ag industry to bring insights and information on all things from farming to financing and everything in between. Listen in your favorite podcast app!

Interested in becoming a Sustaining Sponsor? 

Click here to learn more about the program or contact Lauren Prettyman at lprettyman@oaba.net. Sustaining sponsors will automatically be promoted as such at all OABA events and will not be approached for sponsorship opportunities throughout the year. 

Note that because the OABA Educational Trust is a 501(c)3 charitable organization, sponsorships related to this trust are separate from OABA.