John Johnson, an architect of the merger that created the country's largest cooperative, CHS Inc., is retiring after 10 years as its chief executive.
The Inver Grove Heights-based company announced Monday that Johnson, 62, will stay on through Dec. 31 while CHS' board searches for a successor. During his tenure, the grain, food and energy cooperative saw its revenue rise from $8.4 billion to $25.7 billion in its 2009 fiscal year.
During the same time, profits grew from $87.4 million to $381.4 million
Johnson was chief executive of Harvest States when it merged in 1998 with another big cooperative, Cenex, and served as president of the combined company for two years until becoming its CEO.
The merger "really was a game changer," said Michael Toelle, CHS's chairman and a grain and livestock farmer from Browns Valley, Minn.
The merger helped the companies better compete globally with such agribusiness giants as Cargill and ADM, Toelle said. "John's vision to grow globally has been quite an asset."
In recent years, Toelle said, CHS also has been expanding in this country, particularly in the southern plains. Johnson also is responsible for developing a "comprehensive talent development program" for CHS managers, he said. "John really ramped that up."
Johnson started at Harvest States in 1976 as a feed consultant in the GTA Feeds Division, then worked his way up in that division and eventually the company.
