WINTHROP – United Farmers Cooperative (UFC) has named Mitch Altermatt as the farmer-owned co-op’s new CEO/GM. He will assume the leadership position on June 1.

Altermatt has served as UFC’s chief operating officer since 2017 and has extensive experience in the cooperative, agriculture and energy sectors.

He succeeds Scott Sinclair who has served as interim general manager since late 2018.

“After a thorough search, we are confident that Mitch is the right person to guide this cooperative into the future,” said UFC Board Chair Kevin Lauwagie. “He has a tremendous commitment to the cooperative system and shares the

board’s values and vision; he’s a positive influence and he knows this system. We’ve also seen that he’s a results-driven person. This combination allowed him to emerge as the right person for this job.”

“Among our goals for this search was to ensure this co-op remains a financially strong, trusted partner for the high-quality, dependable products, services and knowledge that help you and all those who count on us achieve your goals,” Lauwagie added. “As we look ahead, we’re committed to delivering sustainable solutions and exceptional service that enable current and future generations to achieve success. We believe Mitch has the qualifications,

commitment and vision to make this happen.”

Altermatt said he’s “excited and grateful” for the opportunity to continue to work with the UFC Board, member-owners and employees.

“I’m passionate about agriculture, especially serving farmers to help them achieve their goals,” he said. “I believe the cooperative system is the best vehicle to do that, as it creates shared success through patronage and the ability to reinvest in assets that serve generations to come.”

Altermatt added that he will focus on building relationships with producers, strong community involvement and working with neighboring cooperatives.

In his role as UFC’s chief operating officer, Altermatt provided operational leadership for all of the co-op’s divisions with responsibilities that included commodities trading and risk management strategies, credit management, identifying business development opportunities and safety performance. He previously served as chief executive officer of Central Lakes Cooperative, Atwater, Minn.; held refined fuels and inventory and compliance management positions with CHS Inc., and gained sales experience with the former Monsanto company.

In addition, he is involved in agricultural production, marketing and business management as a partner in his family’s farm business at Wabasso.