In Business to Exceed Customer Expectations

About Us  West Central was incorporated in 1933 in Ralston, Iowa, which is still its headquarters  West Central is governed by 9 elected board members and 2 appointed associate board members  3,198 Class A Stockholders and 90 Class B Stockholders  Stockholders have invested $38 Million in the company  Ownership is determined by volume of business done  Stock is allocated yearly based on profitability

Annual Operations  West Central employs 228 people  Grain – markets 60 million bushels  Agronomy - Seed, fertilizer and chemicals sales: $18,089,718  Feed - processes over 128,000 tons  Soy Processing - processes 7.5 million bushels of soybeans and processes 65 million pounds of soy oil into methyl esters

Core Values QUALITY Providing superior products and services QUALITY Providing superior products and services PROFESSIONALISM Employees assisting customers PROFESSIONALISM Employees assisting customers INNOVATION Research, new products, new solutions INNOVATION Research, new products, new solutions INTEGRITY Honesty, trust, partnerships INTEGRITY Honesty, trust, partnerships CUSTOMERFOCUSCUSTOMERFOCUS

Sales History (millions)

Sales

History of Cash Returned to Members

Board of Directors

Management Team

Most Traditional Cooperatives are built on a business model that evolved from 1890 to 1920

In that 30 year period 12,000 Farmer Owned Cooperatives were created

Karl Nolin

The Traditional Agriculture Cooperative is characterized by: Growth Financed by Earnings or Debt No Market for Equity Open Membership No Supply Control

The Essential Elements necessary for long-term viability: Profitability is a Must Membership Must Remain Interested Investors Must Want to be Investors

Profitability Liquidate “Legacy” Locations Establish Return on Asset Benchmarks Cooperative’s may be different from Investor Owned Firms in having a lower ROA Requirement

Membership Must Remain Interested The Owners are the Customers Interest of Cooperative and Customers Must Align Function of Cooperative Must Be to Continually Re-align Goods & Services to Match the Needs of Customers

Membership Must Remain Interested

Is this any different than any other form of business?

Farmer Cooperatives usually appeal to a smaller universe of customers – its stockholders. Membership Must Remain Interested

Investors want to be Investors Cooperatives need a mechanism to allow certain groups of investors to exit.

Investors Exit Strategies 1.Aggressive Payout of Estates 2.Significant Classes of Equities have <10 Year Payout 3.Base Capital Plans 4.Preferred Stock with Characteristics that Reflect Liquidity a)Payout by Age, i.e. 65 b)Dividend – Voluntary Ownership c)Non-qualified with Separate Payout Schedule

Public Policy  FASB 150  Dividend Allocation Rule  Limit of Return to Capital 8%

If Traditional Cooperatives are able to: Remain Profitable Align the interest of cooperative and membership Maintain an Investors Group that wants to be Investors Then...

I believe there is an opportunity for traditional cooperatives to serve a membership base for years to come.

Are there any questions?

Thank you!