PAWNEE COUNTY — Members of the Pawnee County Co-op Association and Golden Valley Inc. in Pawnee County vote in May on a proposal to merge the two cooperatives.

The Boards of Directors of both organizations has set a series of meetings on May 4 to vote on the merger. Both boards signed a definitive agreement on April 12 to move forward with the vote.

In November, the boards approved the plan to proceed with merger discussions and began drafting a definitive agreement. The announcement followed several months of internal and independent analysis by employee teams from both cooperatives on the potential risks and benefits of the merger.

Pawnee County Co-op Association (PCCA) is headquartered in Larned and Golden Valley Inc. is headquartered in Rozel.

PCCA board chair Kraig Froetschner noted that moving forward, the merged company will provide a strong foundation for future success by maintaining local control, investing in the cooperative and protecting the balance sheet. 

All employee teams involved in the process recommended to move forward with the member vote to the boards.

Opportunities for members to obtain more information and ask questions have also been scheduled. A meeting has set for Wednesday, April 26 at 6 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus in Larned for Pawnee County Co-op members.

A meeting for Golden Valley Inc. members has been scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, April 27 at the Rozel Community Center.