THE CLIENT: Agricultural Services Retailer

THE CHALLENGE

DynAgra Corp. is a family-owned independent agricultural services retailer based in southern Alberta with four locations. At a facilitated organizational brainstorming session in 2004, it was determined the company’s biggest challenge was moving from a commodity-based retailer to a provider of value-added services, many of which were currently being bundled into the sale of products such as fertilizers, chemicals and seed. The organization did not have the expertise or the time for this re-engineering of its approach to market, so the CEO contacted a Principal of The Osborne Group to see if he could provide assistance, who in turned referred a colleague with a business development background.

THE ASSIGNMENT

Under contract, DynAgra brought aboard The Osborne Group Principal as its Director of Marketing two days per week, beginning in January 2005. The initial Principal worked with the client on customer and product segmentation that would enable it to target higher margin services to the appropriate prospects while re-thinking its approach to the strictly transactional customer.

In addition, the Principal managed an initiative undertaken through a joint venture partnership with a similar Saskatchewan-based company.

THE CONCLUSION

Two-and-a-half years after the initial mandate began, The Osborne Group continues to assist this client’s growth and its ability to compete effectively in a revitalized industry sector which features consolidation and competition from manufacturers attempting to vertically integrate.