Merger of Landmark and Countryside cooperatives approved Wisconsin State Farmer Members of the Countryside Cooperative approved the merger with Landmark Services Cooperative effective March 1. According to a news release, the new cooperative will serve more than 26,000 members, employ over 800 people (includes full-time, part-time and seasonal), and generate annual sales in excess of $600 million. The combined organization will be headquartered in Cottage Grove, WI, and the cooperatives will continue to maintain operations and staff at multiple locations. “The management team at Countryside is pleased that our member producers voted yes on the merger with Landmark Services Cooperative,” said Countryside CEO Frank Brenner. “When I came to Countryside in 2014, I made the statement that by 2020, our cooperative would need to achieve $500 million in sales to continue being a viable long-term business to serve our members while remaining profitable. The formation of this new company provides both cooperatives the size and scale needed to achieve this strategic objective to remain relevant well into the future.”