The Andersons, Inc. announced that it has entered into a merger agreement with Lansing Trade Group, LLC, its long-time affiliate, to acquire the 67.5% of Lansing equity that it does not already own for cash and stock currently valued at a total of approximately $305 million. In addition to paying approximately $175 million in cash, the Company will issue unregistered shares to current Lansing equity holders presently valued at approximately $130 million, subject to certain closing adjustments and changes in the share price of Andersons stock, respectively. The transaction will also result in the consolidation of Thompsons Limited of Ontario, Canada and related entities as they have been jointly owned by Lansing and the Company. The Company will assume approximately $166 million of long-term debt, consisting of up to $130 million from Lansing and about $36 million from Thompsons. The implied purchase price is less than 9 times EBITDA for the twelve months ended August 31, 2018. Lansing will be integrated with The Andersons’ Grain Group, and the combined operation will be jointly led by Corey Jorgenson, President of The Andersons Grain Group, and Bill Krueger, President and CEO of Lansing Trade Group. “This acquisition creates a grain business of highly complementary assets with greater scale that significantly expands our reach in the agricultural marketplace,” said Pat Bowe, President and CEO of The Andersons. “We firmly believe the union of these core agricultural businesses will allow us to compete more successfully, provide greater value across an expanded platform, and grow more profitably. The new, larger organization will provide significant career opportunities for our employees,” Bowe continued. Founded in Maumee, Ohio, in 1947, The Andersons is a diversified company rooted in agriculture, conducting business across North America in the grain, ethanol, plant nutrient and rail sectors. And Lansing Trade Group is focused on the movement of physical commodities including grains, feed ingredients, energy products, and freight within North America and internationally.