Business Description

The Andersons, Inc. (the "Company") is a leading, nimble North American agriculture and renewable fuels company. Founded in Maumee, Ohio in 1947, the Company is a significant player in the North American agricultural and renewable fuels supply chains. Segment Descriptions The Company's operations are classified into two reportable business segments: Agribusiness and Renewables. Both of these segments are organized based upon the nature of products and services offered and aligns with the management structure. See Note 10 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 for information regarding business segments. Agribusiness The Agribusiness segment is a diversified business focusing on capturing profits through relationships with agricultural producers and end users as both a supplier and customer. This includes merchandising and managing logistics across a wide range of commodities as well as being a manufacturer, distributor, and retailer of agricultural and related plant nutrients. The segment specializes in the movement of physical commodities such as: whole grains, grain products, feed ingredients and domestic fuel products among other agricultural commodities. The Company has a broad geographic footprint with a diversified portfolio of physical commodities, although the principal commodities sold by the Company are corn, wheat and soybeans. Exported commodity sales are made both through intermediaries and direct shipments to foreign countries. We also handle bulk agricultural fertilizers, produce specialized high-value nutrient products, and service a variety of industrial and consumer markets with related products. In support of our commodity handling activities, Agribusiness also operates grain elevators across the United States and Canada where income is earned on commodities bought and sold through the elevator, commodities that are purchased and conditioned for resale, and commodities that are held in inventory until a future period, earning an elevation margin. Elevation margins consist of appreciation in the basis value of commodities held, which represents the difference between the cash price of a commodity in one of the Company's facilities and an exchange traded futures price (“basis”); appreciation or depreciation between different futures exchange contract months (“spread”); and commodities stored for others upon which storage fees are earned. The segment's asset-based grain handling business is seasonal in nature in that the largest portion of the principal grains are harvested and delivered from the farm and commercial elevators typically in July for wheat and September through November for corn and soybeans; however, depending on market conditions a significant portion of the principal grains may also be bought, sold and handled throughout the year. Fixed price purchase and sale commitments as well as commodities held in inventory, expose the Company to risks related to adverse changes in market prices. Grain prices are typically comprised of two components, futures prices on regulated commodity exchanges and local basis adjustments. The Company manages the futures price risk by entering into exchange-traded futures and option contracts with regulated commodity exchanges. These regulated commodity exchanges maintain futures markets for the grains merchandised by the Company. Futures prices are determined by worldwide supply and demand. The business also offers a number of unique grain marketing, risk management and origination services to its customers and ethanol plants within the Renewables segment for which it collects fees. The Company competes in the sale of commodities and nutrient inputs with other public and private grain brokers, farm retailers, elevator operators and farmer owned cooperatives. Some of the Company's competitors are also its customers.