Agtech company Solinftec expands strategic partnership with Ceres Solutions Cooperative for improved custom application services

Building on its recent momentum in North America, Solinftec, a global leader in agricultural digitalization, is expanding its partnership with Ceres Solutions to improve the efficiency and sophistication of its custom application services.

Ceres Solutions, a farmer-owned cooperative based out of Crawfordsville, Indiana, began collaborating with Solinftec in 2019, piloting Solinftec’s software solution to enhance its custom application services for its customers in Indiana.  

Pleased with the feedback from the team and customers, Ceres is increasing the number of retail locations using Solinftec by four times. With this expansion, Solinftec will be available at multiple Ceres retail sites across Indiana as well as Michigan.

“Ceres Solutions is a trusted and respected co-op, and they are an invaluable partner for Solinftec,” said Ben Brame, head of product, US. “When we first partnered with Ceres, we made it a priority to understand their existing workflow and work together to identify opportunities for greater efficiency. We made several substantial improvements to the solution as a direct result of what we learned together from reviewing their data and insights from their team. We look forward to having an even bigger impact on their business with this expansion and through continued collaboration.”

Moving forward, Solinftec will support Ceres Solutions’ complex custom application service, with its diverse fleet of AGCO, John Deere and CNH equipment, as well as tender trucks.

“The adoption of technology across agriculture is moving at a rapid pace and it’s imperative that we enable our team at Ceres with the best tools to serve our customers as efficiently as possible,” said Drew Garretson, director of digital experience at Ceres Solutions. “Expanding our partnership with Solinftec helps us enhance and digitize our customer experience, as a part of our bigger strategy to provide top-level service for the farmers we serve.”

Solinftec’s AI-driven scheduling seamlessly integrates with Ceres Solutions’ work order system, so the team can simplify and streamline the dispatching of machines in the field. Beyond dispatching, Solinftec’s solution provides live insights for their entire fleet.

“From the first day of working with Ceres Solutions, it was evident that they were already running an efficient operation,” said Taylor Wetli, regional sales specialist for Solinftec. “But with Solinftec’s help, they’ve been able to improve their efficiency even more, including their communication – eliminating a lot of unnecessary back and forth between the office and the fields.”

Additionally, Solinftec will help streamline the complexities of compliance for Ceres and create a consistent source of record, by performing auto-label checks and compliance documentation which considers weather conditions.

“Beyond the business benefits of Solinftec, the technology will help accelerate the success and improve the daily lives of applicators who are in the fields every day,” said Ryan Kochert, agronomy operations manager for Ceres Solutions West Point Branch. “With Solinftec, we can better manage our staff’s schedules, giving them more insight into when their workday will begin and end, which helps improve their work-life balance and hopefully allows them to spend more time with their families.”

In 2019, Solinftec established its North American headquarters at the Purdue Research Park in West Lafayette, Indiana. The company’s initial research in the U.S. highlighted the potential to more than double the average acreage covered by one sprayer in a season. From its offices in Indiana, Solinftec developed its software solution, which uses AI and machine learning to create the most efficient daily schedules and routes for a fleet by integrating information such as work orders, weather forecasts, real time equipment and weather data and agronomic data. This information is then communicated in real time to the custom applicator, the tender truck driver, the dispatch office and the sales agronomist.

“We are happy to be able to partner with an Indiana-based ag technology company like Solinftec to accelerate the adoption of agricultural innovation in the state of Indiana,” said Garretson.