Who Owns Cenex?

The brand's ancestor is the Farmers Union Central Exchange, founded in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1931 to pool fuel and supply purchasing for Depression-era farm cooperatives. The Exchange built its own petroleum operations and became one of the largest cooperative fuel suppliers in the Upper Midwest, supplying diesel, gasoline, and lubricants to farm families through a network of local member cooperatives.

In 1983 the Exchange merged with FS Services and adopted the name Cenex, a contraction of Central Exchange. The Cenex shield became a fixture on rural highways across the Dakotas, Montana, Minnesota, and neighboring states, standing for cooperative-branded fuel and farm lubricants. Through the 1990s the brand expanded its store formats into convenience retail, adding food service and roadside amenities while keeping the cooperative supply chain intact.

When Cenex merged with Harvest States Cooperatives in 1998, the combined company was briefly named Cenex Harvest States before becoming CHS Inc. in 2003. The Cenex name was retained for the energy retail brand specifically because of its recognition in rural markets, even as the corporate name moved on.

Under CHS the brand gained refinery backing through the Laurel, Montana and McPherson, Kansas facilities, and the network settled at roughly 1,400 branded locations across 19 states. CHS continues to invest in Cenex, including a refreshed store design and the Cenex Zip Trip convenience format, positioning the brand for both fuel and food service.