Plantro and former Ag Growth CEO Tim Close are urging the Winnipeg-based farm-equipment maker to appoint two new board members—Close and FinVentures acting CEO Neil Desai—to oversee a strategic review and potential sale of the company. Plantro and Close, who together own about 10 per cent of Ag Growth’s outstanding shares—argue a sale is the company’s best chance at maximizing shareholder value. (The Logic)

Talking point: The move escalates a campaign that began earlier this year after Ag Growth delayed financial results tied to problems in its Brazilian operations that prompted regulators to halt trading in the company’s shares and triggered leadership changes. Plantro has deployed a similar playbook elsewhere. Its campaign at Information Services Corporation led to a sale process and multiple takeover bids, while at Dye & Durham, it pursued a takeover bid that was later withdrawn, sparking an ongoing legal dispute. Ag Growth responded to Plantro’s bid Wednesday by saying shareholders will decide the board’s composition at the annual meeting, adding that management remains focused on its restructuring plan.