Spring 2023 • Vol . 42

Bill Reimers General Manager ( 952 ) 466-3721 billr @ midcountycoop . com

Focus on what you do best

Focus on what you do best . That is the direction we are heading at our shop .

Our truck business has been on an upward pattern for several years and the clientele has been growing . The automotive sector on the other hand has been declining . As you well know , the labor market has changed significantly , and access to trained Auto Technicians has left many repair shops in a very difficult position . There are so few young people going into the automotive field . The few that are choosing that career path are signed on by car dealers long before we have a chance to hire them . Given that , we are moving our focus to truck repair , and will refer our existing automotive customers to a reputable shop that will meet your needs . We will still continue with DOT inspections , truck alignments , truck tires , farm & implement tires , and general truck repair . There is a more detailed article within

the newsletter to better explain the direction we are going .

Energy

Energy prices have been following a much more traditional pattern than what we experienced last year . It appears most of the “ Russia / Ukraine ” conflict is built into current pricing . That is not to say if the conflict escalates , that prices will not rise . The chances of $ 1 increases in a week like we experienced last year are probably unlikely . There is always a remote chance that a peaceful settlement may happen where prices could move lower . I have felt for quite some time that a person should not put all their eggs in one basket , meaning do not buy in 100 % of your future needs at one time . Buy the dips in the market and leave some room for future purchases .

Agronomy

We are very excited for the upcoming Agronomy season . With a new dry fertilizer facility with one year behind us , and the new application equipment we have for the spring , we are in a great position to be even better than before with our application services .

Holiday

YOU ’ RE IN

Mid-County

CONTENT :

Page 2 - Energy Page 3 - Agronomy Page 4 - Member Spotlight Page 5 - Holiday of Cologne Page 6 - Holiday of Waverly Page 7 - Mid-County Careers

www . midcountycoop . com

The convenience stores did not experience much growth in the gasoline and fuels area in the past year . Higher prices at the pump definitely have an impact on the consumers purchases . The other items we sell held their own , and we were fortunate to maintain our existing customer base . As you may know Holiday Stationstores sold out to Circle K a few years back . They have informed us the transition to the new Circle K image happen in the next few years , but as of this time we are unsure when it will happen to our stores .

As always , I appreciate your comments to improve your coop .

( 952 ) 466-3700 • 888-466-3700 • 700 Lake Street West , P . O . Box 177 , Cologne