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Mid-County
Spring
Messenger
INSIDE:
Page 2 - 3 Energy
Page 4 - 5 Agronomy
Page 6 - Auto, Truck, & Tire
Spring 2020 • Vol. 37
www.midcountycoop.com
Learning from the past and leading to a strong future
Thanks to those who attended our
Annual Meeting in December, we had
another great turnout! If you were able to
attend, I am sure you are pleased with the
fi nancial performance of your coop.
Together we survived another propane
crop
drying season that we haven’t
General Manager
experienced
in several years. We are glad
(952) 466-3721
[email protected]
that we were in a position that none of our
customers had to shut down their crop
dryers. It is our hope and intention that this is always the case.
Bill Reimers,
One department we are always investing time and money into
is our Agronomy division.
Back in the 70’s, Mid-County customers typically applied
Anhydrous, and then used a bagged fertilizer as a starter at
planting to compliment manure applications. We then added
a blending facility to accommodate increased fertilizer usage
and customized fertilizer programs. Anhydrous is still available
but has now taken a back seat to Urea. We haven’t had the fi eld
conditions in the past few growing seasons to apply Anhydrous
in a timely manner.
In the 80’s, Mid-County was one of the fi rst companies in the
state to own a multi-bin variable rate fertilizer machine. As crude
as they were initially, it got the job done. The box and technology
were actually designed in Waconia by a company called Soil Teq.
Many equipment manufacturers were very skeptical of this type
of machine, but now they are commonplace at almost every
dealership.
Our dry fertilizer blending systems have been updated several
times throughout the years to adapt to changes and faster
planting. Now we can typically load a semi tender in less than 15
minutes. Our challenge has been with the switch from Anhydrous
to Urea. The tonnage capacity of our dry fertilizer facility now has
to be managed better. Factor in the inconsistency of bringing up
fertilizer on the river in the spring, we have to buy fertilizer that is
not river dependent. We are getting closer every year to adding
more dry fertilizer storage and are in the process of identifying
our future needs.
Being a single location Agronomy facility does make it a bit
diffi cult to compete with other companies that have several
locations, and it takes a lot of work to remain competitive in the
price arena. The area we excel in is our ability to serve farms of all
sizes, and with our experienced staff to arrive on time and do the
job right.
It is no secret that the trade area we serve does not have the
expansive fi elds that southern Minnesota or the Red River Valley
have. But we still have productive, if not more productive soils.
Our fi eld sizes take more time in a day to get the work done, so
we must have proper staff and equipment to maintain our high
level of service.
Regardless of intentions, results are what make a great
company. In the case of the transformation of our Waverly Holiday
Store, the sales numbers have exceeded our expectations. With
a dramatic sales increase, we are still trying to get our arms
around the business to off er great customer service, and increase
profi tability.
The Cologne Store has also undergone an interior refresh
recently, with the addition of the new Holiday Coff ee program
giving the new modern look the consumer is looking for.
We are looking forward to a great spring. And as always, I
appreciate your comments and suggestions to make your coop
better.
Mid-County Coop Interior upgrades at Holiday of Cologne
700 Lake Street W, Cologne, MN • (952) 466-3700 409 Paul Ave S, Cologne, MN • (952) 466-5657