The beginning of April marks the halfway point for your cooperative’s fiscal year. Except for our feed division, which operates in a high paced environment year-round, many of our divisions are ready for their busy season to kick into high gear. The changing season is the unofficial start to the busiest time of year for your cooperative. Our 11 full-service agronomy locations are now ready to put their winter’s worth of planning and preparation into action. With a little fertilizer already hitting the ground in some areas, soon every location will be buzzing with all hands on deck. In the next few weeks your cooperative will ramp up to the peak employee numbers for the year.
For our energy division the end of March is the unofficial end to the heating season. While too soon to accurately measure the financial performance of any division within the cooperative, we can step back and review how we did operationally this past season. After a great deal of planning and training, and significant investments into technology, this past winter our LP division began utilizing a new routing system. The goal is to more accurately and efficiently manage the logistics of delivering over 16 million gallons of propane to our member’s tanks. We have already seen positive results from not only an efficiency standpoint, but also a reduced number of emergency deliveries and out of gas situations. As a company that values safety above all else, we are very pleased with the early results of this new system.
The board of directors was also busy in March holding their annual long-range planning session. For two days they listened and worked with division leaders on a few of the strategic goals and strategies that will be implemented to help guide future success for your cooperative. These sessions are important for future planning, but also a great opportunity for the board and management team to openly discuss new ideas, current operations, and future opportunities. As we progress through the year, the board will use these sessions to help measure if we are on track to reach our goals.
As we move into April and begin to put the past months of planning into action, this is the time for a friendly reminder about spring safety. Long days and unpredictable weather delays can lead to a lot of stress and anxiety, especially as it relates to getting the crop in the ground. Unfortunately, this can lead to accidents and more delays. Please pay special attention over the next several months to farm equipment pulling in and out of the fields and wide loads coming around the corner or over the next hill. To our producer members, be extra careful this spring. Get plenty of rest, eat right, take a short walk to unwind, and if you get behind give us a call and we’ll do what we can to help.
As always, thank you for your continued support! Have a very Happy Easter.
