Thursday, February 25, 2-4 pm at the Dahlgreen Golf Course, 6940 Dahlgren Rd. Chaska, MN 55318.

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“I think I only missed six meetings in my entire career,” Wanous said. “I tried to make every one.”

In 1976, Wanous was nominated to the board of directors by the driver that delivered fuel oil to Wanous’ home.
“I went to the annual meeting, and all of a sudden I was elected,” he laughed. That initial three-year term was the start of several years as Mid-County Coop’s board president, and later, vice president.

“It was very interesting and rewarding,” Wanous said, explaining that he liked finding solutions to problems and watching the company change and grow.
At first, Wanous was on the board at MN Victoria Oil. In 1998, the company merged with Mid-County Coop of Cologne. “When we merged, Victoria was a small coop and Mid-County was a large coop,” Wanous said. “It was a fantastic move on both parts.”

In addition to his service at Mid-County, Wanous was also a post office worker for 30 years. Wanous and his wife, Betty, have three adult children and eight grandchildren. Their son, Duane, lives on the family farm in Silver Lake.

In 2006, Wanous and Betty sold their property in Excelsior and purchased a modular home on the farm. The move came just in time, because Wanous was diagnosed with cancer shortly after. Being close to family helped make chemotherapy treatments much easier. “The good Lord blessed us,” Wanous said.
Since 2006, Wanous has suffered from prostate and bone cancer. He was recently diagnosed with leukemia, as well, but keeps an enthusiastic and joyful attitude. “It doesn’t do much to cry,” he said.

Wanous finds enjoyment in nature, and he especially loves to watch the birds near his country home. “Betty has all kinds of bird feeders out here,” he said. Last year, eight bluebirds hatched on their property.

It’s clear that Wanous will be greatly missed at Mid-County Coop. “I had a fantastic farewell party,” Wanous said. “The board members in Cologne have been fantastic to work with.”

Eastman, a dedicated Mid-County customer, brings years of management experience to the Mid-County Coop board. He has lived on the Marsh Lake Hunting Club property since 1981, and has been general manager there since 2001.

“I feel that I’m always fair with people, and I listen to people’s needs,” Eastman said. “My job as a board member will be to help make sure everything’s running smoothly.”

In addition to his three-year term with Mid-County, Eastman is also actively involved in the community. He participates in the Lion’s Club, teaches firearm safety training, and hosts a free conservation day each year at the hunting club.

Eastman grew up in Fridley and graduated from Coon Rapids High School. He attended the University of Minnesota, Crookston, earning a degree in natural resources. Eastman started working at the hunting club as a seasonal guide during college. In 1986, he became the assistant manager and dog trainer.

Eastman’s wife, Wendy, grew up on the Marsh Lake Hunting Club property. “That’s how we met,” Eastman said. “I ended up marrying the boss’s daughter.” Eastman and Wendy have two sons. Riley, 22, recently graduated from college, and Jared, 20, is attending the University of Minnesota, Duluth.

In his spare time, Eastman enjoys participating in an archery league, fishing, and hunting. “Duck hunting is probably my favorite,” Eastman said, adding that he also enjoys deer, turkey, and pheasant hunting.

Including Eastman, there are currently seven people serving on the Mid-County Coop board of directors. Mid-County Coop was founded in 1935 as a petroleum product supplier for Carver County. Throughout the years, Mid-County’s services have expanded to include a convenience store, a complete agronomy division, a widely expanded energy division, propane delivery service, and an auto, truck, and tire center.

Templin, who started at Mid-County Dec. 14, is already enjoying his work, which includes inventory, billing, and other administration tasks.

“I’m pretty much right where I want to be,” he said. “I’ve always enjoyed the paperwork and data entry.” Before coming to Mid-County Agronomy, Templin had been the location manager for Hutchinson Co-op. Templin had been at the same company since 1976, although he worked in different locations and the company had a few name changes. He had been the location manager at what had previously been Glencoe Butter and Produce for more than 25 years.

For Templin, a career in the agronomy industry was a perfect fit. “I grew up on a farm,” he said. “This was as close as I could get without actually farming.”

Templin’s father owned a dairy farm near Plato. Templin, who graduated from Glencoe High School in 1968, cash cropped on 80 acres before starting his career. “I enjoy working with the customers and farmers,” Templin said, adding that he also likes visiting with fertilizer and chemical representatives.

“I really enjoy the new technology that keeps coming down the road,” he said. Templin has taken several agronomy classes, management courses, and training sessions to stay up-to-date on current issues. He has also been a certified crop advisor.

When he’s not working, Templin enjoys spending time with his wife, Diane, as well as his two children and two grandchildren. His granddaughter, Chloe, and grandson, Riley, are both 2 years old. “They were born nine days apart,” Templin said.

Templin’s hobbies include hunting, fishing, and classic cars. He owns a 1971 Chevy El Camino and a 1957 Chevy Bel Air.

“I like the teamwork and working with the staff,” said Aritt, whose first day was Dec. 1. “1 also like the direct contact with farmers.”

Aritt grew up in Winsted, graduating from Holy Trinity High School in 1975. He dairy fanned in southern Wright County for 20 years before switching to the agronomy services industry. For the past eight years, Aritt has been working in agronomy management positions at co-ops in Minnesota. Most recently, he was the plant manager for a co-op in Lake City.

Aritt has a wide range of professional training, such as business management courses through Cenex Harvest States, and agronomy courses through the University of Minnesota. For Aritt, the most interesting aspect of his training has been learning about new chemicals and technology.

At Mid-County, Aritt hopes to build a relationship with current customers and pick up new clients.

Aritt is currently renting a house, and plans to purchase a country home in the Belle Plaine or New Prague area. Aritt’s wife, Mary, has family living in Faribault, so it will be nice to be closer to them, Aritt said. Aritt and Mary have a son, Brandon, who is an electrician, and a daughter, Dominique, who is training to be a medical assistant.

Aritt is an outdoor sportsman whose hobbies include fishing, snowmobiling, and camping with family and friends. Aritt and Mary also have two horses that they enjoy riding in their spare time.

Since December 2008, Mid-County has owned the fixed base route portion of Mayer Distributing in Long Lake. So far, it’s been an arrangement that’s benefited all our customers. Mid-County has now also acquired the lubricants, construction, and commercial fueling division of Mayer Distributing, and is proud to have you as a customer. We plan to serve you with the same personalized, family-style service you’ve grown accustomed to at Mayer Distributing.

By serving a larger area and having more trucks on the road, we’ve been able to work efficiently and cost-effectively.
In today’s tough economy, we understand that it’s more important than ever to provide our customers with affordable prices and superior service.

Mid-County offers a wide variety of fuel products, and now many choices of lubricants, oils, and greases.

Please support us in bringing you quality lubricants and fuels, and we look forward to serving you with honesty, integrity and value.

Best regards,
Bill Reimers
Mid-County Co-op