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Laurens
Corporate Office
5057 Highway 3 West, Cherokee, IA 51012 Phone 712-225-5400 • Toll Free 877-753-5400 • Fax 712-225-5493 | The Laurens branch of First Cooperative Association had its beginning in 1907 as the Farmers Trading Company. In that year, a group of farmers set out to organize a farmer-owned elevator to remedy the unsatisfactory grain market in Laurens. Seven thousand dollars worth of stock was sold and the Farmers Trading Company was set up as a corporation. The Wells-Howard Elevator was bought for approximately $3,000.00. Our present elevator exists on that original site. In 1915, a wood elevator was built just east of the original elevator. In 1918, the old elevator was torn down and the present concrete elevator built in its place. The wood elevator burned in 1927. In 1937, the older feed mill was built, complete with grinder, mixer, huller and a big diesel motor generator.
In 1946, the elevator was reorganized into a cooperative, known as the Farmers Cooperative Elevator Company.
In 1948, the steel elevator on the Rock Island Railroad was built. In 1950, the first grain dryer was installed. In 1953, the lumberyard was purchased and in 1954, our name was changed to Farmers Cooperative Elevator and Lumber Company. The flat storage (bag feed wholesale) on the Rock Island Railroad was built in 1955. The Piper Elevator was purchased in 1956. In 1957, a new hammermill was installed. The flat storage on the CNW Railroad was constructed in 1958. The new feedmill addition was added in 1961. The fertilizer plant was purchased in 1964. Concrete storage for 250,000 bushels of grain in 1969, as well as the east part of the existing office. The lumberyard inventory was sold in 1972, and the building utilized for storage. In 1975, the Carter-Day dryer was constructed. The four newest concrete tubes were erected in 1976, increasing our storage capacity by 386,000 bushels. In 1998 the dryer was resheeted. Laurens got a new floater for fertilizer in 1999.
In 1975, our name was changed back to Farmers Cooperative Elevator Company. In 1980, the refined fuels portion of Richardson's Service was purchased. This service provided fuel and gas delivery and a complete of oils, greases and TBA products.
As a cooperative, the business has steadily increased since its organization in 1946. On October 1, 1990, Farmers Cooperative Elevator Company merged with Farmers Cooperative Association of Marathon. On March 1, 1997, we became First Cooperative Association. At its peak, the Laurens location had 14 full-time employees. Currently there are 6 full-time employees that work at this location.
Services offered are: - Grain handling (1.4 million bushel storage capacity)
- Custom grind/mix/deliver feed (primarily LOL)
- Fertilizer & Chemical sales and custom application
- Seed
- Petroleum (delivered from Marathon)
- Oils & Grease
- Cardtrol
- LP bottle gas fill
Roger Nuehring
Branch Manager  Roger Nuehring
rnuehring@firstcoop.com
Fertilizer Line
Brett Bargloff,
bbarglof@firstcoop.com |  |
400 Walnut Street
Laurens, IA 50554
Main Line
712-841-4566
FAX Line 712-841-2037
Fertilizer Line
712-841-2409
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