Pinnacle Progress

SERVING EXCELLENCE
PROGRESS
FALL 2014
ECXE G
INSIDE
PG 8: STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE
PG 20: EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION PICNIC
JD 333E
JD 332E
TIOGA COLOR DASH
Ready to work…
wherever & whenever
you are.
JD 304K
7
CONTENTS | FEATURES
14
20
22
Run in some pretty
tight circles.
4
Big productivity in
a compact package.
6
A RETIREE’S PERSPECTIVE
Gary Koschmeder
Departing CEO, New Retiree
CREDIT WHERE CREDIT
IS DUE
15
15
Lynn Petz
Credit Manager
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JD 60G
8
12
14
ENERGY NEWS
Tim Cornett
Energy Manager
16
COVER CROPS
Alan Svangstu
Agronomist, Tioga
FUSARIUM HEAD BLIGHT
John Frise
Agronomist, Stanley
Lynn Petz
Credit Manager
18
COMING FALL OF 2016
PINNACLE AGRONOMY
20
EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION
PICNIC
Mitchell Whyte
Agronomy Manager
TIOGA AGRONOMY NEWS
Garret Groves
Agronomist, Tioga
ANNUAL MEETING
Lynn Petz
Credit Manager
EDITOR: LYNN PETZ
COVER PHOTO PROVIDED BY MITCHELL WHYTE
gooseneckimplement.com
Dan Digman
Systems Administrator
25
BUILDING A WEBSITE
26
HAPPY RETIREMENT
Patrick M. Keefe
Special Projects
Lynn Petz
Credit Manager
Mitchell Whyte
Agronomy Manager
Selena Hamiliton
AR Specialist
22
TECH CORNER
WE THE PEOPLE
STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE
Rory Gjestvang
C-Store Operations Manager
24
ADVERTISERS
2
GOOSENECK IMPLEMENT
11
PINNACLE GRAIN BINS
13
WILBUR-ELLIS ®
28
PINNACLE CLOTHING
DEPARTMENTS
PINNACLE PROGRESS IS PUBLISHED BY RESULTS UNLIMITED MARKETING & ADVERTISING FOR PINNACLE. FOR ADVERTISING
INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT CASSIE NEUHARTH AT 800.361.3264. GRAPHICS BY RESULTS UNLIMITED, 800.361.3264, WWW.RESULTS-UNLIMITED.COM
FALL 2014
33
A
RETIREE’S
PERSPECTIVE
“THANKS TO PINNACLE AND ALL WHO
MADE MANAGING PINNACLE THE MOST EXCITING
AND EXHILARATING JOB I EVER HAD.”
T
he five and a half years I have
spent managing Pinnacle have been
Gary Koschmeder
an intensity and busyness that have
DEPARTING CEO,
NEW RETIREE
effectively erased from my memory
bank the twenty-two years that I managed in Worthington,
Minnesota and Waukon, Iowa. Also, it could be that my
memory is slipping with age!
The whirlwind of co-op activity at the small communities
around Stanley and Tioga over the past five years would
certainly present an interesting and unique case study about
the dynamics of business growth in the booming oil fields of
North Dakota.
4
PINNACLE PROGRESS
It is very appropriate that a new name was chosen to
differentiate this exciting business model. I believe our
employees, our board and our customers are now coming
to understand that “Pinnacle” means business… “Serving
Excellence” business! A fine mess Farmers Union Oil
Company would be in today without having grasped the key
concepts of changing and growing to meet the needs of its
customers. The pace of growth and change in the agronomy
area has been substantial, even though it may not rival the
new oil field activity.
Looking at Pinnacle from a customer or member-owner
viewpoint has to be overwhelming to digest. The quiet and
easy-going co-op that was Farmers Union Oil, is today, a
fairly complex and sophisticated modern business that
models itself after other successful, larger co-ops and
businesses. Some might even say it is a very successful
model on its own.
Progress and growth has been so ramped up that very few
people realize how complex it is today, as it strives to meet
and be a leader in meeting the demands of its customers.
As one new board member said, “This is a lot more
complicated than I imagined.” It certainly is!
It is a great feeling to know that Pinnacle has a number of
strong and excellent key management leaders. They seek
to work as a team and to manage their areas in a very
professional and best business practice manner. Sometimes
they have had to learn as they grow, because Pinnacle is
never stagnant. Pinnacle is not a workplace for employees
that are resistant to progress. The ability to grow and seize
opportunities has been the key to what has been a success
story that co-ops across the entire state and further away
envy and admire.
around $35 million to over $350 million. He has the
experience of going through those growing pains and was
able to build one of the showcase co-ops in the entire
Midwest. He will share new perspectives with your board
that will serve them well as they select and move forward
with a new CEO; a search that will bring Pinnacle a CEO
that will have skills to lead your co-op to more success
for several years.
As has been the case (and the secret of Pinnacle’s
success), when a key person or manager has left Pinnacle,
their replacement has usually brought an even better set
of skills to the position. I am very confident that this will
be the case with your new CEO.
By the time you read this, I will have retired and moved to
join my wife in Harpers Ferry, Iowa. You may have already
met Larry Swalheim, who will be doing a short interim as
CEO. I asked the board, several months ago, to consider
having Larry come and spend a few months with Pinnacle
to give the board and key managers some additional insight
into operating and being the best business model that
Pinnacle can be.
Thanks to Pinnacle and all who made managing Pinnacle
the most exciting and exhilarating job I have ever had.
What a way to close out a career in co-ops! A very special
thank you to the employees who were the real backbone
of Pinnacle’s success and from whom I felt tremendous
support. It would have been too overwhelming of a task
to consider without that support. Thanks to board
members whose support and leadership were equally
important.
Larry is the retired CEO of a large Wisconsin co-op he
shepherded for 20 very successful years, growing it from
In the end, it’s the people working in and for this co-op that
have made it “the Pinnacle of Success.”
FALL 2014
5
CREDIT
WHERE CREDIT
IS DUE
“IF YOU NEED PROPANE MAINTENANCE OR CHANGES,
PLEASE CALL US TO DO IT FOR SAFETY/LIABILITY REASONS.”
A
fter three years heading up the
Pinnacle propane area, I was asked to
manage Pinnacle’s Energy Department.
I have met many of you, but to
Tim Cornett
ENERGY MANAGER
introduce myself again, my name is
Tim Cornett. Prior coming to Pinnacle, for 20 years my
background was mostly in propane management in
Wisconsin. My wife, Jennie, teaches kindergarten in Stanley
and my son TJ is one of the managers of the Pinnacle Travel
Plaza in Tioga. My other son, Josh, works for a local oilfield
service.
“I THOUGHT IT WAS TIME TO LET YOU IN ON SOME INSIDER
INFORMATION REGARDING THE OFFICE AND WHAT WE DO.”
W elcome to the tenth issue of our
magazine and the first article from the
Credit Department. In fact, it’s the first
Lynn Petz
CREDIT MANAGER
actual article to come out of the office.
Why, you ask? Well, because as a non-revenue producing
department (and we secretly hate that term), what we do
day-to-day reads like the phone book.
We may not produce revenue, but we save revenue, we
collect revenue, send taxes and patronage on revenue,
analyze revenue and get figures to department heads. We
also pay our bills with revenue. We’re actually a pretty big
deal around here; we’re just humble!
I thought it was time to let you in on some insider information
regarding the office and what we do.
We have had our own machine to make Cardtrol cards for a
while now, and if you need an extra card, a replacement card
or have never had a card, Selena Hamilton is your go-to girl.
Her official title is Accounts Receivable Specialist, but she
does so much more. She’s been our event planner from
company picnics or outings to the two Ladies Nights, and if
you called in your RSVP, you’ve spoken with her.
Our Controller, Cindy Stiller, is our chief number wizard. Not
only does she bring together accounts receivable, accounts
payable and the general ledger, she is also the person to
contact when it’s time to retire stock. To do this, call or visit the
office and one of our receptionists will get you the correct form.
6
PINNACLE PROGRESS
If you’ve turned 67 years old, the completed form is all you’ll
need. If the stock is part of an estate, a death certificate will
need to be attached. Once those are in the office, Cindy will
present them to the Board of Directors for approval and
when approved, a check will be cut.
Did you know that paying your bill at a location other than the
office, while convenient, will delay getting it posted to your
account for a few days? Your statement will show the check
received on the day you brought it in, but because all
“batches” of daily work from the C-Stores, Clothing
Departments and Business Center make their way to the
office to be entered and posted, we are always a few days
behind.
Pinnacle Energy is on the move with most of the accounting
staff moving back to the main office, while the rest of our
staff has moved into the west wing of the fertilizer plant
building in Stanley where we have our own truck repair
bays. Without our own mechanic we would struggle to
keep trucks on the road.
As our energy department continues to grow we are
constantly adjusting our structure and developing a
management team that can withstand the rigors of this
business. By December we will have completed a 450,000
gallon, state of the art, bottom loading bulk petroleum
plant. This triples our storage in Stanley and will give us
an additional tool to combat spot fuel outages that seem
to strike every year, usually #1 diesel in the winter.
Eventually the existing plant, that hugs our Bakken Central
C-Store, will be removed to make room for a much needed
store remodel/addition. Stanley and Tioga have each
added 30,000 gallon additional propane storage tanks
which will help Pinnacle better serve our customers when
supply gets tight or when we have demand surges.
It is our department’s desire to live up to Pinnacle’s tag line
of “Serving Excellence” for all your energy needs. Please
consider the pre-buy diesel program that we usually roll out
in January and February. Historically, summer fill propane
is a low price fill. Take advantage of it. To avoid price spikes
that occasionally surface, you may want to consider adding
additional storage, as well. Please consider Pinnacle for all
your energy needs. If you need propane maintenance or
changes, please call us to do it for safety/liability reasons.
Pinnacle can get you tanks up to 30,000 gallons or more
and even has rental tanks for some of our oil field customers.
Please give us a call.
S
W
E
N
Y
ENERG
This really won’t affect you unless you are right at your credit
limit. The fuel pumps will cut you off when you reach your
limit, causing you to say bad words because you paid your
bill two days ago!
If you’re in a crunch, the best option is to get your check to
the office, as ROA’s are posted each day. You can also give
me a call; it may be time for me to raise your limit. Some of
you have the same credit limit you had when you became a
customer, and today, it’s just not enough.
The bottom line about all the people in the office is that what
we do behind the scenes is designed to make your co-op
profitable, run smoothly and provide customer service that
leaves you satisfied, and hopefully smiling.
FALL 2014
7
STRIVING
FOR EXCELLENCE
UNDER ARMOUR ®
U nder Armour
clothing has been added to
our clothing line. Our customers have been
asking for this quality line and our employees
delivered. Under Armour® representatives made
a special trip to our stores and approved the
sites. They realized that we have something
special here in the Tioga and Stanley areas.
®
“...THE TIOGA TRAVEL PLAZA IS
STILL GROWING & CONTINUES
TO BE A HUGE SUCCESS.”
I
t has now been a year since
rolling out our new Doing Business As
Rory Gjestvang
name, Pinnacle, and our tag line,
C-STORE OPERATIONS
“Serving Excellence.” Of course our
MANAGER
aim has been this for years, but it’s
amazing how our employees have embraced our name and
tag line, and are proudly focusing their efforts to serving
excellence every day.
A very talented team of employees continues to perform the
daily duties at both C-Stores. Improvements in operation are
evident throughout the facilities. The fuel islands have been
swept and power washed. The dispensers have been relabeled
and new window wash buckets, with long-handled brushes,
help the customer clean their windows and make the day a
little brighter.
These Pinnacle-proud employees have a common philosophy:
“If we aren’t improving, we’re moving backwards!”
Our patrons and other customers must recognize our efforts,
as food sales at both Bakken Central and the Tioga Travel
Plaza continue to grow. Delicious home-style cooking has a
huge following of customers in the Bakken.
The North Dakota Lottery has been added to both our Stanley
Bakken Central and the Tioga Travel Plaza. The customers asked
for it, and we made it happen! Controls are in place so that the
customers are not delayed by the lottery transactions. An added
bonus is that you can check your lottery tickets by going to our
website, pinnaclend.com, and clicking on number “3” in the top
left box!
8
PINNACLE PROGRESS
DIESEL FUEL
PAYMENTS
O ur diesel fuel payment options have expanded,
with the addition of Trendar, a fuel payment terminal, to
add several payment options for the customer. These
include Comcheck, T-Check, TCH, EFS, Fuelman, Multi
Service and more.
MERCHANDISE
PROMOTIONS
P
innacle is adding Merchandise Promotions
to our daily lineup in both stores. Hot deals
being offered right now are t-shirts for $3.99,
electronic Coleman coolers for $99.99 (regularly
$199.99), lower oil prices and everyday low
prices on dozens of items. The deals are heating
up and will continue to heat up throughout the
remainder of 2014. Passing on great savings is
just a part of “Serving Excellence” for our valued
customers.
FALL 2014
9
Continuation from pages 8 & 9.
A TREMENDOUS
FIRST YEAR!
A NAME you can trust
...QUALITY you expect.
A fter a tremendous first year, the Tioga Travel Plaza is
Pinnacle
still growing and continues to be a huge success. The Hair
Pinn Salon is a recent addition, with cuts and colors among
the many things they offer. Walk-ins are welcome, but
making an appointment will assure you some time with one
of the two talented stylists.
Stronger by DeSign:
With the addition of mailboxes and Notary services, the
Business Center at the Travel Plaza offers more services
than ever. If you haven’t checked out what our Business
Center offers, now is the time to stop by and be impressed.
For the past two summers, the Stanley C-Store has
employed students from Serbia. They have been a great
asset and a pleasure to have here in Stanley. They will return
to Serbia in October and will be missed.
patrons and member-owners. Pinnacle wouldn’t be here
without you.
Speaking of employees, we’re proud of how they have
become involved in our two communities. Some of the
events they have been involved with are “Pick Up the Patch,”
“Color Dash,” both Fourth of July parades, 4-H and local
meetings. Pinnacle is committed to our region and will
continue to grow in the community.
A special thanks goes to all C-Store employees. You’ve met
or exceeded so many challenges to make our stores what
they are. I am so proud of all of you, and Pinnacle thanks
you for your service!
Thanks to the entire Pinnacle team! Working together as a
team has definitely brought improvements in day-to-day
operations. When all departments are working together to
help each other out, it’s exciting to watch the progress in our
hospitality, our service and in excellence served.
Finally, I have to extend a few thank you’s to those involved
in all this success. First, thank you to all of our customers,
MR.
TIRE
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Bin walls and roof entirely of 12-guage steel.
Superior wind resistance and durability.
4 welded tie-downs with superior anchoring design.
6” x 6” poke hole.
4” run site glasses ( 3 per bin).
Bottom cone manway access, 18” x 24” oval.
25” spring-return top fill opening
3/16” gauge legs and skids for superior strength.
Completely fabricated with pickled and oiled steel.
Sand-blasted inside and out for superior
paint adhesion.
Safety grip ladder rungs.
The heaviest slide gate assembly in industry.
More StanDarD FeatureS:
•
All the options you can ask for, more of what you need
at a standard price.
Look closely at the competition before you start to
add their “extras”.
MaDe in tHe uSa.
O ur Mr. Tire operation continues to serve excellence by being your
local one-stop shop for all your tire needs, tire repairs, quick oil changes
and vehicle batteries. We’re proud to remain a presence in downtown
Tioga, offering up our trusted brands and five-star service.
Rodney and his team are ready to take care of you with quality tire
brands like Hankook, Goodyear, Michelin and many more. They feature
a signature oil change service highlighting quality Cenex® oils, and we
have Century and Interstate brand batteries available.
Don’t forget to pick up your Loyalty Card for oil changes. Get the card
punched every time you get your oil changed, and when you have five
punches on your card you receive $25.00 off your next signature oil change.
10
PINNACLE PROGRESS
Phone: 701-628-3277
www.pinnaclend.com
Pinnacle Bins recommends that our customers anchor our bins on
concrete for the most secure, safe and reliable form of keeping your bin stable.
Crop Protection
Seed Deals
Agronomy
PINNACLE
Check with us for
the 6% discount for
early seed orders in
November!
Make sure all crop protection
products are stored inside for
the winter, especially Adjuvants
and water based products,
call if you are questioning
their freeze point!!
Reminder
Call today to schedule
fall soil sampling!
“AS ALWAYS, PLEASE CALL OR
STOP IN WITH ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS.”
H
ello from the Agronomy
Division! As always I hope this
Mitchell Whyte article finds you and your family in
AGRONOMY
good health. I would like to thank all
MANAGER
of our patrons for their support, as
it is looking like another very successful year in 2014 for
our division. We couldn’t do it without your business and
friendship. The future looks bright!
With the great success we have experienced in the past
few years, we have been adding more key staff to the
Agronomy Division. This winter Alan Svangstu was hired
as a Sales Agronomist for our Tioga location, as well as
John Frise for our Stanley location. John Baker is a
recent hire for the Agronomy Division. He will be working
in Tioga as an Operations Manager helping Garret and
Alan with the day-to-day activities. We will also be
attending a few career fairs at colleges throughout the
Midwest region this winter in hopes of recruiting some
interns for our new intern program. All of these staff
members are hired to help us keep our promise of Serving
Excellence to our patrons. So please help me in welcoming
all of our new additions, in hopes that they will continue to
help us grow.
The next seed order discount in November will be for 6%.
Call any of our Agronomists to discuss new varieties and
options, what worked and what didn’t work in 2014
season. I know soybeans are on the minds of a lot of our
patrons. The Pinnacle Agronomy staff has been analyzing
soybean varieties for the past three years and has some
great options for you.
As always, please call or stop in with any questions or
concerns. I look forward to the future of this co-op and am
proud to be a part of it! Enjoy the winter and stay warm!!
DEPENDABLE PERFORMANCE
FOR YOUR FARM
INTEGRA® Soybean varieties have
elite soybean genetics, selected for
high yield and performance. Contact
your local Wilbur-Ellis representative
for more information on INTEGRA
soybean varieties or other WilburEllis products and services.
Greg Engel | [email protected]
800-533-9326 | 701-852-5199
PHOTO BY NICK GIANETTI
12
PINNACLE PROGRESS
ag.wilburellis.com
For information only. Not a label. Prior to use, always read and follow the product label directions.
WILBUR-ELLIS Logo, Ideas to Grow With and INTEGRA are registered trademarks of Wilbur-Ellis Company.
K-0814-077
COVER CROPS
“COVER CROPS OF DIFFERENT TYPES
ADD TO THE OVERALL SOIL HEALTH IN DIFFERENT WAYS.”
M
TIOGA
AGRONOMY
NEWS
“THE BIGGEST GAIN IS HAVING ADDITIONAL OFFICE
SPACE TO MEET WITH GROWERS ON A ONE-ON-ONE LEVEL...”
G
reetings to our growers! I hope
you are all having a safe and prosperous
harvest season.
Garret Groves
I would like to take this time to thank
the growers who utilized our aerial
application service. The entire month of July the skies in the
area were filled with yellow airplanes, and I can tell you at
times the runways at both the Stanley and Tioga airports
were busier than some North Dakota commercial runways!
AGRONOMIST, TIOGA
Our new office project is now complete! We would like to
thank our Tioga growers for their patience in this process.
The new space has definitely been an asset to the Agronomy
Division here at Pinnacle. The biggest gain is having additional
office space to meet with growers on a one-on-one level to
discuss their on-farm needs.
Seed season is right around the corner. There are a few new
varieties on the market this year for canola, soybeans and
corn. If there is a variety that catches your eye or something
that your neighbor had that he may have mentioned over
coffee, let one of our Pinnacle Agronomists know and we
can get you the package size that best suits your farm. It
seems year in and year out there are shortages of certain
14
PINNACLE PROGRESS
varieties, if you ask for seed early, you will get what and how
much you need.
Soybeans have been a huge talking point amongst growers.
Knock on wood! They look very good thus far. We are a
ways away from a combine pulling into the field but pod
counts are ranging from 30-60, which is a good sign the
bushels will be there. A few varieties I will mention that may
be something that you may want to take a look at include
Asgrow® 00932 and 0134 along with CROPLAN® 0091.
With fall approaching please contact us for your fall fertility
needs as well. We will have our soil test pickup running
full-time so for any fields you question, let us know and we
can address the needs those fields may have. We have a
full-time dry fertilizer spreader at the Tioga location with the
ability to spread your urea and ammonium sulfate
requirements. We also have a sprayer in Tioga for your
burndown needs.
Please call and discuss any additional questions or concerns
you may have about fall field management in order to clean
up your fields for next season. Anything we can do now in
order to make things easier and more productive in the
spring is a plus. Have a safe and profitable harvest!
Alan Svangstu
y first season as a Pinnacle
Agronomist has been a busy one, and
it’s definitely been enjoyable getting to
know some of our current patrons and
establishing new relationships.
water permeability, nutrient management and microbes in
the soil. These all contribute to the overall “soil health” and
ultimately our crops.
For my first article in Pinnacle Progress, I’d like to discuss
cover crops. They’ve certainly gained a lot of attention in
recent times. It seems you can’t pick up a agriculture
magazine these days without someone talking about “soil
health.”
Cover crops of different types add to the overall soil health in
different ways. Individual field and farm goals determine the
cover crop or mixes to plant. We have many cover crops and
mixes available, which we can customize to your specific
needs. We even broadcast seeded some cover crop by plane
this year. It will be interesting to see how those fields respond.
I will be monitoring these fields and others.
There are many reasons cover crops are gaining acres in the
area: some include excessive moisture creating preventive
planting acres, saline (salt) soil management needs, soil tilth,
Visit me at the Tioga location or contact me anytime for your
agronomy needs. I look forward to continuing to work with
the Pinnacle team to serve excellence!
AGRONOMIST,
TIOGA
701-629-5657 • [email protected]
FUSARIUM HEAD BLIGHT
T
Hello! o those I’ve not met, my name is John Frise, an
Agronomist for Pinnacle at the Stanley location and I have
been here since April 1st.
A few weeks ago we finished our flowering spraying of wheat
and barley. Our relationship with Wilbur-Ellis® really helps
with this process as they are very professional flyers and
have over thirty planes to get the job done in a timely manner.
Timeliness is vital in spraying for head blight. Within three
days of seedhead emergence flowering begins and will last
for three to five days.
We must get that spraying done in the short period of preflowering to early flowering for wheat, and when 50% of the
seedheads emerge to beginning flowering in barley. That is
the time the two fusarium species (four in barley) can infect
your crop, causing yield loss and potentially the mycotoxin,
Deoxynivalenol, commonly called DON or Vomitoxin.
Spraying at bloom is one of several ways you can help to
control this disease. The other management techniques are
crop rotation, seed treatment, tillage, planting more resistant
varieties, timing of planting date (not always controllable)
and adjusting your combine blower to take out the lighter,
infected seed.
The photo below shows examples of
Winter Wheat taken in 2014. The
seedhead on the left is uninfected,
while the spike in the middle has two
visible infected spikelets and the
spike on the right is completely
infected with Fusarium Head Blight.
Note the mummified
seed in the head on
the right, and the sooty
head mold, a secondary
infection caused by the
FHB.
John Frise
AGRONOMIST,
STANLEY
If you have any questions
about Fusarium Head
Blight, spraying, the
economics of it or
timing, call us in Stanley
or Tioga. We can help
you
plan
for
a
successful future.
FALL 2014
15
JOHN FRISE
Frise is a third-generation
J ohn
Californian, descending from
some of the original 49’ers. We aren’t
talking football here, but pioneers who
came to California during the Gold
Rush! Gold for John these days
happens to be “amber waves of grain,” thanks to his
Agronomy degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in California.
e
W
e
l
p
o
e
P
the
John served in the Navy during the Vietnam Conflict, and
since then, he’s been busy working various agricultural jobs
in Kansas, and just before his move to Pinnacle, a co-op in
central North Dakota. John has also been busy raising eight
B
obbie Kucera comes from a
large family and spent much of her
childhood on a farm and a lake home
near Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. She and her husband, along
with their four children, came to us from International Falls,
Minnesota, where she held various jobs, including working
as a secretary for AEC Electric.
lan joined our Agronomy Department in early 2014
and is working out of our Tioga location. Alan grew up on a
crop and livestock producing farm in northwest North
Dakota, so the area that he covers is quite familiar to him.
Since his arrival, some of his “old” friends have become new
Pinnacle Agronomy customers.
Alan graduated from North Dakota State University in Fargo,
and has worked for over 16 years in the areas of plant
The Kuceras moved into this area in 2012 due to a great job
opportunity for her husband, and Bobbie soon found herself
working for Pinnacle, which she loves! Another bonus with
the move to Stanley is that family lives in the area.
Currently, Bobbie is one of the “voices” you’ll hear when you
call the office, and if you happen to come in, you’ll be treated
to her big smile. Their three children attend Stanley High
School, and the oldest just left for college. Bobbie says the
people out here are great, and she hopes to make Stanley a
permanent stay.
TODD
BUSCHE
LUKE
NEAL
L
uke Neal was born and raised in
the small town of Augusta, Montana,
with the mountains of the Bob Marshall
Wilderness rising in the west and the big-town lights of Great
Falls to the east. He comes to us with a Farmers Union
Co-op background and a love of agriculture and the outdoors.
He moved to North Dakota in March to further his career in
the co-op world.
Luke started his career with Pinnacle as our Accounts
Payable Specialist, and recently was promoted to a position
in the Agronomy Department. Luke has been a great addition,
having a great work ethic and an entertaining sense of humor!
He says he’s been very pleased with the opportunity to work
for Pinnacle and all its patrons. He looks forward to many
more years with us, and all the great people he’s met.
John accepted Pinnacle’s offer of a position as he was
impressed by the professional work environment. He is a
licensed PCA (Pest Control Advisor) in California and a
Certified Crop Advisor. He says he likes North Dakota
because most of the people are farmers, and he considers
them to be the best people on earth.
ALAN SVANGSTU
A
BOBBIE
KUCERA
children with his wife of 33 years, who also works for Pinnacle
at our Tioga Plaza. Only one child remains at home; two are
nurses, one working in Great Bend, one here in Stanley. Two
children work for Cox Communications in the Wichita-Tulsa
area, one just got out of the Army and one is going to college.
management, operations, agronomy
and sales including seed and crop
protection products wholesale. As a
native North Dakotan, familiar with the
area, Alan has been a great fit for our
Agronomy Department. He says he’s looking forward to
getting to know more of our current patrons and continuing
to establish new relationships in the area.
BRAD
BJERKE
T
odd Busche was born in Valley
City, North Dakota, and later moved to
West Fargo, where he graduated from
West Fargo High School. After high school, he joined the Army
National Guard and completed basic training in Fort Sill,
Oklahoma and AIT training in Fort Lee, Virginia. John returned
to Fargo and later went to Interstate Business College,
graduating with a degree in Computer Programming/Business.
Todd and his wife Tracy have a home in Mahnomen, Minnesota,
with their two children, Christopher, 14, and Hailey, nine. Todd
has been working in the C-Store/Travel Plaza industry for over
25 years, with positions as Assistant Manager, Shop Manager,
Store Manager, Training Manager, District Manage and C-Store
Consultant.
Todd says that working with high volume Travel Plaza’s in the
Bakken is very appealing to him, and he looks forward to the
challenges and opportunities that it will bring.
B
rad Bjerke grew up in Churchs
Ferry, North Dakota. He came to us
with thirty years of experience in the
convenience store and truck stop industry, most recently
with Farmers Union Oil in Devils Lake.
Brad has been with Pinnacle for over a year now, but it’s
been difficult to convince him to “blow his own horn” and
offer some information for an article. He prefers doing what
he does best: managing the Bakken Central Stanley C-Store,
working with employees and staff and making your stop
there a good experience with five-star customer service.
Brad and his wife Sandra have been married for 33 years.
Sandra and their two children, Elsie and Ethan, currently
reside in Charleston, South Carolina, where the kids attend
the College of Charleston.
WE THE PEOPLE ARTICLES ARE PROVIDED BY PINNACLE CREDIT MANAGER, LYNN PETZ.
16
PINNACLE PROGRESS
FALL 2014
17
A
B
C
D
E
SCALE:
AS NOTED
PR-2006-064-4
ACAD DWG FILE:
THIS DRAWING IS THE PROPERTY
OF STUEVE CONSTRUCTION CO.
AND SHALL NOT BE USED OR
REPRODUCED EITHER WHOLLY
OR IN
PART EXCEPT WHERE AUTHORIZED
. ALL RIGHTS OF DESIGN OR
INVENTION ARE RESERVED.
COMING
FALL OF 2016
F
CATWALK
A
REVISONS:
6040 PICTURE
6040 PICTURE
7040
BIN #6
UREA
520 TON
@ 48#/CF
URE
PICT
158'-0"
6040 PICTURE
BIN #4
AMS
1,000 TON
@ 56#/CF
BIN #5
UREA
1,590 TON
@ 48#/CF
BIN #3
POTASH
1,055 TON
@ 67#/CF
BIN #2
MAP
1955 TON
@ 59#/CF
BIN #1
POTASSIUM SUF.
815 TON
@ 75#/CF
80'-0"
114'-0"
18'-0"
26'-0"
DESIGN:
R.J.B.
BUILDING SECTION B-B
1/8" = 1'-0"
DRAWN BY:
RJB
DATE:
5/2/14
CHECKED:
R.J.B.
SHEET NO.
GA2
OF:
GA2
34'-0"
ALLEY WAY
122'x34'
34'-0"
44'-0"
OIL
FARMERS UNION
ND
STANLEY,
4040 SLIDING
14'x24'
CONTROL
ROOM
ABOVE
ELECTRIC ROOM
7040 PICTURE
C
SLIDING GATE
5'-0"
BIN AREA
122''x80'
39'-0"
80'-0"
B
16'-0"
℄ OF CONVEYOR
STATIONARY GATE
STANLEY, ND
FARMERS UNION OIL
BOX
CONVEYOR STANCHION
31'-0"
B
2
AS NOTED
SCALE:
VING
COVERED RECEI
90'x22'-8"
PR-2006-064-4
90'-0"
ACAD DWG FILE:
20'-0"
16'-0"
18'-0"
20'-0"
24'-0"
24'-0"
24'-0"
22'-8"
122'-0"
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
RUCTION CO.
OF STUEVE CONST
IS THE PROPERTY
WHOLLY OR IN
THIS DRAWING
DUCED EITHER
BE USED OR REPRO
OF DESIGN OR
AND SHALL NOT
RIZED. ALL RIGHTS
WHERE AUTHO
PART EXCEPT
RESERVED.
ARE
ION
INVENT
39'-0"
℄ OF CONVEYOR
D
MICRO
100 TON
@ 60#/CF
HEATED
CHEMICAL
STORAGE
14'x16'
MICRO
100 TON
@ 60#/CF
MICRO
100 TON
@ 60#/CF
18'-0"
14'x24'
MCC
ROOM
REVISONS:
E
LOAD OUT
122'x44'
DATE:
26'-0"
DESIGN:
5/2/14
R.J.B.
DRAWN BY:
CHECKED:
R.J.B.
RJB
SHEET NO.
B
2
F
GA1
24'-0"
OF:
122'-0"
GA2
24'-0"
PLAN VIEW
BUILDI=NG
1'-0"
SCALE: 3/32"
“THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN A DREAM
FOR MANY IN THE PAST YEARS. I AM
PROUD TO SEE IT BECOME A REALITY,
AND KNOW THAT IT WILL BE A GREAT
ADDITION FOR OUR PATRONS
AND EMPLOYEES!”
18
PINNACLE PROGRESS
I
am very pleased to announce
that this past summer the Pinnacle
Board of Directors gave the green
light on the construction of a new
7,200-ton fertilizer plant.
Mitchell Whyte
AGRONOMY
MANAGER
This plant will have a 200-ton per hour
receiving system with a state-of-the-art
automated 150-ton tower system
with two 12-ton blenders. This plant will be equipped with
an oiler on the receiving system to decrease the amount of
dust on all products. It will also have a fertilizer conditioner
feeding the tower to minimize any clumps of fertilizer going
into the tower, and hopefully, your truck.
The new fertilizer plant will be located south of the Agronomy
building in Stanley. With this plant, we will be able to handle
more products, such as potash and MESZ, along with
specialty products like Micronutrients at our Stanley location.
This facility will also greatly benefit our Tioga location. With
the increased storage, we will be able to refill the Tioga
fertilizer plant in a very short time, decreasing the shortages
to our customers.
This project has been a dream for many in the past years. I
am proud to see it become a reality, and know that it will be
a great addition for our patrons and employees! We hope to
break ground next summer, with tentative completion in the
fall of 2016.
FALL 2014
19
E
E
Y
O
L
EMP
N
O
I
T
A
I
C
E
R
APP
c
i
n
c
i
P
“...TURNED INTO A
GREAT DAY FOR A LITTLE
FUN IN THE PARK.”
T
his year’s employee appreciation
Selena Hamilton company picnic was held the first
week of August. The day started
AR SPECIALIST
out raining and quite dreary, but soon after people began
arriving, it cleared up nicely and turned into a great day
for a little fun in the park.
Van Hook Resort in New Town was the perfect location.
With horseshoe pits, volleyball and basketball courts,
everyone had plenty to keep them occupied until other
games began after lunch. Our caterer, Marilyn Gaebe,
did a fabulous job again this year, keeping us all fueled
up with hot dogs, hamburgers, salads, beans, fresh fruit
and an assortment of dessert bars. All our picnic favorites!
The day really started to get interesting once the games
began. The three-legged race started us off with Kala
Wangsness and myself winning it all. The other teams
put in a valiant effort, walking (and limping) away with
only a few minor injuries.
The water balloon toss was perfect for such a beautiful
day, and no one seemed to mind when they were left
with some wet clothes. Luke Neal and Christ Sievert
didn’t have to worry about that since they were able to
keep their balloon from popping on them.
Throughout the day, drawings were held for a variety of
door prizes: everything from a fishing set to a case of
ribs. We had a couple of big winners for the day. Gina
Rice of the Energy Department took home not only a
two-person hammock and a snowboard, but also the
40” flat screen TV! Karla Herst, from the Tioga Travel
Plaza, won the biggest prize of all. She walked away
with a trip for two to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico! Her
excitement was clear as she threw a toy bucket into the
air after her name was announced! We are all so glad
that such a great employee was able to walk away with
such an awesome trip.
Even with a wet start, this year’s picnic turned out better
than anyone could have hoped. We had a great turn out
with employees from various departments and locations
getting to know each other a bit better, enjoying spending
time outside and munching on an abundance of good
food. A little friendly competition didn’t hurt, either!
20
PINNACLE PROGRESS
FALL 2014
21
ANNUAL MEETING
“YOUR BOARD MEMBERS ARE ALWAYS THERE
TO HEAR YOUR QUESTIONS, CONCERNS AND COMPLAINTS.”
I
Board. As a director, two things will be important to him: to
achieve profitability and maintain member’s equity while
ensuring that patronage is returned to the members.
Klint Hartsoch, a farmer from the Ray area, currently plants
soybeans, edible beans, corn and small grains. His operation
involves his wife and their three children. After college, with a
pre-med degree, he wanted to come back to his roots and
pursue farming.
t was Tioga’s turn to host the
annual meeting this year, and so the
Tioga High School gym was the venue
Lynn Petz
CREDIT MANAGER
for a very well-attended meeting on
Thursday, April 3rd. A dreary and damp evening became a bit
brighter with so many member-owners and Pinnacle staff
visiting old acquaintances and meeting new friends.
Aaron Skarsgard is from the Stanley area where his family,
including his wife and their son, operate small grain and oil
seed crops. He graduated from North Dakota State University
and came back to farm. Aaron is active in the community; he is
on the Mountrail County Farm Bureau Ag Improvement
Committee, Stanley Community Hospital Board and is also a
member of the Stanley Fire Department.
Besides his farming experience Klint has experience in the
energy field as a director for Yellow Stone Energy Development
and is a State Fair delegate. Klint believes these are strengths
that he will bring to the Pinnacle board. He believes
that a skill that is important is listening to the
members and customers so that we can focus on
the future.
The traditional roast beef dinner was set aside for a bit of the
signature comfort food served by the Tioga Plaza kitchen staff.
Delicious stew served in a bread bowl, fresh fruit and hot
cobbler for dessert banished any lingering chill from the trip
from vehicle to building.
Aaron believes that the board is responsible to maintain the
profitability of the co-op. With his business background and his
people skills, he hopes be a good addition to the board. Maintaining
net profitability rather than gross revenue, while ensuring member’s
equity and payouts to the members is a priority.
As everyone finished their dinner and waited for the business
meeting to begin, door prizes were awarded to lucky winners
who walked away with a grill, BroncMax, oil and lube, gift cards
and some of the awesome merchandise we offer in our stores.
Blair Hynek is a local farmer from the Stanley area who farms
small grains with his wife and four young boys. Before taking
on farming full-time, Blair was a bank loan officer with nine
years of experience. He is president of the Stanley Dollars for
Scholars program.
Three long-time members stepped down from
the Board, and were thanked for their years of
service and their vision. Kevin Mell, Daryl Belik
and Steve Jensen began serving our
co-operative when we were just another small
Farmers Union Oil company on the prairies of
North Dakota. By the time they stepped down,
they had seen more change, led more
progress and probably acquired more grey
hair than 99% of any other Farmers Union
Directors in the country!
Highlights of the evening included the election of three
new board members: Aaron Skarsgard, Blair Hynek and
Klint Hartsoch.
22
PINNACLE PROGRESS
O
i
Four members who have also been a part of this growth remain
on the board, providing continuity: Jim Enge, Roger Harstad,
Ryan Davidson and TJ Halvorson. Officers of the board,
elected after the meeting, are TJ Halvorson, President; Roger
Harstad, Vice President and Blair Hynek, Secretary.
Your board members are always there to hear your questions,
concerns and complaints. Did you know that it’s alsoacceptable
to let them know when you’re very happy with your agronomist,
thankful for an emergency fuel or propane delivery, had a good
experience with the office or have been impressed with the
service or appearance at a C-Store? This is a volunteer job that
takes much time, energy and thought. Your Board would like to
hear the positive comments as well!
l
Blair believes his nine years in banking, with his financial
knowledge and experience, will be an asset to the Pinnacle
FALL 2014
23
TECHCORNER
BUILDING A
WEBSTIE
“VICTORY WAS ACHIEVED ON THURSDAY, JULY 17TH WHEN OUR
NEW PINNACLEND.COM SITE WAS LAUNCHED.”
B
Patrick M. Keefe
SPECIAL PROJECTS
“...I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT
THERE ARE SOME CHANGES COMING AROUND THE CORNER.”
W elcome to this edition of the
Pinnacle Tech Corner!
Dan Digman
Leading off, I would like to say that
there are some changes coming
around the corner. I am sure you have read in earlier articles
that our fearless leader is stepping down to enjoy “the
good life.” Gary, it has been a great pleasure to work for
you. God speed and enjoy wherever life takes you next!
SYSTEMS
ADMINISTRATOR
One of the major obstacles identified earlier this year has
been the necessity to train each of our store associates to
hop on any till in any location and be familiar with the way
that particular till works, and how to use it.
Currently, we are using two different types of tills: Passport
(for the front registers at our C-Stores) and Red River (for
our clothing departments, business center, tire shop and
24
PINNACLE PROGRESS
salon). Researching the most opportune way to accomplish
this goal has led a team to surmise that ridding ourselves
of the two we have and changing to a completely different
type of till system isn’t the best way to go.
The decision was made by this same team to keep our
Passport system, which also controls our fuel dispensers,
and standardize all of our locations and till interfaces with
the Passport till system. While this may not seem like such
a big deal to most, the end result will streamline transactions,
training and confusion.
This will also allow us to have signature pads at each till!
Imagine that!
So, to this end, our Board of Directors has graciously
approved the team’s decision to go forward with these
installations and improvements. Thank you, board members!
UILDING A GOOD WEBSITE IS LIKE BUILDING A CHAMPIONSHIP
FOOTBALL TEAM. BOTH REQUIRE SCOUTING, DRAFTING AND
NEGOTIATING CONTRACTS, BUILDING A “GAME PLAN”, EXECUTION
OF THE PLAN AND CONTINUAL MAINTENANCE.
SCOUTING:
We took a look at other “like” companies to see what they
were doing with their websites. What elements did we like?
Who built it? Who hosted it? We contacted the “like”
companies to get an idea of what their experience was. How
did they go about building their site and how did they choose
what company was going to build/host their site?
DRAFTING AND
NEGOTIATING CONTRACTS:
We contacted companies who had built websites for the
“like” companies and requested rates and contract
information. The decision was made to contract with
Agri-Charts of Des Moines, Iowa based upon information
gained from our “like” companies. Factors that were
evaluated included cost, time to build the site and ease
of maintaining our site once it was activated.
BUILDING A GAME PLAN:
We had a great deal of discussion with Agri-Charts to
establish the plan of attack, including a deadline date to
activate the new site. Conversations were held with Pinnacle
staff to determine what each department would like to see
on the new site. An outline was written that included what
each page would contain: photos and information. The
home page tab labels were created.
EXECUTING THE GAME PLAN:
Photos were taken and copy was written for each page and for
each segment of the new website. A “demo” site was developed
by Agri-Charts, and, as we supplied the information, it was
added to the “demo” site. The “demo” site was shared with
Pinnacle staff and corrections and changes were made to
more aptly fill our needs to convey our company message.
GAME DAY:
Victory was achieved on Thursday, July 17th when our new
pinnaclend.com site was launched. We hit our original
targeted date!
MAINTENANCE:
With any championship football team, updates and changes
are continually made. Pinnacle will maintain our website with
updated information and photos to keep the site fresh and in
“Serving Excellence” condition.
FALL 2014
25
“When I was hired in 2012, Pinnacle’s safety program was pretty hit or miss. Gary knew the importance of
safety, compliance and the changes that would be needed to make all our locations safe for employees and our
customers alike. He trusted me to begin pretty much from scratch and has always given me full support and
recognition for the work I do. Thanks Gary, and have a wonderful retirement!” - Lynette Clawson, Safety Director
“I ASKED MEMBERS OF OUR SENIOR STAFF TO SAY A FEW WORDS
ABOUT WORKING WITH GARY, AND HERE ARE THEIR REMARKS.”
S
Lynn Petz
CREDIT MANAGER
ixty-two months. A bit more than
five years. How much impact
can one person have in that amount of
time? If your name is Gary Koschmeder,
the answer is, “quite a bit.”
As you read this, Gary will be enjoying his third week of
retirement, at his home in Harpers Ferry, Iowa. After the last five
hectic years in the Bakken, it is richly deserved!
During his tenure, Gary managed this co-op through probably
the most dynamic, busy and scary time of its 71-year existence.
As a GM, you answer to a lot of folks: your board of directors,
your patrons and your staff. Getting them all on the same page
for the goals of the co-op must surely be like nailing jello to the
wall. Somehow, he made this happen.
Some things that I believe are uniquely Gary are his emphasis
on hospitality at every location and giving back to the
community. Most of you will remember the famous Bakken
and Three Forks wine “pressings”, with all profits from sales
going back to local causes. The same was the case with raffles
for limited edition “Bakken” rifles and guns.
As this magazine goes to press, we are anticipating the 2nd
Annual Women’s Night Out. Gary was the drive behind the first
NG FOR
GROUND BREAKI
PLAZA
EL
AV
TR
THE TIOGA
26
and second events, insisting that farm wives deserved some
special treatment! I believe they were a bit over-whelmed last
year, when their Pinnacle waiters wore tuxes, our own chef
prepared their cuisine, fresh-cut flowers were everywhere and
they were treated to a dynamic speaker who was flown in for
the occasion.
“Gary had interviewed my previous boss, and when she
turned him down because her husband didn’t want to
move to Stanley (‘Where the heck is Stanley, ND?’ he
said) she referred me to Gary. I sent Gary my resume
and came out from Minnesota for an interview, and was
hired after Lynn told him I was a ‘keeper.’ Thanks, Gary,
for the opportunity to come and work for you at a great
co-op and move back to my hometown area of Minot.
Congrats on your retirement!” - Cindy Stiller, Controller
Finally (and I know I am forgetting so much), this magazine was
another “project” of Gary’s. He wanted our patrons to be
informed about what was happening in their co-op. From
financials to agronomy, from staff to services, we’ve been
proud to let you know and see what’s happening at Pinnacle.
A source of real pride is that we use our own pictures. It’s
seldom we allow our graphic design company to use a “stock”
photo. All those delectable food pictures, all the magazine
covers, all the trucks and machinery and people you see are
exclusively Pinnacle!
I asked members of our Senior staff to say a few words about
working with Gary, and here are their remarks. As for me, I’ll
echo the sentiments of the rest. Gary, you gave me an
opportunity to not only have the position of Credit Manager,
but to pretty much create it, as there had never been one
before. I’ve appreciated your “hands off” style as a supervisor.
No micro-managing, but I knew you were watching those
numbers, and your door has always been open when I was in
need of some of your wisdom and direction.
We all wish you the best in this new season of your life. May
your biggest problems be which chair to sit in as you enjoy
nature from your deck, which book to read and which golf
course to join!
UAL
PREPARING FOR THE FIRST ANN
3.
201
IN
”
OUT
“LADIES NIGHT
“Gary, I am thankful that I had a wonderful opportunity to work with you. You
have always been a great boss and supported me in my work. Your footprints
will stay here.” - Katherine Schlosser, Human Resources Manager
y
p
p
a
H
t
n
e
m
e
Retir
PINNACLE PROGRESS
Thanks for your leadership and friendship.
“Gary, thank you for the awesome opportunity to share my
talents to help this company grow and become Pinnacle. What
a great experience it’s been, watching a small co-op grow to
what it is today. Thank you for all your hard work and
inspirational suggestions along the way to help me grow
professionally.” - Dan Digman, Systems Administrator
“Gary brought me to North Dakota from Wisconsin to work in propane
for the Energy Department. He lured me in on a telephone interview by
saying, ‘I can’t really explain the craziness here, you just need to come
out here and experience it for yourself.’ So I hopped on a train, and the
rest is history!” - Tim Cornett, Energy Manager
MR. HOSPITA
LITY TALKED
UP
PINNACLE W
HENEVER A FA
R
M
ERS
UNION BUS PU
LLED IN.
“During Gary’s reign as General Manager, the C-Stores have grown from a single Stanley store and a Tioga Tire
Shop on the northern plains of North Dakota to what they are today. Two powerhouse stores, Stanley’s Bakken
Central and the Tioga Travel Plaza, now produce numbers that put them on top of the list for high-volume
C-Stores in North Dakota. Thanks Gary, for the leadership that has allowed Pinnacle C-Stores to flourish and
grow!” - Rory Gjestvang, Operations Manager, C-Stores
“I had been with the Agronomy Department for two seasons when the Agronomy Manager left. Gary made
me Interim Manager, and after five months, in the spring of 2012, he named me Agronomy Manager. I’m
thankful for the opportunity to serve a customer base of some pretty amazing farmers. Have a great
retirement, Gary.” - Mitch Whyte, Agronomy Manager
FALL 2014
27
PINNACLE
BOX 459
214 12TH AVENUE SE
STANLEY, ND 58784
PINNACLE
CLOTHING DEPARTMENTS
OUR PINNACLE CLOTHING DEPARTMENTS
HAVE WHAT YOU NEED!
LOCATED IN OUR STANLEY BAKKEN CENTRAL STORE AND
TIOGA TRAVEL PLAZA WE ARE GEARING UP FOR THE
UPCOMING SEASON!
FROM UNDER ARMOR® TO CARHARTT, STOP IN TO SEE
WHAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO YOU!