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Five Star Cooperative

Farmer-owned cooperative: agronomy, grain, feed, energy

Propane Director

Full-Time
No salary listed
Senior, Expert
Bachelor's, Associate's
New Hampton, IA, USA
In Person
Business & Strategy

About the job

Requirements
  • Five years of experience in energy operations, propane, fuel distribution, or a related field.
  • Prior leadership or management experience.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel.
  • Good customer service skills and approach.
  • Ability to perform speaking, writing, reading comprehension, listening, monitoring, judgment and decision-making, and time-management duties.
  • A valid driver's license.
  • Experience may be substituted for education.
Responsibilities
  • Establish department goals with assistance from the General Manager.
  • Conduct department planning and updating meetings with the General Manager and Chief Financial Officer.
  • Develop and implement energy department marketing plans, objectives, and policies consistent with company goals and objectives.
  • Provide leadership, direction, and support to department employees.
  • Assign team member responsibilities, develop performance standards, complete and administer annual or more frequent performance reviews, and provide advancement, training, and development opportunities.
  • Contribute to policies and procedures related to contracting, pricing, risk management, marketing, and logistics.
  • Develop programs to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of the company’s energy presence.
  • Promote company communication regarding market intelligence, policies, procedures, and department direction.
  • Communicate the company’s strategic direction and needs to vendors, the industry, and employees.
  • Manage the department using sound business principles.
  • Develop annual and long-term strategic and operational plans for the department.
  • Ensure other divisions understand the department’s business plan and coordinate efforts across departments.
  • Purchase products and establish product margins that meet the cooperative’s financial goals.
  • Ensure team members understand company-wide objectives and how the department supports company goals.
  • Recommend fixed-asset purchases to the General Manager based on equipment replacement schedules or business conditions.
  • Provide excellent customer service.
  • Manage organizational, problem-solving, analytical, prioritization, and workflow activities with attention to detail.
  • Enforce and comply with cooperative policies and the credit policy.
  • Assist with recordkeeping and filing needs.
  • Communicate effectively with employees and customers.
Desired Qualifications
  • An associate's or bachelor's degree in Business, Agriculture, or a related field.
  • Class A commercial driver's license.
  • Hazmat and tanker endorsements.
  • CETP certification or willingness to obtain it.
  • An agricultural background.

About the company

Five Star Cooperative is a farmer-owned agricultural cooperative serving Northern Iowa and Southern Minnesota with agronomy, grain, feed, and energy products across 19 locations. It supports members with soil testing, seed selection (DEKALB, Asgrow, Stine), crop protection, and precision-agriculture data; the grain division handles marketing, storage up to 30 million bushels, and logistics; the feed division supplies livestock nutrition and the energy division distributes refined fuels and propane. Profits are returned to farmer-owners through patronage cash payouts and equity, and RateStar provides in-house financing for inputs. Its goal is to support member farmers and rural communities with reliable inputs, market access, financing, and integrated services, as demonstrated by the 2024 Burchinal agronomy complex investment following the 2022 Mason City tornado.

Company Size

51-200

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

New Hampton, Iowa

Founded

1889

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • October 2025 patronage returned $3.6 million, reinforcing member loyalty and local cash flow.
  • April 2026 Lime Springs fertilizer facility expands service speed and safety after Burchinal.
  • 2025 Business Innovation Award and AgVend recognition validate digital customer experience gains.

What critics are saying

  • TerraClear's 2027 weed mapping rollout depends on grower adoption and subscription acceptance.
  • Construction-heavy expansion raises execution risk after tornado rebuilds and multiple 2025-2026 projects.
  • If acreage consolidates away from northern Iowa, patronage economics and local relevance erode.

What makes Five Star Cooperative unique

  • Farmer-owned, 19 locations, and 30 million bushels create strong switching costs.
  • Burchinal's 2024 agronomy complex delivers 24-hour load-out, seed treatment, and fertilizer throughput.
  • 2026 TerraClear partnership adds AI rock and weed mapping across 110,000 acres.

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