Petersen to retire as CEO of Heartland Coop

West Des Moines, IA – June 12, 2012: Heartland Co-op announced today that Chief Executive Officer, Larry Petersen, has informed the Board of Directors that he will retire effective December 31, 2012.
“After 42 years in the agriculture related industry and 31 of those years with the Heartland combined companies, it is time for me to move into the retirement phase of my life,” said Petersen. After spending several years of employment with 3 Minnesota Cooperatives, Petersen became General Manager at the Panora Farmers Cooperative in 1981 and has been the first and only CEO of Heartland Co-op since its inception in 1987. Through many unifications and acquisitions during Petersen’s tenure, Heartland has grown to be one of the largest local cooperatives in the nation. Read on