Key Cooperative
Key Cooperative is a member-owned Central Iowa agricultural cooperative serving farmer-members since 1918 with integrated agronomy, grain marketing, energy, feed, and retail services across 11 Iowa locations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1918
- HeadquartersRoland, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Key Cooperative does
Key Cooperative is a member-owned agricultural cooperative headquartered in Roland, Iowa, serving row-crop farmers, livestock producers, and rural energy customers across Central Iowa since 1918. The cooperative operates five integrated service divisions: Agronomy (seed from Bayer/Dekalb, Corteva/Brevant, and Croplan brands; crop nutrition; crop protection; CENTROL Precision Ag services; and conservation), Grain (marketing, storage, futures, cash bids, price-later programs, crop insurance through Mason City All Risk Insurance, and rail-based origination), Energy (propane delivery, Cenex-branded refined fuels, 24-hour fuel stations, lubricants, and automated fuel delivery), Feed (Purina and QLF branded feeds plus custom rations across beef, dairy, equine, pet, poultry, sheep/goat, show, and swine categories), and Retail (lumber and construction materials).
The underlying operational platform combines physical grain and energy infrastructure with partner-supplied precision-agriculture technology. Grain operations are anchored by rail access at Nevada on the Union Pacific Railroad (110-car shuttles, ~25 loaded annually) and Newton on the Iowa Interstate Railroad (50-car facility, 250-300 cars per month), with a 3-million-bushel hoop building under construction at Newton. Precision-agriculture services are delivered through technology partnerships with Precision Planting, Ag Leader, and SurePoint Ag Systems under the CENTROL Precision Ag team, which provides meter calibration, planter setup, GPS/GIS mapping, and on-farm troubleshooting. The digital layer includes Key Connect (account management) and Barchart-powered grain-bid text alerts.
Revenue mechanics are diversified and largely transaction- or volume-based: per-bushel grain handling and storage rates (e.g., 7-12 cent drying charges, 10 cent in/out tariffs), per-unit precision-ag services (e.g., $40-$55 per meter calibration), unit-priced propane and fuel retail with member discounts, and feed margin on Purina/QLF products. Go-to-market is direct, relationship-driven across 11 Iowa locations (Roland, Grinnell, Newton, Nevada, Sully, Zearing, Gilbert, Story City, Kelley, Le Grand, New Sharon), supported by local agronomists, grain specialists, energy consultants, and feed sales staff.
Key Cooperative firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Key Cooperative
- Legal name
- Key Cooperative
- Website
- https://keycoop.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1918
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Key Cooperative is a member-owned Central Iowa agricultural cooperative serving farmer-members since 1918 with integrated agronomy, grain marketing, energy, feed, and retail services across 11 Iowa locations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Key Cooperative industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Agricultural Cooperative Services
- NAICS
- Support Activities for Animal Production (115210)
- SIC
- Agricultural Services (700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Farm-to-Consumer Cooperative Markets (Local Producer Co-ops) (CRAHALAG)
Keywords
Where Key Cooperative is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Roland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices11 records
Markets served
Key Cooperative business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Agronomy Products & Services: Revenue from seed sales (Dekalb, Brevant, Croplan brands), crop nutrition (fertilizer), crop protection (chemicals), CENTROL Precision Ag services, and conservation services. Sold directly to farmer-members at co-op locations.
- Grain Marketing & Storage: Revenue from grain storage fees (warehouse receipt storage), grain contracts, and grain handling charges. Soybean storage rates at 0.0023 cents/bushel/day. Price later programs charged at 6 cents/bushel/month. Custom drying services at 7-12 cents/bushel handling charge.
- Energy Products: Revenue from propane, refined fuels (gasoline, diesel), lube/oil/grease products, and 24-hour fuel station sales. Member discounts available. Cenex branded fuels offered.
- Feed Products: Revenue from livestock feed sales including Purina and QLF feeds, custom rations, bulk and texturized feed products. Products span beef, dairy, equine, pet food, poultry, sheep/goat, show feeds, and swine categories.
- Retail: Revenue from lumber and construction materials and the Energy & Retail Center.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Corn Finger Meter Testing & Calibration |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Precision & Vacuum Meter Testing & Calibration |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Precision Meter with Speedtube Testing & Calibration |
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | Soybean Warehouse Receipt Storage |
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | Price Later Soybeans |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Custom Drying |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Grain Handling Charges |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Key Cooperative product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Key Cooperative is an agricultural cooperative delivering agronomy, grain marketing, energy, and feed services to farmer-members across Central Iowa. Its core operations include seed and crop protection product sales, precision agriculture support through CENTROL Precision Ag, grain storage and rail-shipping logistics at Nevada and Newton, propane and refined fuel delivery plus 24-hour fuel stations, and Purina/QLF livestock feed across multiple species categories. The cooperative also operates the Key Connect digital platform for customer account access and Barchart-powered grain market data services.
Product overview
Key Cooperative is an agricultural cooperative offering a multi-service portfolio organized into five core divisions: Agronomy (seed products, crop nutrition, crop protection, CENTROL Precision Ag, and conservation), Grain (marketing, storage, risk management, and crop insurance), Energy (propane, refined fuels, automated delivery, and lubricants), Feed (Purina and QLF feeds across multiple livestock categories), and Retail (lumber and construction). Within its agronomy division, the cooperative distributes precision agriculture technology products from three brands — Precision Planting (e.g., 20|20 Monitor, FurrowForce, SpeedTube, vApplyHD), Ag Leader (e.g., InCommand Go, SteerCommand Z2, SureForce), and SurePoint Ag Systems (e.g., Sentinel, PumpRight, Marksman) — alongside its own CENTROL Precision Ag service program. The cooperative also operates a digital platform called Key Connect for customer account access, and partners with Mason City All Risk Insurance for crop insurance. Market data and futures information are sourced from Barchart Solutions and CME Group.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Agronomy Services Comprehensive agronomy services including seed, crop nutrition, crop protection, precision agriculture, and conservation support for farmers to optimize crop performance, sold through local agronomists at co-op locations across Central Iowa.
- Seed Products Seed products including Dekalb, Brevant, and Croplan corn hybrids and soybean varieties featuring various trait platforms (VT4P, SmartStax, Trecepta, Power Core Enlist, Qrome) for above-ground and below-ground pest protection. Sold directly to farmer-members.
- CENTROL Precision Ag Full-service precision agriculture program providing pre-season equipment checkups, planter setup and rebuilding, meter testing and calibration (Corn Finger Meters, Precision & Vacuum Meters, Precision Meter with Speedtube), on-site troubleshooting, post-season data analysis, GPS/GIS mapping, and off-season training on data management. Integrates Precision Planting, Ag Leader, and SurePoint Ag Systems product lines.
- Grain Marketing & Storage Grain marketing, storage, and risk management services including daily cash bid text alerts, futures tracking, grain contracts for old and new crop bushels, Free Price Later deferred-pricing program (priced by September 30, 2026), warehouse receipt storage (0.0023 cents/bushel/day), crop insurance partnership, custom drying services, and rail loading capabilities at Nevada (Union Pacific, 110-car shuttles) and Newton (Iowa Interstate, 50-car capacity).
- Crop Insurance Crop insurance risk management services offered in partnership with Mason City All Risk Insurance, Inc., providing insurance protection tailored to individual farm operations, with Key's risk managers helping farmers build appropriate insurance protection levels.
- Energy Services Energy products and services including propane delivery (over 5,000 customer tanks served by eight full-time drivers with 100+ years of combined experience), refined fuels, automated fuel delivery with fixed price contracts and budget billing, lube/oil/grease products, and 24-hour fuel stations offering Cenex Top Tier gasoline.
- Feed Products Animal feed products and programs for beef, dairy, equine, pet food, poultry, sheep & goat, show feeds, and swine, featuring Purina and QLF feeds, custom rations, bulk and texturized feed products, and feed additives including ClariFly fly control, High Octane Fitter 35, Fitter 52, and Alleviate.
- Retail Retail products and services including lumber and construction materials and an Energy & Retail Center, with propane appliance offerings available alongside Iowa Propane Gas Association rebates.
- Key Connect A digital farming resource platform providing instant, secure, around-the-clock access to essential farm information, including customer account management and grain market data.
- Grain Cash Bids Text Alerts Text alert service for daily grain cash bids, opening and closing bid alerts, direct ship location alerts, and futures messages from Key locations, powered by Barchart Solutions with futures data sourced from CME Group and ICE.
Quantifiable outcome
- 8 propane drivers serve over 5,000 customer tanks, making over 12,000 stops and driving over 86,000 miles per winter
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Key Cooperative
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Key Cooperative technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Key Cooperative partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Land O'Lakes FoundationminorLand O'Lakes Matching Grant Program through which local financial support is doubled for communities served by Key Cooperative, enhancing the co-op's community giving and scholarship impact.
- Mason City All Risk Insurance, Inc.coreCrop insurance partner providing risk management tools to Key farmer-members. Key's risk managers help farmers build appropriate insurance protection levels, with the insurance company handling the product delivery.
- Barchart SolutionscoreProvides market data (cash bids, futures) for Key Cooperative's grain platform. Powers the grain cash bid text alerts and futures information on the Key website. Futures data sourced from CME Group and ICE.
- Lincolnway EnergyminorKey shares ownership of 10 rail cars with Lincolnway Energy to move corn from Key's Nevada elevator to the Lincolnway Energy facility without adding extra trucks to the receiving line.
- WinField UnitedcoreWinField United provides the Response-to-Nitrogen (RTN) scoring system used by Key agronomists to help farmers optimize nitrogen applications based on hybrid-specific data. WinField also provides market development agronomists who support Key's seed and trait recommendations.
- Macon ConstructionminorConstruction contractor engaged to build the new 3-million-bushel hoop building at the Newton facility, replacing the outdoor bunker and ring structure.
- Precision PlantingcoreTechnology partner providing precision ag products sold and supported through Key's CENTROL Precision Ag division. Products include 20|20 Monitor, SmartFirmer, DeltaForce, SpeedTube, vDrive, FurrowForce, and other precision planting technologies.
- Ag LeadercoreTechnology partner providing precision ag products sold and supported through CENTROL Precision Ag. Products include InCommand Go, SteerCommand Z2, SureDrive, SureSpeed, SureForce, and DirectCommand L2 for planters, sprayers, combines, and applicators.
- SurePoint Ag SystemscoreTechnology partner providing precision ag products sold and supported through CENTROL Precision Ag. Products include Sentinel fertilizer applicator, LiquiShift, PumpRight, Catalyst, and Marksman irrigation system.
- Purina Animal NutritioncorePurina (and QLF) feeds are sold through Key Cooperative's feed division across all species categories (beef, dairy, equine, pet food, poultry, sheep/goat, show feeds, swine). Purina provides specialty products including High Octane Fitter 35, Fitter 52, Alleviate, and ClariFly fly control products.
- CenexcoreCenex branded fuels (Top Tier detergent gasoline) offered at Key Cooperative's 24-hour fuel stations. Cenex provides the fuel brand and additive package; Key retails to end customers.
- Bayer (Dekalb/Asgrow/Alloy)coreKey Cooperative is a partner in Bayer's Preceon Smart Corn System (Short Corn). Bayer provides seed genetics (Dekalb brand) and technology; Key provides local sales and agronomic support. Key has been a partner with Bayer throughout the Preceon launch since 2022.
- Corteva (Brevant)coreBrevant seed brand products (B13K20Q, B14H38, B09Z08) sold through Key's agronomy division with local agronomist support and recommendations.
- Central Life Sciences (ClariFly)minorClariFly feed-through fly control product (Central Life Sciences) distributed through Purina Animal Nutrition products sold at Key Cooperative for livestock fly control in cattle, swine, sheep, goats, and equine.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Key Cooperative competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- CHS Inc. Largest U.S. agricultural cooperative, operating energy, agronomy, grain, and food businesses with national and global scale. Comparable to Key in cooperative structure and integrated service model but vastly larger scale, with grain handling, rail logistics, and energy distribution that overlap with Key's business.
- GROWMARK: Large regional agricultural cooperative system serving the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic with agronomy, grain, energy, and feed products through member-owners. Key Cooperative is part of the broader GROWMARK-affiliated cooperative network; GROWMARK operates as a federation/wholesale supplier to affiliated co-ops including Key.
Direct peers
- Landus Cooperative: Iowa-based farmer-owned cooperative offering agronomy, grain, and animal nutrition across central and western Iowa. Directly comparable to Key Cooperative in integrated service model, member-owned structure, and grain handling/rail logistics serving corn and soybean farmers.
- Heartland Co-op: Central Iowa agricultural cooperative providing grain, agronomy, and feed services to farmer-members. Similar in scale, geographic footprint, and integrated product portfolio, with overlapping rail and grain storage infrastructure in the same Iowa markets Key serves.
- West Central Cooperative: Iowa-based agricultural cooperative providing agronomy, grain, and feed services to farmer-members in central and western Iowa. Directly comparable in member-owned structure, integrated service offerings, and focus on corn and soybean value chain services.
- NEW Cooperative: Farmer-owned cooperative operating across western and north-central Iowa offering grain, agronomy, and feed services. Directly competes with Key in serving corn and soybean producers with comparable rail logistics and member-owned patronage economics.
Others
- WinField United (Land O'Lakes): Agronomy arm of Land O'Lakes cooperative, providing seed, crop protection, and precision ag data (including the RTN nitrogen scoring system used by Key's agronomists). Comparable through ag input distribution and partnership relationship — Key partners with WinField United rather than directly competing.
- Cenex (CHS Energy): Energy brand of CHS Inc., providing refined fuels, lubricants, and propane through a network of retail locations. Key Cooperative is a Cenex retail partner for fuels; the brand represents a comparable fuel distribution and propane delivery model that Key operates under in its Energy division.
Regional players
- Co-Alliance Cooperative: Farmer-owned agricultural cooperative operating in Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan with energy, agronomy, grain, and feed services. Similar integrated service model and member-owned structure, but operates in a different geography with comparable scale and service portfolio.
- MFA Incorporated: Large regional agricultural cooperative serving Missouri and surrounding states with crop inputs, livestock feed, grain marketing, and energy products. Comparable member-owned structure and integrated offering but focused on a different geographic region (Mid-South vs. Key's central Iowa).
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Key Cooperative social profiles
Digital presenceKey Cooperative financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Key Cooperative leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Key Cooperative funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Key Cooperative M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Key Cooperative
What does Key Cooperative do?
Key Cooperative is an agricultural cooperative delivering agronomy, grain marketing, energy, and feed services to farmer-members across Central Iowa. Its core operations include seed and crop protection product sales, precision agriculture support through CENTROL Precision Ag, grain storage and rail-shipping logistics at Nevada and Newton, propane and refined fuel delivery plus 24-hour fuel stations, and Purina/QLF livestock feed across multiple species categories. The cooperative also operates the Key Connect digital platform for customer account access and Barchart-powered grain market data services.
Is Key Cooperative a public or private company?
Key Cooperative is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Key Cooperative founded?
Key Cooperative was founded in 1918. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Key Cooperative based?
Key Cooperative is headquartered in Roland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Key Cooperative make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Agronomy Products & Services are the primary driver. The others are grain Marketing & Storage, energy Products, feed Products and retail.
Who are Key Cooperative's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are CHS Inc. and GROWMARK. Direct peers are Landus Cooperative, Heartland Co-op, West Central Cooperative and NEW Cooperative. Others are WinField United (Land O'Lakes) and Cenex (CHS Energy). Regional players are Co-Alliance Cooperative and MFA Incorporated.
Does Key Cooperative have an API?
No public API is recorded for Key Cooperative.
What industry is Key Cooperative in?
Key Cooperative's product category is Agricultural Cooperative Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAHALAG, Farm-to-Consumer Cooperative Markets (Local Producer Co-ops). Its NAICS code is 115210 and its SIC code is 700.