Who Are We?

River Country Co-op has been serving customers since 1948. What started out as a small fuel distributor Co-op in Chippewa Falls, WI has grown into a diverse agricultural and consumer based business with facilities located in over 30 communities and 7 counties in north central Wisconsin. Today the Co-op employs over 500 employees with annual revenues of around $350 million dollars.

Board of Directors

River Country Co-op’s board of directors is a team of people who are working to better the company for the interest of the patrons. As patrons themselves, they understand the concerns and questions of the consumers. If you have any questions, contact information for each board member is listed below.

Meet the Board of Directors

Senior Management

At River Country Co-op, we provide a broad spectrum of products and services. A qualified team of managers work together to create a great experience for you!

Meet the Managers

Bruce Mlsna

Position: General Manager | CEO
Experience: Bruce grew up on a dairy and cash crop farm near Cashton, WI. He graduated from UW-Platteville with a degree in Agricultural Economics in 1988, and in 1991 became the General Manager/CEO of a local Co-op. In 1998, Bruce relocated to Chippewa Falls to become the General Manager/CEO of River Country Co-op. He currently carries various board positions on several boards and is a WIAA official for basketball and football. Bruce resides in Chippewa Falls with his wife, Beth, and two Golden Retrievers, Broley and Woody. They have three adult children who live in Minnesota.
David Wozniak

Position: Senior Financial Officer
Experience: … coming soon …
Heather Barrows

Position: Vice President | Convenience Stores-West
Experience: Heather graduated from the University of Minnesota, and began her career in retail while working for Target Corporation. After living in the greater Minneapolis/St. Paul region for over 10 years, Heather returned to the Chippewa Valley where she began working at Gordy’s Markets as a Manager of Human Resources. In 2013, she turned her focus to the sales side of the business, and became the Liquor/Beer Category Director. After seven years with Gordy’s, Heather decided to take on her role as VP of Convenience Stores at River Country Co-op where her responsibilities include increasing volume, profitability, and creating and maintaining a positive environment to work.
Nathan LeMay

Position: Vice President | Grain
Experience: Nathan graduated from the University of Wisconsin River Falls in 2020 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural Business and Minor in Agricultural Engineering Technologies. Nathan is originally from Chippewa Falls. He joined the River Country Co-op grain team in 2018 and was promoted to the VP of Grain in 2022. He lives in Chippewa Falls with his wife and kids.
Brad Podevels

Position: Vice President | Retail-East
Experience: Brad has a degree in Quality Management from Northcentral Technical College. He worked for Hurd Window and Doors in Medford, WI for 18 years as a Quality Engineer and Production Manager. Back in 2008 Brad took a position with Heartland Cooperative Services as the C-Store Division Manager. He coached high school varsity basketball and football for 25 years at both Colby and Abbotsford. He is currently a WIAA varsity football official. Brad serves as the President of the Retailers Association of Wisconsin buying group board. As VP of Retail-East, Brad will oversee the Cenex convenience stores and Napa Auto Parts centers on the East side. He currently resides in Colby with his wife Trish.
David Hartley

Position: Vice President | Energy
Experience: David graduated from Mankato Technical College in 1991 with an Electronics Technology degree. He grew up in a family business where his father was an Amoco jobber. After college David realized his passion was in Energy and started his career in a small town in South Dakota driving a fuel truck and building grain bins. David worked his way through the ranks and eventually became an Energy Department Manager at the age of 28. Prior to joining the River Country team in July 2019, David was the CEO of a cooperative in Winner, South Dakota. He currently resides in Chippewa Falls with his wife and has a son at college.
Brian Streveler

Position: Vice President | Feed
Experience: Brian grew up on a dairy farm near Edgar, WI. He graduated from UW-River Falls in 1991 with degrees in Ag Business and Ag Economics. Brian started his Cooperative career at the former Dorchester/Heartland Co-op in 1991 as Grain and Feed division manager and the latter half at Heartland Cooperative Services as the CEO until it merged into River Country Co-op in 2019. Brian and his wife, Sara, reside in rural Colby with their two sons and two daughters. Brian enjoys staying active with youth sports in the area.
Steve Hanvold

Position: Vice President | Agronomy
Experience: Steve graduated from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls with a degree in Agricultural Economics and minors in Soil Science and Agronomy. He has been working in the retail ag business field in various capacities since his internship in 1986. All but a brief portion of that time was spent in management. Steve earned his Certified Crop Advisor and Certified Professional Agronomist designations in 1995. Steve has served on several boards and advisory boards in state agricultural organizations and in 1996 was involved in the second wave of United States Ag Industry representatives to be sent as an advisor to Ukraine of the former Soviet Union when the iron wall came down.
Todd Heise

Position: Vice President | Marathon Feed & Grain
Experience: Todd grew up in Marathon City and had been part owner with his father, Dale, of Marathon Feed & Grain for several years. River Country Co-op acquired full ownership of Marathon Feed & Grain as of September, 2023. Todd and his wife, Christine, reside in Marathon City.

How to become a Member

Anyone who purchases goods and services from River Country Co-op can become a member. All you have to do is fill out a credit application. If you want credit at that time we will set up a credit line for you also. Otherwise we just use the general information to set up your account so that you may receive dividends on your purchases.

It’s simple, free, and allows you to receive money back on all of your purchases. This past year we returned 3% of your purchases back to you in cash and stock.

Fill out an application to become a member (click here).

Stock Retirement

For every purchase you make, the credit is calculated at the end of the fiscal year and you will receive a dividend check for cash and stock. The stock is retired at a later date. Currently, the company retires all stocks of patrons that are 70 and over.

For more info, contact Marty Goss at (715) 723-2828

Save your Register Slips

When you purchase items from us and pay with cash or a credit card, you still can receive dividends on these purchases. Just save all your receipts and bring them to the main office by September 1st of every year and we will credit these transactions to your accounts for proper credit. A stock check will be issued for these receipts when we pay out dividends. Generally this is in March of every year.

For more info, contact Marty Goss at (715) 723-2828

Scholarships

River Country Co-op offers fifteen annual scholarships. All fifteen scholarships are in the amount of $500. Please download the scholarship application and requirements using the link below.

If you have any further questions, contact Lisa Hardy at (715) 723-2828

Submission deadline: March 1, 2024.
Printable Scholarship Application 2024