Bluestem Electric Cooperative, Inc.

and
PCEDC Announce Purchase of Land
Bluestem Electric Cooperative announces the purchase of approximately twelve acres
of land in the Wamego Industrial Park east of Wamego. The land purchase was
precipitated by a nearly two year study and review in which the Board of Trustees
assessed the cooperatives facility needs looking toward the future. The purchase of the
property was made through the facilitation of Immediate Past President Charles White
of the Pottawatomie County Economic Development Corporation and its Board of
Directors and staff.
Bluestem Electric Cooperative currently has office and warehouse facilities in Wamego
and Clay Center. The Wamego office, 614 East Highway 24, serves as the
cooperatives headquarters. The cooperatives current Wamego warehouse facility was
built in the 1960s with the office complex being constructed in the mid 1970s. After
almost 50 years, the current warehouse facility is nearing the end of its useful life and is
in need of many repairs that challenge the economic feasibility to maintain its
usefulness and functionality. The age and deterioration of Bluestems current Wamego
warehouse, coupled with confined space for future growth needs identified in the study
was a determining factor to pursue property at a new location with more room.
Considerable time, study and planning went into the decision by Bluestems Board of
Trustees and Staff to purchase a larger parcel of land.
Land purchase and trades took place with MGM, LLC; Concordia Tractor Inc., and
Highland Community College as well as the Pottawatomie County Economic
Development Corporation. Mr. White facilitated the project over 11/2 year time frame.
The transaction will allow all parties to continue to grow in the Wamego area near the
Wamego Industrial Park.
Definitive future plans for the site have yet to be determined by the Bluestem Board of
Trustees but acquiring an available site is an important first step in planning and
preparing to meet the future needs of the cooperatives members.
Our current warehouse facility has served our Cooperative for almost 50 years. The
cooperative has continued to grow in that fifty years and projections are that it will
continue to grow in the next fifty years. The land acquisition will allow us the ability to
grow into the future if a decision to update and modernize facilities is made by the
Board of Trustees. If a board decision is made to update and modernize facilities the
board will make sure that detailed information is provided to the membership, said
President Dan Pollock.

Bluestem Electric Cooperative, Inc. serves 7119 members/meters in 11 counties which

include; Clay, Cloud, Dickinson, Geary, Jackson, Marshall, Ottawa, Pottawatomie, Riley,
Wabaunsee and Washington.