ALLEMAN, Iowa — The Heartland Co-op has decided to not staff the grain elevator after this harvest season. The West Des Moines based organization will use employees based at a new Heartland facility in Cambridge.

Heartland Co-op has facilities all over the Midwest, this change is only about Alleman. The elevator will still be used to store grain.

“Nobody wants to lose any part of any business in his town, and it seems like the Co-op has been in town for so many years and serve so many people,” said Robert Kramme, Mayor of Alleman. “It’s disheartening to lose them for six months out of the year so.”

At one time the co-op employed over 20 people, the original co-op silo was one of the first such structures in Iowa. Alleman was established as a town in 1973.

The Mayor is now focused on getting development going in Alleman.

 “When you look on a map, everybody’s drawing all the way all the way around Alleman but there’s no growth in Alleman,” said Kramme. “We are prime. We are close to Ankeny. We are prime for development.”

Kramme is hoping developers will work with this small town using tax increment financing to develop this town. The mayor would also like to see a sewer treatment plant developed here, that could cost up to $20 million. He would also like to see a place where you can buy a cup of coffee or a pop.