By Dan Gillotte, Rose Marie Klee 166 May-June 2013 In Austin, Texas, Wheatsville Co-op is taking a BIG Direction: "Business Is Good." Wheatsville's BIG Direction is the general manager's interpretation of our Ends -policies, which act as a powerful, multi-faceted expression of our strategic plan. The Wheatsville Ends policies are as follows: Wheatsville will be at the forefront of a transformed society that has: [...]
Now boards and management groups can easily access the expansion planning advice of CDS CC consultant Bill Gessner, food co-op general managers and board presidents through our newest Online Recorded Workshop titled Expansion Projects: Preparing Your Co-op for Successful Growth. In this video format, many of the frequently asked questions about expansion planning and strategic thinking for boards and managers can now be [...]
Amy Fields, General Manager Eastside Food Co-op, Minneapolis, MN The Eastside Food Co-op have emerged as innovators in participation and engaging their owners. Listen to Amy and get inspired as she explains the model and what it has done for NE Minneapolis.
With Appearances by: Bill Gessner, Expansion Consultant, CDS Consulting Co-op John Hatton, Board Chair, Brattleboro Food Co-op Alex Gyori, GM, Brattleboro Food Co-op Hether Jonna, Board Chair, People's Kalamazoo Chris Dilley, GM, People's Kalamazoo Margo O'Brien, GM, St. Peter Food Co-op Kim Davis, Board Chair, Three Rivers Market
Pam Mehnert, General Manager Outpost Natural Foods Milwaukie-area, WI At Outpost growth means serving its members better, and expanding the positive impact of the co-op on the local economy and community.
SYNOPSIS Executive summary. Write this last. Highlight key information from the plan-who you are, what you are going to do, why and how it will be financed. (Not in detail, that comes in the plan itself.) BACKGROUND History. One page on how the Co-op got to this point: How/who/why it was started (vision), bringing it up to this time. Key accomplishments to date. Ownership. Legal [...]
By Art Sherwood 163 November-December 2012 Expansion and growth are on the minds of many cooperative board and management leaders. And this makes sense, since growing our cooperatives’ abilities to deliver on their organizational Ends is of critical strategic importance. It certainly was on our minds at Bloomingfoods Co-op (Bloomington, Ind.) this last year as we addressed growing to include a fourth store and [...]
Boards delegate to their GM the task of effectively managing the co-op’s operations, which requires a clear system of accountability to ensure the GM is doing this job well. How can a board and GM maintain this system of delegation and accountability during the more risky and busy time of an expansion project? How can the board be sure that good financial management continues [...]
Wheatsville Food Co-op has always had big dreams to have multiple locations— going back to the days since it was founded. Now they are in a position to begin to make them come true. The co-op has, as general manager Dan Gillotte put it, “solidified home base” with its latest renovation and is primed to branch out into multiple locations. This has been an [...]
