If you go to the Columinate Library and search CBLD (Cooperative Board Leadership Development), you will find an encyclopedic list of over one hundred governance resources. And a great many of these Library resources have been contributed by Michael Healy. Healy’s work as a governance consultant predates the CBLD program itself. From his Vermont home base, Healy contributed to early iterations of board [...]
Location research consultant Patrick Shabram is a new Columinate member—welcome! Shabram has over thirty years of experience in store location research, market research, and Geographic Information Systems. His clients include both startup co-ops and established food co-ops planning expansion or relocation. Shabram summarizes his professional practice, using current research, as dedicated to providing accurate numbers that support informed decisions by the co-op’s planning group.
Columinate Manager on Contract (MOC) consultants provide essential support that strengthens co-ops in transition—through both short-term and long-term agreements. MOC services are more diverse than many people may appreciate. The program serves food co-ops needing various management support, and MOC provides leadership in a wide range of scenarios.
Columinate’s Interim General Manager (IGM) services have yielded very positive results at People’s Food Co-op (PFC) in Ann Arbor, Michigan. While under contract as IGM, Chris Morris has exercised a wide range of skills to work with the existing team and turn around a wavering operation. Morris was hired in early January and ends his contract with PFC on May 30.
Independent grocery stores—mom-and-pop shops, food co-ops, and nonprofit-run markets—face unique and persistent challenges. From thin profit margins to limited formal training, retail leaders often find themselves navigating complex work with little support. Mighty Community Markets Grocery Bootcamp, presented by nationally recognized consultant and former general manager Jeanie Wells, was created to directly address key challenges faced by community-minded grocers across North America.
Mighty Community Markets Grocery Bootcamp returns this May for its sixth iteration, featuring new content and an updated curriculum that reflects industry trends. The program, which has served 200 leaders thus far, is dedicated to supporting small and independent grocery stores, providing essential training and development to help leaders better serve their communities.
The job of a food co-op general manager (GM) is one of the more unique and challenging roles in the grocery industry. GMs manage their staff, report to a board of directors of many bosses speaking as one, and are responsible for a wide variety of functional areas within their business. At any given moment a GM must be knowledgeable about margin strategy, marketing, HR compliance, or fixing a coffee brewer. A GM likely makes dozens of decisions a day and needs context and subject matter knowledge to inform each one. They’re at once operating a for-profit business and stewarding a community asset. In short, it’s a lot.
In the ever-evolving landscape of retail grocery, effective leadership is paramount. Effective leadership doesn't just happen—it must be nurtured and cultivated, equipping emerging talent with the right tools, training, mentoring, and support. Cooperatives as well as other independent grocery stores face unique challenges in a post-covid world, and new challenges emerge frequently. Retailers must remain courageous and steadfast in making the necessary changes to prepare, build, and sustain a strong future.
As the cooperative grocery industry continues to grow, many stores are looking at hybrid models: a mixture of natural foods and conventional grocery. New Columinate consultant Andre Chavez has so much operational experience in both natural and conventional grocery that he could be considered a hybrid unto himself.
The concept of pay equity affects all co-ops, no matter who their general manager (GM) is. The ability of our stores to attract, train, and retain quality candidates creates a rising tide for all co-ops, especially as Principle 6 mandates our collective cooperation. Columinate’s Compensation Database is a remarkably helpful tool that enables general managers and boards to understand how their compensation package compares to similar stores throughout the country.
