On Wednesday, May 20, Wasatch Food Co-op celebrated its Grand Opening with more than 2,000 member-owners and their entire community. The co-op is Salt Lake City’s first community-owned grocery store. Food Co-op Initiative (FCI) issued a news release covering this good news story, and we have incorporated FCI’s information in this report.
Columinate’s Manager on Contract program offers interim general management that supports co-ops in transition. During an period of management transition, quite often it is more advantageous for a co-op to use the services of a Manager on Contract than to feel like they are forced into a quick decision. While some co-ops have a solid bench of potential management candidates, others do not have this luxury. A Manager on Contract (MOC) will allow the board an adequate timeframe to carry out a proper search for a qualified candidate.
Many Columinate engagements are with start-up co-ops. Although these projects are a lot of work, they are also very rewarding for the Manager on Contract (M0C) and all other parties. MOC program director Garland McQueen comments, “It is always very exciting to see the first customer enter a store where you were a major part of the buildout and opening.” For this report, I asked McQueen to review the many elements of new store development for a Manager on Contract, and I have relied on his comments.
Interim general management supports incoming management: Quite often, it is more advantageous for a co-op to use the services of an Interim General Manager (IGM) than to feel like they are forced into a quick decision. While some co-ops have solid potential management candidates, others unfortunately do not have this luxury. An interim will allow the board an adequate timeframe to carry out [...]
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.
Chris Morris, manager on contract with Columinate, emanates traveling energy. Decades of experience with neighborhood grocery stores and a zest for adventure guides him to co-op communities in transition. Morris currently shares his operational expertise near the coastal waves of Ocean Beach in San Diego, California, as Interim Store Manager. With this engagement, he's supporting the co-op's general manager, Sarela Bonilla, to bridge leadership gaps, navigate the high-volume holiday season, and assist with some exciting store updates they’ve been working toward. Where his road may wind next is open for discussion, keeping energetic and optimistic Morris content.
As a long-time general manager, Matt Hartz felt the support and guidance of those who believed and invested in him. Mentorship and support of other leaders is often the unseen, but critical, work of the cooperative movement. We can run grocery stores and collect retail and owner-engagement experiences. But what underpins and perpetuates purpose-based organizations such as co-ops? A commitment to the professional development of those with whom we surround ourselves. Helping other cooperative leaders grow and develop truly makes Hartz thrive, and it is his key focus in his new role at Columinate.
The Detroit People's Food Co-op is getting ready to open and has contracted with Columinate's Chris Dilley as Manager on Contract. Build-out in the co-op's new facility is nearing completion, with opening now planned for early 2024. The new Detroit Food Commons facility, a partnership between Detroit Black Food Security Network and Develop Detroit, will house the Detroit People's Food Co-op as well as a community kitchen operated by the Black Food Security Network.
Urban Greens Food Co-op in Providence, Rhode Island, which opened in 2019, had low sales and was running out of cash. In 2022 the board of directors contracted with Luke Schell as Turnaround Manager to assess needs, lead in creating a turnaround plan, and implement the plan. During just three months of on-site leadership, his work had an excellent impact.
Dennis Hanley, Manager on Contract—and more Dennis Hanley may have opened and managed more stores of various retail formats than anyone in the food co-op system. He has worked in most states in the U.S. and abroad. His grocery career of over forty years began in a family meat business as a youngster and never stopped.
