NCGA Welcomes New Members
The National Cooperative Grocers Association is welcoming two new members and one new associate co-op to its ranks, bringing affiliate totals to 128 food co-ops with combined annual sales of more than $1.4 billion.
“We are pleased to welcome Astoria Co-op, Belfast Co-op and Monadnock Food Co-op to NCGA, especially as we celebrate the economic and social benefits of cooperative businesses during this International Year of Cooperatives,” said association CEO Robynn Shrader. “Consumer demand for good food from businesses they trust has fueled the growth of co-ops across the country. “It’s easy to see this in action through the entire sector, both with the emergence of so many new promising co-ops, as well as the continued success of many cornerstone cooperative grocers.”
- For almost 40 years, the mission of Oregon’s Astoria Co-op has been to serve the Lower Columbia River community by providing fairly priced, wholesome foods and other goods in an ecologically sustainable, social responsible and economically appropriate manner. In 2008, the co-op moved to its current 3,100-square-foot retail location, where it has since experienced double-digit growth.
- “All are welcome” is the motto of Belfast Co-op, located in the heart of Belfast, Maine. Since 1976, the co-op has offered a wide selection of organically produced and sourced locally products at reasonable prices. Today, Belfast Co-op is the largest co-op grocer in Maine, operating a full-service market with annual sales of close to $6 million.
- Founded in 2010, Monadnock Food Co-op of Keene, N.H., is a start-up co-op planning to open its doors in 2013. The co-op will focus on providing a diverse selection of local, organic and natural foods to the Monadnock region. The full-service, 13,000-square-foot store is projected to achieve $7 million in sales its first year.
Iowa City, Iowa-based National Cooperative Grocers Association is a business services cooperative for retail food co-ops located throughout the United States, aimed at optimizing operational and marketing resources, strengthening purchasing power and offering more value to natural food co-op owners and shoppers everywhere.