The big Co-op that does: building success upon community

The Skagit Valley Food Co-op has experienced phenomenal growth from its 1973 start in a church basement in downtown Mount Vernon, but it has not strayed far from its roots or its original location. Now occupying two buildings, the mother store fronts South First Street at Division. C-Square is in a building tucked between Second and Third Streets.

The expansion impulse was a combination of solving a mundane need to secure over 60 coveted parking spaces and a daydreaming “La-Z-Boy” concept, explained long time General Manager Todd Wood. He first provided his back-of-the-envelope plan to his board ahead of the county’s Community Services building, and parking lot, coming up for sale in 2013.

“It was an opportunity to create change as we go into the future,” noted Wood. “We needed to make ourselves relevant in the community and give people continued reasons to shop with us.”

The Co-op created C-Square, as Wood explained. “That connects to the working name for both the project and the building: C², as in Co-op Community of Businesses.” The five independent businesses run by the co-op are Crust & Crumbs, a bakery and confections; Cuppa, an espresso bar; Cured, making specialty meats; Cones, cranking handmade ice cream and Third Street Cafe, meant to showcase its sister businesses. The four enterprises supply the food co-op as well. The co-op stocks the businesses’ products. It is a synergy multiplying sales back and forth.

As Nicole Vander Meulen, marketing and community outreach director, shared, “The Cafe is a great success story. There are not many community-owned restaurants anywhere. To us, that’s a huge thing.” It is. Over 45 jobs have been created and food is being manufactured in downtown Mount Vernon. Vander Meulen pointed out that theirs is the only gluten bakery in the city.

The emphasis on local reaches out to over 450 local producers, suppliers and makers. “Not only is that a HUGE economic impact, it means we can be a haven for those looking to support local,” said Vander Meulen.

The expansion is an internal business success story, too. The entire project: purchase, planning, business development, build-out and opening was self-financed. The Co-op’s balance sheet was so positive that not a single loan was needed. “That approach has saved us one million dollars in interest payments,” said Wood.

“People say “we own the Co-op,’” said Wood. “It’s a unique community, giving back to the community, and asking ‘what do we do for the next generation and the generation after that?’” It is a community of over 20,000 member-owners.

For Vander Meulen, commit-ment to community extends beyond her human companions. “The Co-op is really important for protecting this place we all love so much. The Skagit Valley is more special than most. It is a two-fold protecting of our community.”

And, coming back to October being International Co-op Month, Vander Meulen brought up its theme “’Co-op’s Commit.’ To reiterate Todd’s response of being of and for the community, we’re not just community-owned, we’re committed to it.”