Tony White new food co-op GM general manager

The essential concept to grasp is that the Skagit Valley Food Co-op is more than a grocery store. Owned by their members, co-ops are businesses that serve and reflect their members’ values. Tony White, who took over from retired General Manager Todd Wood last Friday not only understands that dynamic, he freely confesses that long ago he “really drank the Kool Aid for co-ops. I realized the emphasis for communications with members. From that time on I was a true believer.” That lesson was learned in a 1990s master program in co-op management at St. Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The 58-year old’s career has been entirely in the grocery business, most of it with co-ops. Until four years ago that was at New Hanover Co-op in New Hampshire, most recently as director of operations, having advanced through managing produce, meat, deli and floral departments. While that co-op served a similar sized region of 100,000 people, its annual sales exceed $77million and it employs 400.

White came to Mount Vernon from Portland. The last four years he has been a consultant serving the western region for the National Cooperative Grocers.

His first time in the Skagit Valley Food Co-op changed that. “The day I walked into this place I knew I wanted to be back in it and manage a store. It’s a pretty cool place to take over,” he says.

He respects Wood’s 41 years of leadership and sees his role as learning and fine tuning the operations.

His first year goal: “We hold steady, we haven’t let anything implode.” He wants the staff to stick with him through this joint transition.

White understands the competition from the conventional grocery industry. “It is not a given that people will shop here,” he notes. “It’s really important that we stay vibrant and in touch with the members and the members with us.”

White wants to embrace farmers also, as he did back east.

Personally, he is married and they live near Similk Beach. He loves the water and he boats.

This is his last job he says. He knows “co-ops make a better community. With more co-ops we will have a better world.” He aims to prove that here.

The Co-op’s board of directors hired White.