On February 27th through March 1st, two Hudson Grocery Co-op board members had the opportunity to attend the Up and Coming, Up and Running conference held in Bloomington, Indiana. Hundreds of individuals from dozens of start-up co-ops came together to learn from industry experts, share stories and suggestions.
In co-op spirit the conference attendees welcomed the delicious lunches prepared by Bloomingfoods Market & Deli, the town’s grocery co-op which opened in 1976.
Discussions led by industry experts, including Bill Gessner of CDS Consulting Co-op, Art Sherwood of Indiana State University, and Brenda Pfahnl of the Northcountry Co-op Development Fund, covered many of the topics that start-up co-ops need to understand in order to grow a successful business. These talks provided an awesome crash-course in co-op development and management. The skills learned from this conference will help HGC build a strong, financially viable grocery store.
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