olorado
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Cooperatives: The Business
of Working Together
Cooperation is as simple
as working together.
Cooperation is important
in being part of a family,
running a school, playing
on a sports team, creating
music or a video, and
even running a business.
Cooperation means
working with other people
to accomplish something
we are not able to do on
our own. Cooperation
works because everyone
shares the same goal
and each person brings
what they do best to the effort.
Many businesses are cooperatives.
REI is a cooperative that sells outdoor
items. Tillamook is a cooperative that
sells cheese and other dairy products.
ACE Hardware is a cooperative that
sells tools and home repair supplies.
COOPERATIVE
Many businesses are set up as cooperatives, meaning
the customers own and operate the company.
Cooperative businesses may be
small with just a few members. These
co-ops (short for cooperative and
pronounced kō,äp) may serve a single
neighborhood. Other co-ops may
offer services to hundreds of members
across an entire state. Yet other co-
ops may be made of up of thousands
of members across the nation.
These businesses do everything from
providing electricity and loans to
turning oranges into orange juice.
Many cooperatives operate in rural
areas and they have been around for
a long time. Rural areas depend on
co-ops to make sure important services
are available at affordable costs.
Connecting Colorado educators and students to their food, fiber, fuel, and natural resources.