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About Us
Our Ends
The “ends” concept—unique to Policy
Governance®—designates the results for which the
organization exists,
the recipients or
beneficiaries of those results, and the worth of
the results or the results for certain recipient
groups. In other words:
Why does the Co-op exist, for whom, and at what
cost?
In contrast to the approaches typically used by
boards, Policy Governance separates issues of
organizational
purpose (ENDS) from all other
organizational issues (MEANS), placing primary
importance on those Ends.
The Keweenaw Co-op
exists to sustain the physical and social health
of our Owners, Customers, and Community
with:
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A
resilient and ethical food infrastructure.
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Education,
activism, and communication.
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Advantages
of a cooperative business model.
From these Ends the Management Team develops a
set of Strategic Directions—values and goals to
guide future
store operations. The four
statements of strategic direction include:
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We
are excellent operators, cooperators and
stewards.
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We
fulfill the community’s demands for health
and nutrition, ethical and sustainable
goods, and great food.
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We
build honest relationships and provide a
supportive shopping environment.
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We
educate and engage with people to encourage
a healthy community.
Our History
The Keweenaw Co-op started in 1973 as a
pre-order bulk-buying club to provide the
community with natural and
organic foods that
were otherwise not available at that time.
Our first home was the back room of Funkey’s
Karma Cafe in downtown Houghton. The Co-op grew
quickly,
outlived the restaurant, and soon
moved to a small retail space in Hancock that
operated with an all volunteer
staff. In
1986, after moving two more times, significantly
increasing our product line, and supporting a
paid staff,
the Co-op moved to the current
location and opened as a “full-line grocery
store”.
In 2010, by vote of the Membership, the Co-op
reincorporated as a true cooperative. This
change created a true
Ownership of the Co-op
by requiring Owners to own a share of Co-op
Common stock (Membership Stock). By
increasing our Owners’ economic participation
and investment, we created a stronger and more
financially sound
business.
Today, we remain the exclusive market for goods
and services that appeal to consumers who have a
meaningful
sense of environmental and social
responsibility and incorporate those values into
their buying decisions.
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