The Cooperative Difference
“Our Vision is a Well-Nourished Community Cultivated Through Cooperation.”
What’s a Co-op?
Rochdale, England, is an industrious, hardscrabble city about 40 miles northwest of Liverpool, nestled in the moors and hill country of the South Pennines. A spirited group of working-class weavers and artisans formed the first successful consumer cooperative in Rochdale in 1844. Operating on the democratic principle of “one member, one vote,” the Rochdale Pioneers organized to control the cost and purity of their food. The idea soon spread around the world, eventually making its way to New England. And here we are.
A cooperative is simply a business or organization that is owned and democratically controlled by its members. This contrasts with traditional businesses where ownership and control are typically held by outside investors. Co-ops are designed to serve the needs and interests of the members who own them, rather than solely generating profits for an individual or a small group of external investors.
What’s in it for You?
Among the roughly 300,000 auto repair shops across the United States, very few—perhaps even just us!—are structured as cooperatives. This means our approach to auto service is distinct. Instead of prioritizing profits for an owner or investors, our business is designed around one goal: meeting the needs of our owners, community members, and customers.
An auto repair center organized as a co-op offers significant advantages for customers because its fundamental purpose is to serve their best interests, not to maximize profit for external owners or investors. This unique structure translates into more transparent pricing, as there’s no pressure to upsell unnecessary services or inflate costs. Instead, the focus is on providing honest assessments and fair rates that benefit the membership. Customers can also expect a higher level of trust and accountability, as they are often members themselves and have a direct voice in how the co-op operates.
Moving On
But as the Co-op grew, its downtown location became cramped, and it was plagued by the perennial Hanover problem: parking. In 1962, the Board of Directors of the 2,000-member Co-op authorized purchase of the Hanover Co-op Food Store’s present site. In 1963, the Co-op moved into its new quarters at 45 South Park Street.
History of the Co-op Food Stores
In January of 1936, 17 Hanover, New Hampshire, and Norwich, Vermont, residents formed the Hanover Consumer’s Club—bringing the cooperative movement to the Upper Valley.
Initially, members of the fledgling co-op pooled orders for potatoes, oranges, and maple syrup and arranged for discounts of gasoline and fuel oil with local suppliers. A year later, Co-op members incorporated as the Hanover Consumer Cooperative Society and opened a small retail store in a basement on Hanover’s Main Street. Annual sales that year reached $11,404.
Moving On
But as the Co-op grew, its downtown location became cramped, and it was plagued by the perennial Hanover problem: parking. In 1962, the Board of Directors of the 2,000-member Co-op authorized purchase of the Hanover Co-op Food Store’s present site. In 1963, the Co-op moved into its new quarters at 45 South Park Street.
Within a few years, the Co-op moved to a new location in Hanover and opened the town’s first self-service grocery store. Here, the Co-op grew and prospered for 20 years, enjoying steady increases in membership and sales. This story is vividly told by founding members of the Co-op in the video “Hand in Hand: A History of the Hanover Consumer Cooperative Society,”
