Why A Community Store?

Since the 1920’s, the Nordland General Store has been the heart and soul of our island community, and a welcome stop for the hundreds of thousands of visitors to Fort Flagler State Park annually. In re-opening the store, we knew that only a community-based effort could keep the store going and thriving, for, well, at least another 100 years.

Our initial board looked at varying business and governance models from around the nation and settled on the most community focused one: a cooperative!

A cooperative (co-op) corporation is a type of corporation that places the ownership and/or control of the corporation in the hands of the stakeholders. A co-op is intended to be community-based, giving those whom the entity serves or employs a direct say in the operation of the entity. In the case of the Nordland General Store, every community member who purchases a member share will have one vote; no member is permitted to have more than one vote. Members vote to appoint a board of directors (BOD) and the board oversees the officers of the co-op.

You don’t need to be a member to shop at the store, but membership invests in the renovation and revitalization of the store for years to come. And members will have both a vote in board elections and special shopping opportunities throughout the year.

Want to know more about the history of co-operatives? Check out the International Cooperative Alliance or the Food Co-op Initiative. Fun fact: In 1844 the Rochdale Pioneers founded the modern Co-operative Movement in Lancashire, England, to provide an affordable alternative to poor-quality and adulterated food and provisions, using any surplus to benefit the community. Since then, the co-operative movement has flourished, extending across the globe and encompassing all sectors of economy.