General Manager Update - January 2022
Greetings Co-op Member-Owners!
As I sit to write this letter it’s mid-November. I have just experienced my first Skagit River flood event. I want to put a big thanks out there to all who were responsible for the planning, construction, and maintenance of the flood wall. It was very impressive to see the efficiency in which the city workers erected the wall and how amazingly effective the wall was. I had heard stories from some long-term employees about previous floods and the physical labor required to fill sandbags in order to protect downtown businesses. After witnessing firsthand the raw power of the river and seeing the destruction so many others endured, I feel so very fortunate that our Co-op came away unscathed.
Believe it or not, I have just hit my two-year anniversary as the General Manager of our Co-op. For me, it is hard to imagine that two years have already gone by. It has been such an eventful period of time.
In the past, I’ve shared with you some of the accomplishments, goals, and business decisions of the past two years. I would like to give you a little bit of an update on where things stand today and what our focus will be over the next few months.
First, let me say that our Co-op remains healthy and has had a strong and profitable 2021. Final results will be shared with you all as soon as we have wrapped up our financial reporting. We accomplished much in 2021. We committed to a “livable wage” structure for our staff, which resulted in significant pay increases for 2021 and the expectations of annual ongoing adjustments in the future. I am committed to paying our staff a fair wage, one that allows them to continue to work and raise a family in the area. This will require us to continually make adjustments in our business to ensure adequate revenue to fulfill this goal.
We made significant equipment and refrigeration upgrades in our store in 2021, and we will continue to do so in 2022, however most of the investments planned for this year will be in systems like electrical and HVAC, areas not visible to a shopper.
We permanently closed Third Street Cafe. We are in the process of repurposing the space to allow for increased food production and storage that will better serve our store. Due to the significant supply chain delays on equipment and supplies, the conversion process is taking longer than I anticipated. I am hopeful that by the middle of 2022 the process will be complete.
In January, we will be conducting a thorough Staff Satisfaction Survey. We have hired an outside consulting company to conduct the survey for us. This company has successfully conducted accurate and confidential surveys for dozens of co-ops across the country. Because so many other co-ops utilize the same survey, we will be able to benchmark our results against other co-ops. The survey will allow us the opportunity to identify areas we do well in and areas that could use improvement. The results from the survey will be used as a tool to help us strategize on ways to increase the overall staff satisfaction at our Co-op.
Other Thoughts
The pandemic has brought about so much change. We have unprecedented supply chain issues that continue to affect availability of foods, equipment, and supplies. We are constantly dealing with labor issues due to a shortage of workers as well as our existing staff needing time off to deal with COVID-related issues like quarantines, school closures, and ill family members. All of the new challenges we now face at the Co-op have added complexity to our jobs, which increases the stress level all around. Our resiliency and patience have grown due to the changes we have faced these past couple years. I am proud of the success we have shown in spite of the many new facets of today’s work environment and world.
The ways we are required to interact with each other these past two years has been far from ideal. It has been so challenging for staff, members, shoppers, and vendors to communicate with each other while having to wear a facial covering. So often our daily in-store personal communications can be misconstrued as a result of wearing a mask. It can be difficult to hear and/or recognize facial expressions which often leads to misunderstanding and sometimes even confrontation. I am concerned that our Co-op may not feel like the joyful and fun place we intend it to be. Your Co-op shopping experience is built upon sharing the joy and gratitude of multiple personal reactions with our staff on a daily basis. We yearn to exchange smiles with you and nourish our spirits in the process.
As you are reading this letter from me now, I have no idea what the current facial covering practice is, but I suspect it is still a requirement. We will get through this most difficult time. But I look forward to the time where we will all be able to reintroduce ourselves, share a smile, have a laugh or two and embrace the joy and energy of our Co-op community. Until that happens, please believe that we are smiling behind that mask and are happy to be here to serve you.
It has been a fun and rewarding two years. I truly appreciate the opportunity to lead such an amazing Co-op. I am fortunate to have landed in such a wonderful place with an incredible group of employees and a dedicated and engaged group of owners. I look forward to and dream of a more normal year.
Cheers,
Tony White