This summer, BOS program director Rob Brown spent a week in New York’s North Country region presenting at a series of events organized by the Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA). ANCA is an independent non-profit organization working to build dynamic local economies that sustain thriving communities in Northern New York since 1955. Carolyn Edsell Vetter, a Cooperative Business Support Officer for the Cooperative Fund of New England and a CDI Board member, joined Rob on the trip.
Rob has partnered with ANCA in developing their Center for Businesses in Transition, providing training on employee ownership transitions for their local partners engaged in outreach and education, and technical assistance to businesses interested in converting to worker-owned cooperatives.
In addition to numerous presentations, meetings and workshops with public and private sector economic development entities, Rob was able to personally visit several business owners and their workers who have been working with CDI from afar.
One such company is Ward Lumber, a 4th generation family owned lumber and building materials business operating stores in Jay and Malone. Over two nights, Rob was able to meet with employees at both locations. The chance to meet in person gave all the workers the opportunity to hear firsthand how a worker-owned cooperative and an employee buyout could work and get any questions they had answered. The workers were excited to learn more about the opportunity and are eager to move forward after the busy summer building season concludes.
For a morning workshop in Indian Lake that was simulcast to gatherings in several other regions, Rob and Carolyn were joined by Ralph Beisler of Railroad Avenue Supply Company (RASCO). RASCO is an Ace Hardware in Stamford NY that was founded by Ralph’s parents in the 1960’s. After many years of trying to find a buyer for the small, rural business so he could retire, he realized the best option might be to sell to his employees. He contacted CDI and we assisted him and his employees to organize a worker-owned cooperative that could buy the business from him. Ralph, Carolyn and Rob all presented on their experiences with transitioning businesses to employee ownership.
During the meeting Rob shared his experience working with the owners and employees of Ward Lumber to convert to a worker-owned cooperative. Excited by the prospect of sustaining this well-known legacy business, SBDC staff alerted Rob to a large grant opportunity from the Empire State Development Authority that could assist in the purchase of the company by the workers. With the deadline for application closing fast, Canton SBDC’s Angela Smith jumped in to help research and write the application, and the deadline was met. Fingers crossed!
Another workshop was focused on educating the region’s private, public and nonprofit lenders, and Carolyn and Rob were joined by Onondaga SBDC’s Frank Cetera and Joe Marraffino of the Democracy At Work Institute. Several folks from Ward Lumber participated in this event as well, offering the perspective of both the owner and the workers of a business that is going through a transition to a worker-owned cooperative.
The week was capped by ANCA’s annual meeting Thursday night where Anthony Flaccavento was the keynote speaker. Flaccavento is a nationally known organic farmer, rural economic development consultant, and author of the book Building a Healthy Economy from the Bottom Up: Harnessing Real World Experience for Transformative Change. His presentation highlighted numerous examples of people building strong and resilient communities, including through worker, consumer and resident owned cooperatives.
Over the course of the week, Rob was able to provide education, training and technical assistance for four businesses that have been working with CDI, and dozens of representatives from the region’s lenders, development groups, Chambers of commerce and businesses. New York’s North Country is well on its way to creating a strong ecosystem of public and private sector entities capable of providing the assistance needed to save businesses and jobs through transitions to employee ownership!