Author:  Jeanie Wells Food co-ops are known for being compassionate employers. Unlike some of our big competitors in the grocery industry who only work to maintain their organization's interests, food co-ops seem more likely to try to accommodate individual interests and preferences alongside the organization's priorities. This is a great thing, something that food co-ops should be proud of. But do we sometimes go too far? How can we tell when the ...

During the recent ICMIF Conference Charles Beighton, General Manager Strategy & Marketing, NFU Mutual, gave a presentation on the values based strategies that are fundamental to how NFU Mutual operate. Key values for NFU Mutual said Charles are trust, prudence, value for money, quality and customer focus. He told delegates, “we are about improving the overall quality of members’ lives. We recognise the emotional and human side of managing claims and the impact that we have on peoples’ ...

The former general manager of a bankrupt Montana electric cooperative said Friday that unfavorable contracts, missed payments and lost customers were to blame for its financial problems — not a new but seldom-used $85 million power plant. Attorneys for creditors of Southern Montana Electric Generation and Transmission Cooperative questioned general manager Tim Gregori under oath for five hours Friday. They were trying to determine what led Southern to amass $21 million in debt before filing ...