SaskBusiness Magazine has come out with their Top 100 businesses for Saskatchewan in 2019.
In the northeast, four local Co-op’s were listed in the ranking.
After ranking 80th in 2018, Prairie North Co-op based in Melfort almost jumped into the Top 50 in 2019.
It’s been a busy few years for Prairie North Co-op as they’ve had either management agreements or amalgamations with other Co-ops in the area. Prairie North now encompasses Archerwill, Kelvington, St. Brieux, Naicam, and Spalding. General Manager Terry Tremblay said even while ranking 55, they still have goals to continue moving up.
“There’s so many opportunities that we’re really excited about where this all leads,” he said. “And how high in that Top 100 we can climb.”
He added that their community involvement is a big reason they are so successful.
“I think people recognize the role, and the amount that we help improve lives in our communities,” Tremblay told northeastNOW. “And I think it draws people.”
Tremblay said looking forward, they want to continue making sure customers choose Co-op for the long run.
“The more we commit to the communities and the members, the more they commit to us,” he said.
He also gave a great deal of credit to the hundreds of employees that work for Co-op every day.
Beeland Co-op is based in Tisdale, and also includes Arborfield and Bjorkdale as part of their family. In 2019, they jumped up six spots in the Top 100 to rank 92.
“It’s exciting news for us,” said General Manager Todd Svenson. “It’s always nice to be recognized when you’re successful and it’s awesome to get that recognition.”
At the end of 2018, Beeland opened up a brand new Food Store in Tisdale, something Svenson said definitely played a part in them making the list this year.
Svenson added that the ranking shows the growth of the company over the years.
“We’ve came from a long way over the years from where we were back in the mid-80s when Beeland Co-op for example was almost bankrupt at that point,” he said. “To get back to this level is just great.”
Svenson added that they are always looking for new opportunities for Beeland Co-op and are always looking to grow as they look forward.
A new addition to the Top 100, Humboldt Co-op found itself a spot at 94 in the rankings. General Manager Brent Walker said it was great to be recognized for their work. He said recently, agriculture has been a big positive for them, and played a part in getting them into the Top 100.
Walker said seeing the other Co-op’s in the Top 100 along with them shows what the brand means to people.
“It’s just so exciting to see how exciting Co-op is to Saskatchewan in general,” Walker said.
He added that they continue to stick to their values of how they started; farmers needing goods and services brought to them. He said Co-op’s business structure is a reason there’s so many in the Top 100.
“The profits that we make go back to the members,” Walker said. “And no other company can say that.”
With competition being strong, Walker said they will continue to maintain and continue to compete.
Meanwhile, with so many local Co-op’s doing so well, all three managers northeastNOW spoke to said that it’s good to have so many on the list. They said it’s somewhat of a friendly competition but it allows them to make each other better.
Pineland Co-op out of Nipawin was also ranked in the Top 100, sitting at 77, but response was unavailable at the time of publishing.
–
mat.barrett@jpbg.ca
On Twitter: @matbarrett6
