The co-operative business model is versatile and tin succeed in any industry. The model tin also be shaped to arrange the unique needs and characteristics of a community. Innovative co-operatives are among the top businesses in the world, and many of these businesses have created brands with national and global recognition.

Some of these well-known co-operative businesses take built their identity and legal structure into their brand, distinguishing themselves from other business concern models – Co-op Stores beyond western Canada, for example. But other manufacture giants focus on their products, services and business characteristics, which means consumers frequently practise non recognize them every bit a co-operative.

Here are iv co-operative businesses you probably didn't know were co-ops:

The Associated Press

Recognizable media companies, such as the New York Times, Torstar, and the Globe and Mail, are oft role of large media co-operatives that provide a shared source of content that tin can be broadcasted in local markets. The Canadian Printing in Canada, and the Associated Press in the United states of america of America, are co-operatively endemic organizations that comport investigative journalism, concur a global presence and share content with local broadcasters and media outlets. The use of these co-operatives ensures that smaller, local newspapers tin access the same content equally media giants. The Associated Press' shareholders consist of over 1700 newspapers and over 5000 boob tube and radio broadcasters.

Home Hardware

Each Home Hardware shop is independently endemic by a local entrepreneur. Each of the more than yard stores are shareholders in the larger Home Hardware co-operative that provides collective marketing and wholesale distribution. The co-operative, founded in the 1960s was led by Walter Hachborn to offering competitive prices to local stores at a fourth dimension when hardware stores encountered challenging economical conditions. The admission to high quality wholesale products at competitive prices has allowed the network of stores to gain a pregnant portion of the hardware market and is recognized as i of the manufacture's leaders in Canada. Home Hardware'south brand has focused on its Canadian history and quality products rather than its branch concern structure.

Green Bay Packers

Many professional sports teams maintain a very strong connection to their community and fans. In some cases, this is built into the business construction of the squad when they organize equally a co-operative. The most notable example of this is the Green Bay Packers, who are the only remaining customs-owned not-profit squad in the NFL. The Packers take over 360,000 shareholders and no single member can hold more than iv% of the over 5 1000000 issued shares. This structure has immune the squad to remain functional despite being in the smallest market in all professional sports in America.

Saskatchewan Roughriders

Borrowing from the Packer model, the Saskatchewan Roughriders Football Gild is likewise a co-operative with 2 share classes. The fan loyalty of these two clubs is legendary, and both the Riders and the Packers are superlative of grade in their respective leagues for brand recognition and financial stability.

Other professional sports teams in western Canada with a claim to being community-owned include the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Edmonton Eskimos.

Have a business concern to add to this list? Share it with us.