CDS is affiliated with a group of independent consulting professionals experienced in developing food cooperatives. These consultants are organized as a shared services cooperative, providing a range of services that are comprehensive and personalized. CDS Consulting Co-op’s consultants and programs have worked on over 500 projects helping cooperatives achieve their goals. Click here to go to the CDS Consulting Co-op’s web site.

The consultants specialize in working with food cooperatives to achieve growth, increase profitability, improve board leadership, strengthen management, and fully serve their members and community. This is done by focusing on assessment, planning, resource access, training, coaching, support, and continuous improvement in the following areas:

• Leadership Development
• CBLD – Cooperative Board Leadership Development
• Improving Performance
• Expansion and Growth of Cooperatives
• Marketing and Membership Development

(Click on the ‘Publications’ link at the bottom of this page to see associated CDS Solutions newsletter articles and other resources.)

Contact us for more information.

Food Co-ops Projects

• Chatham Marketplace - Pittsboro, NC
  Chatham Marketplace opened in spring 2006 to offer rural Pittsboro, North Carolina residents, an alternative place to shop for locally grown natural and organic food products. CDS’s Food Co-op Consultants assisted with project management support, financial projections, market analysis, fundraising, board training in policy governance, location selection, and securing management staff. CDS continues to provide ongoing support to Chatham Marketplace.
• Cooperative Board Leadership Development (CBLD)
  
• People's Food Cooperative - La Crosse, WI
  In the last five years, People’s Food Cooperative of La Crosse, Wisconsin grew from 1,400 to 3,200 members and doubled their sales. In two years they increased their business by over two million dollars with the renovation and expansion of their retail food market space that included the addition of a restaurant. CDS provided project management, market and feasibility studies, board training, and policy governance work to the co-op in support of its expansion, completed in November 2004.
• Viroqua Food Cooperative - Viroqua, WI
  After four years of planning and preparation, Viroqua Food Cooperative moved into its new building in June 2005 on the historic main street of this southwestern Wisconsin town. CDS provided project management, market and feasibility studies, board training, and policy governance work to the co-op in support of its relocation and expansion.