Orientation to Planning an Expansion/Relocation Project

Is your co-op considering expansion/relocation within the next one to three years? CDS can provide a variety of cost-effective services throughout the planning and implementation of your expansion/relocation project. CDS has assisted more than 100 cooperatives with expansion projects ranging from $100,000 to $5 million.

If expansion is on the horizon for your cooperative, you might ask:

• How do we start? Who initiates the planning process?
• Are we ready to hire someone, or should we figure out our plans first?
• When should we hire a consultant to assist us?

We might answer:

• We can be most effective with our assistance early on in your planning process.
• Expansion projects are complicated, risky, and time consuming, as well as process sensitive, especially in cooperatives.
• CDS can assist in the early planning stages of an expansion project, by helping you:
  • Assess organizational and financial capacity
  • Assess feasibility
  • Clarify roles of board and management
  • Create a project plan and process
  • Create alignment in your organization around expansion mission and goals
  • Develop a board policy to guide an expansion project
  • Search for a site and negotiate an agreement
  • Create a project budget and financial projections

With an initial 3-day site visit, CDS will provide your cooperative with an Orientation to Planning an Expansion/Relocation Project. The orientation will be a combination of training and planning, working primarily with the General Manager. The site visit may also include one or two training/planning sessions with the board of directors and one session with the management team. We will work together with you to create an initial timeline/project plan and an initial budget for your project. Project management training and support will be provided.

If you are interested in an Orientation to Planning an Expansion/Relocation Project for your cooperative, please contact CDS consultant Bill Gessner at 612-823-4509 or email at BillGessner@cdsconsulting.coop