Walden Swanson
Phone: 919-968-8799
Fax: 248-692-0855
WaldenSwanson@cdsconsulting.coop

Carrboro, NC

Walden Swanson has been involved with food co-ops since the early 1970’s. He has managed both retails and wholesales and has worked extensively as a consultant with food co-ops. Walden currently manages CoCoFiSt (Common Cooperative Financial Statements), a project that compiles, analyzes and compares financial and operating data from co-ops around the country. The purpose of CoCoFiSt is to enable cooperatives to improve operations faster than the competition.

Walden’s areas of expertise are:

• CoCoFiSt and CoCoFiSt workshops
• Financial management and management team and membership meetings
•Support GM/Board relations

“CoCoFiSt is an outstanding project in which co-ops around the country have standardized their financial reporting and can compare their store and department performance. I can not say enough good things about it. Thanks to Walden’s vision and hard work, CoCoFiSt will have all the answers to your questions, and many answers to questions you have not even though of yet.”

—Joe Jagiello, Purchaser
Northeast Cooperatives, Brattleboro, Vermont

Articles on this site

• CDS Consulting Co-op at CCMA
  (May-June 2010, Volume 10, Number 3)
• Support Cooperative Development
  (May-June 2009, Volume 9, Number 3)
• Walden and Kate to Be Inducted into the Cooperative Hall of Fame
  (November - December 2007, Volume 7, No. 6)
• Case Study: Wheatsville -- Where It All Started for Walden
  (November - December 2007, Volume 7, No. 6)
• Focus on Vision Expands Small Co-op Possibilities
  (Winter 2005: Volume 5, No. 1)
• Financial and CoCoFiSt Consultant Walden Swanson: Reliable Data, Better Decisions
  (Winter 2001: Volume 1, No. 2)

Articles not on this site

Retail Operations Survey: Co-op Financial Trends and Store Development Issues. Patricia Cumbie. Cooperative Grocer. #107. July-August 2003.

Second Annual Cooperative Grocer Human Resources Survey Dave Gutknecht, Peg Nolan, and Walden Swanson. Cooperative Grocer. #100. May-June 2002.

Retail Operations Survey: A Close Look at 2000 Performance Walden Swanson and Dave Gutknecht. Cooperative Grocer. #95. July-August 2001.

Human Resources Survey Gives a Close Look at Co-op Compensation. Walden Swanson and Dave Gutknecht. Cooperative Grocer. #93. March-April 2004.

Co-op Links Illustrate the Experience Curve Walden Swanson. Cooperative Grocer. #81. March-April 1999.

Business Planning: Analyzing Your Store’s Systems. Mary Myers and Walden Swanson. Cooperative Grocer. #42. September-October 1992.

Business Plans: Doing the Groundwork. Mary Myers and Walden Swanson. Cooperative Grocer. #40. May-June 1992.

What Good Is a Business Plan? Mary Myers and Walden Swanson. Cooperative Grocer. #38. January-February 1992.

How to Critique a Business Plan. Walden Swanson. Cooperative Grocer. #10. April-May 1987.