Sun Valley Co-op Ltd. reflected on another profitable year at their annual general meeting last week.
At the Altona Curling Club on Oct. 25, members learned that, in spite of the current financial environment, the organization has been thriving, and has enjoyed consistent growth over the last year.
Manager Brad Iverson said they were definitely operating in the black in 2022.
“Absolutely, it was a very successful year for us, which allowed us to allocate $2.67 million back to our members. The cheques went out in October, so our members have already been able to reap some of the benefits of being a part of Sun Valley Co-op.
“We are growing, with just over 8,000 members. We are gaining between 300 to 400 members per year, which is very exciting to see.”
Last year also saw an update in some of the organization’s by-laws.
“It’s been a long time since we updated, so with all the changes in technology we had to bring everything up to speed to focus on allowing us to use electronic means if needed for meetings and other things,” Iverson explained. “We were still using the corporate seal, which we don’t really use in today’s business practices. We want to stay current for today’s business environment.”
Iverson says Sun Valley Co-op has also enhanced the way members can manage their equity accounts and the way they purchase goods and services.
“We now have a new app that allows members to check their equity balance, view their equity statements, check flyers, and shop online, along with many other features.”
Another benefit of the app, he adds, is that it allows members to update their personal information.
“So if you have a change of address, or anything like that, now you can do that electronically without having to call in. We do have more technology enhancements that are coming in the near future, which are yet to be announced, with a lot of things being worked on in the background to make it easier for our members to do business with us.”
Sun Valley Co-op members have enjoyed additions to the gas bar offerings over the past year, which include a larger variety of hot food, with baristas and high-end varieties of coffees.
“We’ve also added a new chicken program at our Morris location, which we want to encourage everybody to try,” Iverson said. “The country style chicken is made in store and is fresh every day. We already have it at our Food Store in Altona and we’re happy to now offer it to members in the Morris area, as well.”
While there are some future projects in the works, Iverson said nothing has been verified yet.
“Last year was more about refocusing after the completion of the food store project in Altona. We wanted to just take a year to rebuild our balance sheet and work on paying for that asset.
“Meanwhile, the upgraded food store is thriving. Customers are pleased with the new look and layout and we’re happy with the results. The services we’ve been able to bring to the community have been enhanced, and I think it’s been very much appreciated.”
In fact, Iverson says Sun Valley Co-op has been enjoying a profitable year at all their locations, including Altona, Morris, St. Jean, Emerson, Dominion City, and at the card lock in Gretna.
“I give our members full credit for all our success,” he said. “We want to thank them for their continued support because without them this would not be possible. We also want to thank our staff and board for their hard work and dedication.”
