Co-Op History
Getting To Our Current Vision: A Bit of History
The Los Alamos Cooperative Market project began in early 2006 when 500 signatures were collected in Los Alamos in support of opening a branch of La Montañita Co-op in Los Alamos. Although La Montanita subsequently declined to open another grocery store here, they did offer to assist Los Alamos in opening its own cooperative store. A market survey generated over 600 positive responses in support of having a local organic foods store in town. More than 60% of the respondents reported shopping for groceries outside of Los Alamos at least three times a month, attracted by the quality of the food and a wider selection of organic products than is currently available in Los Alamos. At least half would be willing to pay a premium of 10% of more to have these options available in town.
An interim board was formed to carry out the next steps. A membership drive in the fall of 2006 enlisted the support of over 100 member-owners by the end of that year, a number that has since grown to more than 450. LACM was incorporated as a cooperative association under Chapter 53, Article IV of NMSA 1978 in February 2007, and the bylaws were approved at a membership meeting on April 26, 2007.
The interim board of directors of the LACM hired consultant Pete Davis through the Cooperative Development Services to conduct a professional market study for a full-service, natural foods supermarket serving Los Alamos. Davis’ financial projections showed the feasibility of the project based on the projected sales, development costs, and operating expenses. A business plan based on these projections and other information was completed in the summer of 2007.
The biggest challenge in Los Alamos has been the identification of a suitable location, with a minimum of 5,000 square feet total space in a convenient location with ample parking. The board investigated several sites during the remainder of 2007 and 2008 in downtown Los Alamos, but in the end was unable to find a suitable location within the area identified as preferred by the market study.
Elections were held in February 2009 for a permanent board of directors. Membership was over 350 at this time and it was clear everyone was ready for a store to open.
In April 2009, Rick Reiss and Sam Gardner of Main Gate, LLC, the developers of the Entrada Business Park, approached the board and proposed that LACM consider locating at the Entrada development at the east end of the Los Alamos airport. After discussing this with the LACM consultant, C.E. Pugh of the National Cooperative Grocers’ Association, the board voted to accept the new location as the home of the Los Alamos Cooperative Market.
A Member Loan Campaign began in January 2010 to raise the $1.1 million needed to open the store and aquire the initial capital for tenant improvements, equipment, start-up staffing, initial inventory and working capital. Member response was overwhelmingly positive and over $785,000 was raised by July 2010. The campaign is on-going and the LACM is still hoping to reach its goal by the end of the year.
Groundbreaking for the store took place June 4th, 2010. The store opened for business on March 2, 2011.
Guiding Vision
The establishment of a sustainable, creative commons centered on a thriving natural food grocery. This grocery store and community center for green living will provide a sorely needed venue for local growers and producers in a way that greatly extends that currently available through the seasonal (weekly) farmers market. Finally, we expect that the community activities that the grocery will be able to encourage and stimulate will continue to evolve. We expect that the impact that we already see as very large will only expand due to the very nature of cooperative enterprises.