On May 31, 2017 Vanderhoof and Districts Co-op announced that effective May 11, 2017, they are now named Four Rivers Co-operative.
“Our geographical trading area extends from Terrace in the west to Valemount in the east, Quesnel in the south to Fort St. James in the north” said, Renee Dick, Marketing Co-ordinator, of Four Rivers Co-operative. “As our co-operative continues to grow and expand, we realized that our name needs to be reflective of our membership.”
Brief history
Their co-operative was incorporated as Vanderhoof Co-operative on August 2, 1944 and began as an egg pooling depot. Over the years, they amalgamated with other retail co-operatives.
“In 2001 we merged with Houston Co-op, in 2004 we purchased the Terrace Co-op Cardlock when they shut down the rest of their operations, and in 2008 we completed an amalgamation with North Cariboo Co-op in Quesnel, after which we became known as Vanderhoof and Districts Co-operative Association. In April of 2014, we opened our new Home and Agro Centre in Vanderhoof, which now houses our lumber, agro and hardware departments in a 23,500 square foot facility.”
Business growth
Their retail operations continue to expand with construction underway on a gas bar/convenience store on Westgate Avenue in Prince George and they recently purchased land in 100 Mile House for a future cardlock.
Time for a change
In 2016 the Board of Directors felt the time had come to change the legal name of their co-operative, to include their broad geographical area and our diverse membership.
“Our co-operative has ambitious plans to continue expanding,” said Allan Bieganski, General Manager of Four Rivers Co-operative. “We want to ensure that all of our members feel that they are truly at home here. Having a name that is inclusive of our large geographical trading area will only help us in ensuring we are successful.”
About Four Rivers
Petroleum operations consist of four bulk petroleum plants, with a fleet of 16 petroleum delivery units, two lube oil trucks and 15 cardlock locations. Retail operations consist of a food store, home centre, two agro locations, a gas bar/convenience store, and a mini-storage facility. These facilities are located throughout the central interior from Quesnel in the south to Fort St. James in the North, from Valemount in the east to Terrace in the west.
Profit sharing
Each year the organisation gives profits back to their members through equity and cash back. “In 2016 we allocated 3.5% of members’ purchases to be returned to Co-op members in equity and cash back, totaling over $6 million. Over the past 10 years we have allocated $71.3 million to our members with $54.9 million being returned to our members in cash” says Renee Dick.
Large employer
Four Rivers Co-op employs over 150 people within their trading area and have an annual payroll of $7.1 million. Our employees are involved in their communities, being members in numerous service groups, sports teams, and charitable organizations, donating their time and energy to making our communities better places to live.
Charitable donations
In 2016, Four Rivers Co-op contributed over $115,000 to community groups, charities, non-profit organizations and sports groups. In addition, through their new Community Support Fund, they donated another $100,000 to eleven groups in ten different communities whose projects and programs provide a necessary service to improve the quality of life within their communities.
For more information contact Allan Bieganski, CPA, CGA General Manager Four Rivers Co-op Phone: 250-567-4414 Email: genmgr@vhfcoop.com
- files from media press release
