Battlefords and District Co-op will have a new name, soon.
At a special meeting Tuesday night at Territorial Place Mall, members voted overwhelmingly in favor of changing the name to Discovery Co-op Ltd.
The change will not happen immediately. There is still a process to go through , but the name has been reserved through their business corporations branch and the expectation is the new name will be rolled out fully later this summer.
It was explained by Randy Graham, board president of Battlefords and District Co-op. that the reason behind the name change was a desire to remain relevant within the communities so all members can continue to have a sense of ownership of the co-op.
The name change proposal is not something that came out of the blue. Graham noted there had been considerable talk about it at board meetings for the last three or four years.
A communications consultant was hired to assist with the name search and about 60 potential names were considered before Discovery was chosen.
It was explained the name itself harkens back to the rich explorer and settler history of the region, while looking ahead to the future as well.
“The name does not change our identity, but it better reflects who we are,” Graham told members in his presentation.
Another rationale was a recognition that their co-op had grown to encompass more than just the Battlefords. It had expanded to include areas such as Glaslyn and more recently Radisson, whose co-op amalgamated with Battlefords and District Co-op. Graham told members the board sees it as a trend and needs to be recognized.
In speaking to reporters Graham made clear the time was ripe to make the change.
“We just knew it was time, that we had to either go with something or we’re happy with where we are,” said Graham.
He explained part of the rationale for the change was so the co-op could partner up with other retailers.
Battlefords and District Co-op have “a very strong balance sheet, a very strong management team in place, and we know there are retails out there that are really looking for our help.”
“Having a generic name like Discovery Co-op really adds and assists us in some of those opportunities that are coming forward for our members.”
The name change also helps considerably for communities whose local co-ops had amalgamated into the Battlefords and District Co-op.
“For Radisson, they were sad to see the name Radisson Co-op disappear,” said Graham.
Accepting the name Discovery Co-op “makes it a lot easier for the communities that we are serving.”
The special meeting approving the name change came following an annual general meeting, in which the organization reported it had a record year of sales this past year of $104 million, an increase of 28 per cent over the year before.
This was in spite of challenges acknowledged during 2014, including the drop in oil prices.
Allocations were also announced at the meeting. An allocation of 2.5 per cent on agro purchases, 4.5 per cent on fuels/propane/lube purchases, two per cent on Marketplace purchases and .75 on Home Centre purchases are being made.
The total allocation that will be returned to members is $2.38 million.
The Battlefords and District Co-op also continues to expand with construction well underway on the Battleford Square Gas Bar, a complete redo of the North Battleford card lock facility, as well as modernization of the Home Centre, Leisure Time Sports and FF2.
“We continue to invest into our facilities,” said Graham. “We want to make sure your experience here is at clean modern facilities, and I think we’re hitting that nail on the head all the time now.”
