Co-operative Partners Retreat 2011

Submitted by Dianne Kennedy, UPI Energy manager, corporate events and public relations

The 4th Annual Co-operative Partners Retreat (“CPR”) was held at the beautiful Blue Mountain Resort near Collingwood, Ontario from September 23 to 25, 2011.

CPR is an annual event sponsored by UPI Energy LP and partners of GROWMARK, Inc. and is hosted by UPI Energy, GROWMARK and the local FS Co-operative. This year’s Co-operative host was Huron Bay Co-operative Inc.

CPR provides the Co-operative general managers and senior management with networking opportunities to share results and successes from the previous year and look towards the coming year. The attendees received updates from UPI Energy president & CEO Robert Sicard. From GROWMARK, particpants heard from vice president of Member Services and Retail Dennis Farmer, vice president Agronomy Jim Spradlin and Claude Gauthier, Ontario region manager. Jeff Hurst, general manager of Huron Bay Co-operative presented an overview of the co-operative’s history and current dealings.

UPI presented the Millennium Joint Venture Audit Award to North Wellington Co-operative Services in recognition of excellence in energy marketing and operations. This was the third consecutive year that North Wellington Co-operative received this award, and the fourth time in five years. The co-operative's general manager Kelly Boyle and Allan Williamson, Energy Division manager were on hand to accept the award from Robert Sicard and Tony Silvestro, UPI director, Member Services.

Other FS Co-operatives participating this year were AGRIS Co-operative Ltd., La Co-opérative Agricole d’Embrun Limitée, Lucknow District Co-operative Inc., Co-opérative Régionale de Nipissing Sudbury Limited, Sunderland Co-operative Inc., Thunder Bay Co-operative Farm Supply and Vineland Growers’ Co-operative, Ltd. Also in attendance were representatives from County Farm Centre and FS PARTNERS.

From L-R- Robert Sicard, president & CEO UPI Energy LP,  North Wellington Co-operative's Energy Division manager Allan Williamson, general manager Kelly Boyle and Tony Silvestro, UPI Energy director, Member Services.