Sunderland Co-op declares patronage rebates for farmer-members for 68th consecutive year!

Urs Kressibucher, Sunderland Co-operative president announced last week that the co-op will pay out $320,000 in patronage to its farmer-members. “This is not a new concept for Sunderland Co-op,” says Kressibucher. “Delivering a profitable result and providing patronage to our members has been a consistent trend for the co-op.” From its first year in business in 1951 and for the next 68 years, the co-op has generated a positive bottom-line and shared its profits with its members each and every year.

Sunderland Co-operative general manager Jake Vancuren reported annual sales of just under $60 million with an income before patronage and taxes of more than $1.2 million.

More than 200 in attendance at Sunderland Co-op's 2018 Annual Meeting 

in Cambray on Dec. 5.

The co-op not only saw growth in its financial reporting this year, but also in expansion. The Sunderland FS Store underwent a complete renovation with improvements in appearance, merchandising and overall customer experience. The co-op also purchased an additional 85 acres of land at its Oakwood location for further expansion and a new Rogator for enhanced custom-application services for its members.

A new state-of-the art accounting system was installed providing added efficiencies and ease for customers to review their account activity on-line. Farmers can also customize their operational activity through an on-line tool called My Farm Records.

GROWMARK, Inc. and Sunderland Co-op contribute to 4-H. 

From (L-R): Tony Silvestro, GROWMARK Ontario region 

business development manager; Cheryl Crowe, Kawartha 

Lakes/Haliburton 4-H representative, and Jake Vancuren,

Sunderland Co-operative general manager.

 “I have been in this role for more than one year now, but it didn’t take me long to see the strength and value our co-op provides to its members and also to the community it supports,” says Vancuren. During the annual meeting, Sunderland Co-op and GROWMARK recognized Maggie-Jo Hickson as this year’s provincial essay contest winner (for high-school students who are members of 4-H) and contributed monetary awards to Maggie-Jo and to the Kawartha Lakes Haliburton 4-H Association.

The board elected Urs Kressibucher from Cannington as their president, Paul Mann from Peterborough as vice president, Warren Jibb from Sunderland as secretary and returning director Guy Master from Oakwood. Newly elected to the board this year are Paul Brown from Woodville and John Devos of Oakwood. 

The board acknowledged Gary Jebson, who retired from the board that evening. Jebson served on the board for six years and served as president. The board thanked him for his dedication and vision to Sunderland Co-op's continued success. 

Representing Sunderland Co-op at 2018 Annual General Meeting (L-R) At podium Urs Kressibucher, Sunderland Co-op president; Paul Mann, board director; Tony Silvestro, GROWMARK Ontario director member business; Warren Jibb, Sunderland Co-op secretary; Gary Jebson, and Guy Masters board directors; Erica Zunker, Sunderland Co-op controller; Tim McLaren, consultant (part time CFO); Jake Vancuren, Sunderland Co-op general manager.