NEWS & VIEWS JUNE 2015 | FOOD FEED PHARMACY HARDWARE FASHIONS GAS BARS PETROLEUM | ottercoop.com
Membership Definitely Has Its Rewards RETIRING DIRECTOR
OTTER CO-OP MEMBERS TO SHARE OVER $4.4 MILLION IN EQUITY! The 93rd Annual Meeting of the Otter Farm & Home Co-operative was held on Thursday, May 28th at D.W. Poppy Secondary. There were 178 members and 36 guests in attendance. Congratulations to re- elected Directors Susan Dodd and Larry Jantzen and newcomer Brian Thomasson all elected for a three year term. For the 5th year in a row Otter Co-op has obtained record sales surpassing last year’s sales by 6.9%. Last year we expanded with the re-branding of
two gas bars in Abbotsford and the opening of our Chilliwack Bulk Plant and gas bar. We have budgeted $2.5 million to do a complete “refit” of the retail centre as well as $2 million rebuild of our pellet mill at our feed operation. We are pleased to say we have added 4,648 new members making our total membership 53,000 of which 40,000 are active. What a great $10 investment. You too could be sharing in the membership benefits!
Frank Hauzer DIRECTOR
We wish to express our most sincere gratitude to retiring Director Frank Hauzer. Frank has been a huge asset not only to the community but to the Otter Co-op through the many years he served on the Board of Directors. We wish Frank all the best and hope to see him often at the Co-op. Thank you again.
NEWLY ELECTED DIRECTOR
2015-2016 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Left to Right: Martin Power, Kent Strobel, Angie McDougall, Dorothy Anderson, Susan Dodd, Brian Thomasson, Dick Mayer, Larry Jantzen and Maria Pucek and in the back row Reading the Commitment to Office is FCL Director for District 4 Doug Potentier.
Otter Co-op Scholarships CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ALL
Brian Thomasson DIRECTOR
Otter Co-op would like to welcome newly elected Board Member Brian Thomasson. Brian spent thirty-three years of his career as a school teacher – administrator, primarily in elementary schools in the Aldergrove area. Brian has been committed to the co-operative principles throughout his life. As a teenager his first job outside the family farm was with the Surrey Co-op working in the Hardware Department. Brian has just retired from the Aldergrove Credit Union, having served thirty-eight years as a Director, including five years as President. Brian and his wife Laurie live on a hobby farm in Aldergrove where they raised their three children.
GRADE 12 $1,000 SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS Pictured here are some of the winners of the eight Grade Twelve Scholarships. Ryan Marno, Michael Miller and Jennifer Gottwald all attend D.W. Poppy Secondary, Chad McColm attends R.E. Mountain Secondary, Terrisa Inthapanya attends Aldergrove Community Secondary, Nickolas Van Noort-Colyn attends Langley Christian High School, Parker Logan attends Chilliwack Sr. Secondary and Zachary attends Brookswood Secondary. Congratulations to all this year’s recipients.
MATURE SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS The awards were presented by Board President Dick Mayer to (from left) Benjamin Macadam (Mom Gail Macadam accepting on his behalf), and Ashley Gilliland.
Mike Will presenting a scholarship to Zachary Davies.
Win a Backyard BBQ Prize Package CONTEST CLOSES JULY 12 Entry forms will be earned with each minimum purchase of a Hawkins Cheezies 210g (2 for $5) or a Coop Gold Family Chocolate Bar 100g (3 for $5). Find full contest details, rules and regulations at www.ottercoop.com.
BACKYARD BBQ PRIZE PACKAGE INCLUDES:
CONTEST
RETAIL VALUE $1150 (APPROX.)
Napoleon Propane BBQ • BBQ Start Up Kit • 10lb Propane Tank Plus Otter Co-op Management will BBQ for you and 9 friends at your residence!
NEWS & VIEWS
JUNE 2015 | ottercoop.com
GENERAL MANAGER’S MESSAGE
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE We are well into the 93rd year of Otter Co-op existence and it is looking like another great year. Sales are up, the weather has been good and our team is set to enjoy another record year. Thanks to all our members who made last year our fifth record year in a row. Without the support of our members and the hard work of our staff this would not be possible. I would like to thank all those members and guests who attended the recent Annual General Meeting of the Co-op. Hopefully it was informative and enjoyable for all. As usual we would like to have a much larger attendance at the AGM but those that attend do participate and their presence is appreciated. This year we had two of our Board members re-elected for a further three years. Susan Dodd and Larry Jantzen and a new face on the Board, Brian Thomasson, were elected to a three year term. We also had five other excellent candidates that were running for spots on the Board. Thank you to all the candidates for offering their service. A special thanks to Frank Hauzer who has served six years on the Otter Board and previously had served eight years on the Board of the Pitt Meadows Co-op, before the amalgamation with Otter. He has made many contributions and will be missed on the Board. Again this year Otter Co-op awarded ten scholarships to deserving recipients. Eight went to this year’s grade twelve graduates and two were for mature applications. This is just one of many great community services that are made possible by your continued and increased support of our many divisions. This past year Otter Co-op contributed over $145,000 to community groups. We can all be proud to belong to, and support, an organization that takes its responsibility to its community that seriously.
Third Annual Country Car Show at Otter Co-op This year’s car show was a one day event (Sunday, April 26) and was a huge success. The Central Fraser Valley Chapter V.C.C.C. who sponsors the show was extremely pleased with well over 200 entries. We hope to see everyone again in 2016!
FAREWELL TO BARB, EVELYNE & DONNA!
H.R. Manager Barb Ruscheinski leaves us to start a new adventure on her Fifteenth Anniversary at Otter Co-op. The Staff and Management would like to thank Barb for the past fifteen years and wish her all the best as she begins a new chapter in her life. Good Luck Barb!
1st Annual Kids’ Club /Mother’s Day Craft Day The kids had a great time making Mom a picture frame while she got to spend some time shopping. We took the child’s photo, had it developed in the store and then put it in their frame. The kids then decorated a gift bag to put their specially designed photo and frame in to take home to Mom for Mothers’ Day. It was a great day. Like all Kids’ Club Events it was free. If you have a friend that is not yet 12 and would like to join please drop by the office or register on line www.ottercoop.com
OTTER IS EXPANDING! Best Wishes to Evelyne Hall. After twenty four years with Otter Co-op, Evelyne retires from the Hardware/Agro Department.
Otter is expanding into the interior with a new location to open this Fall in Penticton. Donna Neilsen retires from the Deli/Café after nine years. Congratulations Donna!
Today is an opportunity to celebrate record breaking sales for our 2014 year end. This is our 5th year in a row of record sales, and I look forward to the continued bright future of our co-operative. I’d like to thank you for your support, commitment and dedication to Otter over the past year. In today’s economic and social turbulence, we remained stable and growing. It is through the co-operation and dedication of our board, employee team, and members that has resulted in another successful year for our organization. Strong community support from our members grew Otter Co-op to record sales of $183,866,549; an increase of 6.9% over the previous year. Bottom line savings ended the year at $5,778,717, with several extraordinary items that account for the negative variance from our previous year. Some of these include increased depreciation expense for the 3 new sites that were opened in 2014, a special payment of $500,000 towards the under-funded Otter Co-op Defined Pension, and the significant losses we experienced at the end of our fiscal year with the rapidly falling petroleum pricing and the margin losses we experienced on fuel we owned throughout that period. From our bottom line of $5.7 million, the board of directors has approved to allocate $4.4 million of the savings back to you, our members. That is the value of our co-operation together, and a major point of differentiation in our business model, returning our profits back to you, our owners. Some division results include our food sales experiencing a 2.6% increase from the previous year. Our pharmacy division experienced an increase in sales of 3.2%. General merchandise, which includes our hardware and family fashions at the Retail Centre, as well as sales of Hardware at our Pitt Meadows location, experienced an increase of 3.4% over the previous year. In feed, we ended the year with record bottom line results, despite our sales in this division decreasing by $1.6 million. Our bulk petroleum sales increased by $1.6 million, and our gas bar division experienced a sales increase of $11.1 million over the previous year, some of which is due to the addition of 3 new locations in mid to late 2014. Our team worked hard to maximize the market opportunities presented. A strong commitment to success and growth is evident from our Board of Directors, as the decisions and direction being planned and executed are not just for today, but to continue to take Otter Co-op well into the future. Some of these decisions include major upgrades at our feed mill here in Aldergrove, as well as a significant upgrade to the retail centre also planned for this year. The marketplace in which we operate continues to change, and our retail needs to continue to adapt and respond accordingly, so we continue to build on our strong past. Otter will continue to move forward to improve our assets, grow sales and services, and return earnings back to the communities in which we live, work and play. We as a team continue to grow our business, and improve our ability to give our members cash and equity, as well as set aside funds for the upgrading, replacement, and future development of Otter Co-op. The membership continues to directly benefit from these results, as we continue to give back a significant portion of our earnings through equity and cash back, as well as through the more than $145,000 we gave in donations to our communities. In order to effectively compete in today’s rapidly changing marketplace, we must continue to plan for the future. Every year the expectations of our membership increases. We need to determine what is essential, affordable, and providing a return to our over 50,000 members, and then set priorities for the prosperity of Otter Co-op. It is about continuing on a track record of fiscal responsibility balanced with sound marketing objectives, to ensure that we have continuous development and growth of our Co-op. We are just into 12 weeks of our 2015 fiscal year here at Otter, and so far results have been fantastic. We are 10.8% ahead of last year sales at this same time, and 5.6% ahead of our budgeted projections. Well done and hats off to our entire team here at the Co-op! It is especially rewarding to know that our loyal team including our board and members, remain the key in making Otter Co-op the growing, diverse, viable business it is today. We cannot do it without all of your dedication and loyalty. I sincerely thank you all for making the past year such a success, and we continue to look forward to the challenges and opportunities that the future holds for Otter Co-op!
Congratulations FUEL UP TO WIN CONTEST WINNERS OTTER CO-OP SHOPPERS ARE WINNERS IN THE FUEL UP TO WIN CONTEST
Dick Mayer OTTER CO-OP B OARD PRESIDENT
Jo Anne Barnhill - $50 Gift Card (on line PIN Winner)
Cara McNamara – Hamilton Beach 4 Piece Appliance Set
Rona Kuit - $50 Gift Card (Collect to Win)
(Collect to Win)
Jarmo Koskinen - $50 Gift Card (Collect to Win)
Raymond M. Martyn - $50 Gift Card (Collect to Win) Shannon Langeman -$50 Gift Card (Collect to Win)
Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to everyone for participating in the Fuel Up to Win Contest
Jack Nicholson Jo Anne Barnhill
Cara McNamara and son
Raymond M. Martyn and Mrs. Martyn
OTTER CO-OP GENERAL MANAGER
NEWS & VIEWS
JUNE 2015 | ottercoop.com
GENERAL MANAGER’S MESSAGE
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE We are well into the 93rd year of Otter Co-op existence and it is looking like another great year. Sales are up, the weather has been good and our team is set to enjoy another record year. Thanks to all our members who made last year our fifth record year in a row. Without the support of our members and the hard work of our staff this would not be possible. I would like to thank all those members and guests who attended the recent Annual General Meeting of the Co-op. Hopefully it was informative and enjoyable for all. As usual we would like to have a much larger attendance at the AGM but those that attend do participate and their presence is appreciated. This year we had two of our Board members re-elected for a further three years. Susan Dodd and Larry Jantzen and a new face on the Board, Brian Thomasson, were elected to a three year term. We also had five other excellent candidates that were running for spots on the Board. Thank you to all the candidates for offering their service. A special thanks to Frank Hauzer who has served six years on the Otter Board and previously had served eight years on the Board of the Pitt Meadows Co-op, before the amalgamation with Otter. He has made many contributions and will be missed on the Board. Again this year Otter Co-op awarded ten scholarships to deserving recipients. Eight went to this year’s grade twelve graduates and two were for mature applications. This is just one of many great community services that are made possible by your continued and increased support of our many divisions. This past year Otter Co-op contributed over $145,000 to community groups. We can all be proud to belong to, and support, an organization that takes its responsibility to its community that seriously.
Third Annual Country Car Show at Otter Co-op This year’s car show was a one day event (Sunday, April 26) and was a huge success. The Central Fraser Valley Chapter V.C.C.C. who sponsors the show was extremely pleased with well over 200 entries. We hope to see everyone again in 2016!
FAREWELL TO BARB, EVELYNE & DONNA!
H.R. Manager Barb Ruscheinski leaves us to start a new adventure on her Fifteenth Anniversary at Otter Co-op. The Staff and Management would like to thank Barb for the past fifteen years and wish her all the best as she begins a new chapter in her life. Good Luck Barb!
1st Annual Kids’ Club /Mother’s Day Craft Day The kids had a great time making Mom a picture frame while she got to spend some time shopping. We took the child’s photo, had it developed in the store and then put it in their frame. The kids then decorated a gift bag to put their specially designed photo and frame in to take home to Mom for Mothers’ Day. It was a great day. Like all Kids’ Club Events it was free. If you have a friend that is not yet 12 and would like to join please drop by the office or register on line www.ottercoop.com
OTTER IS EXPANDING! Best Wishes to Evelyne Hall. After twenty four years with Otter Co-op, Evelyne retires from the Hardware/Agro Department.
Otter is expanding into the interior with a new location to open this Fall in Penticton. Donna Neilsen retires from the Deli/Café after nine years. Congratulations Donna!
Today is an opportunity to celebrate record breaking sales for our 2014 year end. This is our 5th year in a row of record sales, and I look forward to the continued bright future of our co-operative. I’d like to thank you for your support, commitment and dedication to Otter over the past year. In today’s economic and social turbulence, we remained stable and growing. It is through the co-operation and dedication of our board, employee team, and members that has resulted in another successful year for our organization. Strong community support from our members grew Otter Co-op to record sales of $183,866,549; an increase of 6.9% over the previous year. Bottom line savings ended the year at $5,778,717, with several extraordinary items that account for the negative variance from our previous year. Some of these include increased depreciation expense for the 3 new sites that were opened in 2014, a special payment of $500,000 towards the under-funded Otter Co-op Defined Pension, and the significant losses we experienced at the end of our fiscal year with the rapidly falling petroleum pricing and the margin losses we experienced on fuel we owned throughout that period. From our bottom line of $5.7 million, the board of directors has approved to allocate $4.4 million of the savings back to you, our members. That is the value of our co-operation together, and a major point of differentiation in our business model, returning our profits back to you, our owners. Some division results include our food sales experiencing a 2.6% increase from the previous year. Our pharmacy division experienced an increase in sales of 3.2%. General merchandise, which includes our hardware and family fashions at the Retail Centre, as well as sales of Hardware at our Pitt Meadows location, experienced an increase of 3.4% over the previous year. In feed, we ended the year with record bottom line results, despite our sales in this division decreasing by $1.6 million. Our bulk petroleum sales increased by $1.6 million, and our gas bar division experienced a sales increase of $11.1 million over the previous year, some of which is due to the addition of 3 new locations in mid to late 2014. Our team worked hard to maximize the market opportunities presented. A strong commitment to success and growth is evident from our Board of Directors, as the decisions and direction being planned and executed are not just for today, but to continue to take Otter Co-op well into the future. Some of these decisions include major upgrades at our feed mill here in Aldergrove, as well as a significant upgrade to the retail centre also planned for this year. The marketplace in which we operate continues to change, and our retail needs to continue to adapt and respond accordingly, so we continue to build on our strong past. Otter will continue to move forward to improve our assets, grow sales and services, and return earnings back to the communities in which we live, work and play. We as a team continue to grow our business, and improve our ability to give our members cash and equity, as well as set aside funds for the upgrading, replacement, and future development of Otter Co-op. The membership continues to directly benefit from these results, as we continue to give back a significant portion of our earnings through equity and cash back, as well as through the more than $145,000 we gave in donations to our communities. In order to effectively compete in today’s rapidly changing marketplace, we must continue to plan for the future. Every year the expectations of our membership increases. We need to determine what is essential, affordable, and providing a return to our over 50,000 members, and then set priorities for the prosperity of Otter Co-op. It is about continuing on a track record of fiscal responsibility balanced with sound marketing objectives, to ensure that we have continuous development and growth of our Co-op. We are just into 12 weeks of our 2015 fiscal year here at Otter, and so far results have been fantastic. We are 10.8% ahead of last year sales at this same time, and 5.6% ahead of our budgeted projections. Well done and hats off to our entire team here at the Co-op! It is especially rewarding to know that our loyal team including our board and members, remain the key in making Otter Co-op the growing, diverse, viable business it is today. We cannot do it without all of your dedication and loyalty. I sincerely thank you all for making the past year such a success, and we continue to look forward to the challenges and opportunities that the future holds for Otter Co-op!
Congratulations FUEL UP TO WIN CONTEST WINNERS OTTER CO-OP SHOPPERS ARE WINNERS IN THE FUEL UP TO WIN CONTEST
Dick Mayer OTTER CO-OP B OARD PRESIDENT
Jo Anne Barnhill - $50 Gift Card (on line PIN Winner)
Cara McNamara – Hamilton Beach 4 Piece Appliance Set
Rona Kuit - $50 Gift Card (Collect to Win)
(Collect to Win)
Jarmo Koskinen - $50 Gift Card (Collect to Win)
Raymond M. Martyn - $50 Gift Card (Collect to Win) Shannon Langeman -$50 Gift Card (Collect to Win)
Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to everyone for participating in the Fuel Up to Win Contest
Jack Nicholson Jo Anne Barnhill
Cara McNamara and son
Raymond M. Martyn and Mrs. Martyn
OTTER CO-OP GENERAL MANAGER
NEWS & VIEWS Membership Benefits
JUNE 2015 | ottercoop.com
You’ll find us here
Have you tried one of our Fresh Strawberry Pies?
If you’re a member, you’re an owner. Your Lifetime Co-op Membership offers you high-quality products and services and cash back. In 2013, members saved over 6.05¢ per litre on fuel purchases.
RETAIL CENTRE
Fresh Strawberries, Bavarian Cream and our own in store made Pie Crust. Add a little whip cream, oh so good!
We have something we would like to share with you...our profits!
604.856.2517 3650 248th St., Aldergrove SUN-SAT 8AM-8PM; HOLIDAYS 9AM-6PM
Administration Hours
MON-FRI 8AM-6PM; SATURDAY 8AM-4PM; CLOSED SUNDAY & STAT HOLIDAYS
Post Office Hours
MON-FRI 8AM-5:30PM; SAT 8AM-3:30PM; CLOSED SUNDAY & STAT HOLIDAYS
6.05¢
Pharmacy Hours
“TIME TO TANK UP”
per litre
Cash. That’s your reward!
MON-FRI 9AM-7PM; SAT 9AM-5PM SUN 11AM-5PM; CLOSED STAT HOLIDAYS
FEED STORE / PETROLEUM 3650 248 Street, Aldergrove FEED STORE: 604.856.2517 PETROLEUM: 1.855.668.2667
App Deals
MON-SAT 8AM-5:30PM SUN 9AM-5PM; HOLIDAYS CLOSED
OTTER CO-OP Download it today from your application store. There are great deals are waiting for you!
44046 Progress Way, Chilliwack 604.793.8400
Is it time to look at upgrading your storage tanks to the latest, most environmentally safe products available in the market.
GAS BARS 248 Street Gas Bar 604.856.7011 24795 Fraser Highway, Aldergrove MON-FRI 5AM - 11PM WEEKENDS & STAT HOLIDAYS 6AM-11PM
Otter Co-op has a variety of fuel storage solutions based on your particular needs and annual fuel requirements.
Gloucester Gas Bar & Tim Hortons 604.856.6676 26474 56th Ave., Aldergrove
7 DAYS A WEEK & HOLIDAYS 5AM-11PM
Blue Jay Gas Bar & Tim Hortons 604.850.7330 2935 Blue Jay Street, Abbotsford
WEEKENDS & STAT HOLIDAYS 6AM – 11 PM
Ross Road Gas Bar 604.856.0030 29622 Fraser Hwy, Abbotsford
Coupgon
MONDAY – FRIDAY 5AM – 11PM WEEKENDS & STAT HOLIDAYS 6AM – 11PM
OTTER CO-OP DEALS
Chilliwack Gas Bar 604.793.8400 44046 Progress Way, Chilliwack
To download the Coupgon App: 1. Open your application store (i.e. iTunes App Store, Google Play Store, Windows Phone Store, Blackberry World) 2. Search for “Coupgon” and download the application 3. To use the application, simply click on the Coupgon icon on your home screen
MON-FRI 5AM-10PM WEEKENDS & STAT HOLIDAYS 6AM-10PM
Mt. Lehman Gas Bar 604.557.0010 30419 Blueridge Drive, Abbotsford MON-FRI 5AM-11PM WEEKENDS & STAT HOLIDAYS 6AM – 11PM
at home her You’re e
Ladner Gas Bar 604.940.1322 6420 Ladner Trunk Rd., Ladner
MON-FRI 5AM-10PM WEEKENDS & STAT HOLIDAYS 6AM-10PM
For more information, please contact us or drop by and see us: 44046 Progress way, Chilliwack, BC Phone 1-855-668-2667 3548 – 248th Street Aldergrove, BC Phone 1-604-607-6912
Fraser Heights Gas Bar 604.582.2517 16788 104 Ave., Surrey
Coming Events JUNE - SEPTEMBER
MON-FRI 5AM-10PM WEEKENDS & STAT HOLIDAYS 6AM-10PM
Father’s Day Pancake Breakfast Saturday, June 20, 8 am – 11 am 2 Day Scratch Sale Hardware and Family Fashions Tuesday June 30 – Wednesday July 1 Canada Day Raspberry Social Wednesday, July 1, 12:00-3:00 pm, Come and enjoy some Raspberry Shortcake and listen to the music of Gracie and the Guys this is always a great time! Two Day Family Fashions BOGO Sale Friday, July 17 & Saturday July 18 Movie in the Park Saturday, July 25 - The Aldergrove Business Association, with partners Aldergrove Credit Union and Otter
Hatzic Gas Bar 604.826.6421 34981 Lougheed Highway, Mission
Co-Op, will be presenting a Movie in the Park night on July 25, featuring “How To Train Your Dragon”! The movie will take place at Aldergrove Athletic Park at dusk (approximately 8:30). Bring your lawn chairs!
3 Day Scratch Sale Hardware and Family Fashions Saturday, August 1 – Monday August 3 BC Day Blueberry Social 12:00 – 3:00 pm – Blueberries and Ice-Cream and Entertainment by Gracie and the Guys 3 Day Scratch Sale Hardware and Family Fashions - Saturday, Sept. 5 – Monday Sept. 7 Equity Days & 3 Day Member Only Sale Thursday, September 17 – Saturday, September 19 Chicken BBQ Friday, September 18, 4:30 pm - 7:00 pm (or first 1200 served)
FULL TIME POSITION: Hardware Clerk Senior Administration Clerk Feed Mill Custodian
PART TIME: Hardware Clerk Administration Clerk Gas Bar Attendant, Chilliwack Feed Warehouseman
Dick Mayer................................................................ PRESIDENT Larry Jantzen .................................. 1ST VICE PRESIDENT Maria Pucek............................................................................SECRETARY Dorothy Anderson..........................PAST PRESIDENT Susan Dodd • Angie McDougall • Martin Power • Kent Strobel • Brian Thomasson •
PITT MEADOWS CO-OP CENTRE 604.465.5651 12343 Harris Road., Pitt Meadows
MON-FRI 9AM-5:30PM; SAT 9AM-5PM; SUN 10AM-4PM; HOLIDAYS CLOSED
GLEN MOUNTAIN PRODUCE 604.851.9636 2618 McMillan Rd., Abbotsford
MON-SAT 9AM-8PM; SUN 10AM-6PM
GLEN MOUNTAIN PHARMACY 604.851.9654 2596 McMillan Rd., Abbotsford
MON – SAT 10AM – 6 PM; SUN 10 AM – 5 PM
OTTER CO-OP BOARD MEMBERS:
DIAL DIRECT
JOB OPPORTUNITIES - www.ottercoop.com
MON-FRI 5AM-10PM WEEKENDS & STAT HOLIDAYS 6AM-10PM
Administration 604.856.2517 | Petroleum 1.855.668.2667 Feed 604.607.6901 | Hardware 604.607.6909 Bakery 604.607.6920 | Café/Deli 604.607.6921 Produce 604.607.6919 | Meat 604.607.6918 Grocery 604.607.6936 | Pharmacy 604.607.6934