Newsletters: November - December 2007
General Manager's Report
A Year In Review
Natural Times-November/December 2007
By Larrane Hartridge
This is the last newsletter of 2007. I can't believe how fast this year has flown by. We have signed a new lease; raised $256,000 in owner loans; hired an architectural firm, engineers and a contractor; completed the design and are poised to begin construction. On top of that, our sales continue to soar-up 14 percent over last year!
Having strong sales is especially important as we head into the expansion/renovation. With costs slightly exceeding our estimates and owner loans coming in at less than expected, strong sales will play an important part in keeping the Co-op in a healthy financial position. Since we will remain open throughout the renovation, your shopping experience may, at times, be less than ideal. Although, we will do our best to accommodate the construction chaos, we will still need your patience and understanding. During our last expansion sales increased by 17 percent. I challenge all of you to approach this renovation as an adventure in cooperative growth and help us reach 18 percent growth this time around.
In October we welcomed a new manager to the staff, Carla Stubbs. Carla recently relocated from Carrboro, North Carolina (home of Weaver Street Market Cooperative) where she was the deli manager for over 10 years. As New Leaf Market's perishable foods merchandiser, Carla will work with the produce, meat and seafood and deli departments on pricing, displays and promotions. We are thrilled to have her, and her expertise, as part of the New Leaf Market team.
