Friday, February 8, 2013
Members Sale
Members Sale February 9th & 10th 2013
All members will receive 10% on all regular priced items in store.* except concepts paint and city of Winnipeg composters.Any sale items will not receive an additional 10% off, it will remain at sale price.All non-members are entitled to already discounted and stickered sale items but will not receive 10% on regular priced items or on members only specials. Members only Sale items include:25% off Melissa & Doug toys25% off Bunnykins Products25% off Radioflyer Products50% off Umbra Products50% off Toboggans50% off Gordon Ramsey Knives25% off Task Tools50% off Task Screwdrivers Sale Prices apply to all listed products unless a larger discount is stated on product, larger amount will apply.
Friday, December 9, 2011
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/westview/no-bailouts-required-for-pollocks-51015362.html
No bailouts required for Pollock's
In June 2008, Pollock's Hardware was reborn due in a large part to the historic cooperative values that were embraced by our North End neighbourhood. Little did we know at the time that we would be starting up this unique community enterprise amidst one of the worst economic recessions of our times. On the first year anniversary of the re-opening of the store, which had closed after 85 years when the owners retired and a new owner could not be found, we are pleased to report that while global capitalism is unravelling, Pollock's Hardware Co-op is making record sales. No bailouts required here. Our community-owned hardware store on north Main Street is thriving. The revival of Pollock's Hardware, which was established in 1922, is based on the same historic co-operative principles used by prairie farmers to deal with the devastation of the prevailing survival- of-the-fittest private market ideology that impacted their livelihoods by forming wheat pools and marketing boards. As well, communities have organized themselves along co-operative lines to establish credit unions to fill the void left by banking institutions.
North End residents organized a hardware consumer co-operative because no individual entrepreneur was willing to operate the local hardware store after the previous owners closed the business because they wanted to retire. While the traditional individualistic, private-profit-oriented approach failed our neighbourhood, a co-operative community profit oriented strategy has proven to be extremely successful.
The board of directors that was formed to provide direction to the co-op was very nervous about this "David and Goliath" venture when we first opened the store last June. We knew we had amazing support and goodwill from local residents from the community meetings that we organized earlier in the year. But would this be enough for the proverbial underdog to win one once in awhile?
I guess you can say the proof is definitely in the pudding. The co-op set a goal to have 200 members in the first year of operation and 500 members after the first four years. After being up and running for a year, the co-op has attracted 1,250 paid members!
Other achievements of the Pollock's Hardware Co-op are equally impressive. First-year sales were 22 per cent above the projections of our business plan and member equity investments wound up being 38 per cent above the established business plan target.
The Assiniboine Credit Union, one of the largest financial co-operatives in Winnipeg, played a critical role in supporting the Pollock's Hardware Co-op dream to become a reality. It's interesting to note that back in the early 1990s, a group of community activists decided to take over the Assiniboine Credit Union because it was behaving no differently than a bank. It had lost its commitment to the social justice tradition of the co-operative movement.
Some of the changes that were made by the new board of directors elected in the takeover of the credit union included establishing a community economic development staff position. One of the major initiatives of this staff person was to work closely with the faith community to establish a social justice investment fund known as the Jubilee Fund. This fund has a mandate to support the development of community co-operatives and enterprises in the inner city. Pollock's Hardware Co-op was able to work with the Jubilee Fund to secure a loan for the much needed start-up working capital to launch our enterprise.
The provincial government's community economic development tax credit program provides a 30 per cent tax credit for those individuals that invest in qualified community economic development or cooperative enterprises. Pollock's Hardware Co-op was eligible for this tax credit program which has proven to be a very important resource to encourage equity investments from our members.
Another major feature of the co-operative approach adopted by Pollock's is to support local community enterprises through our selection of suppliers and distribution partnerships. A small community enterprise in Altona builds wooden clothes drying racks which are a popular item for Pollock's members. The hardware store also sells wooden lawn chair furniture and picnic tables made by this Altona enterprise.
Instead of importing insulation from the United States like the big box hardware stores, Pollock's sells home insulation that is made from recycled paper produced by a community enterprise in Morden. A local Winnipeg based community enterprise produces metal pails and garbage buckets sold by the hardware store.
Pollock's has an interesting partnership with a local social enterprise, BUILD Construction, which trains aboriginal and inner city residents to work in the home insulation sector. BUILD purchases insulation, toilets and other building materials from Pollock's because it supports the co-operative enterprise principles of the hardware store.
Members of our North End neighbourhood took a huge risk last year when we made the decision as a community to save our local hardware store. It has been an extremely rewarding experience to draw upon our North End tradition and spirit, to fight the good fight, and to overcome enormous challenges including the big box store mentality and a global recession. We all can take pride in the way we were able to apply our community and co-operative values to re-open the doors Pollock's Hardware -- the little hardware store that could on north Main Street.
Tom Simms is a Winnipeg activist and freelance writer.
North End residents organized a hardware consumer co-operative because no individual entrepreneur was willing to operate the local hardware store after the previous owners closed the business because they wanted to retire. While the traditional individualistic, private-profit-oriented approach failed our neighbourhood, a co-operative community profit oriented strategy has proven to be extremely successful.
The board of directors that was formed to provide direction to the co-op was very nervous about this "David and Goliath" venture when we first opened the store last June. We knew we had amazing support and goodwill from local residents from the community meetings that we organized earlier in the year. But would this be enough for the proverbial underdog to win one once in awhile?
I guess you can say the proof is definitely in the pudding. The co-op set a goal to have 200 members in the first year of operation and 500 members after the first four years. After being up and running for a year, the co-op has attracted 1,250 paid members!
Other achievements of the Pollock's Hardware Co-op are equally impressive. First-year sales were 22 per cent above the projections of our business plan and member equity investments wound up being 38 per cent above the established business plan target.
The Assiniboine Credit Union, one of the largest financial co-operatives in Winnipeg, played a critical role in supporting the Pollock's Hardware Co-op dream to become a reality. It's interesting to note that back in the early 1990s, a group of community activists decided to take over the Assiniboine Credit Union because it was behaving no differently than a bank. It had lost its commitment to the social justice tradition of the co-operative movement.
Some of the changes that were made by the new board of directors elected in the takeover of the credit union included establishing a community economic development staff position. One of the major initiatives of this staff person was to work closely with the faith community to establish a social justice investment fund known as the Jubilee Fund. This fund has a mandate to support the development of community co-operatives and enterprises in the inner city. Pollock's Hardware Co-op was able to work with the Jubilee Fund to secure a loan for the much needed start-up working capital to launch our enterprise.
The provincial government's community economic development tax credit program provides a 30 per cent tax credit for those individuals that invest in qualified community economic development or cooperative enterprises. Pollock's Hardware Co-op was eligible for this tax credit program which has proven to be a very important resource to encourage equity investments from our members.
Another major feature of the co-operative approach adopted by Pollock's is to support local community enterprises through our selection of suppliers and distribution partnerships. A small community enterprise in Altona builds wooden clothes drying racks which are a popular item for Pollock's members. The hardware store also sells wooden lawn chair furniture and picnic tables made by this Altona enterprise.
Instead of importing insulation from the United States like the big box hardware stores, Pollock's sells home insulation that is made from recycled paper produced by a community enterprise in Morden. A local Winnipeg based community enterprise produces metal pails and garbage buckets sold by the hardware store.
Pollock's has an interesting partnership with a local social enterprise, BUILD Construction, which trains aboriginal and inner city residents to work in the home insulation sector. BUILD purchases insulation, toilets and other building materials from Pollock's because it supports the co-operative enterprise principles of the hardware store.
Members of our North End neighbourhood took a huge risk last year when we made the decision as a community to save our local hardware store. It has been an extremely rewarding experience to draw upon our North End tradition and spirit, to fight the good fight, and to overcome enormous challenges including the big box store mentality and a global recession. We all can take pride in the way we were able to apply our community and co-operative values to re-open the doors Pollock's Hardware -- the little hardware store that could on north Main Street.
Tom Simms is a Winnipeg activist and freelance writer.
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 17, 2009 A13
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/times/Pollocks-hits-awl-nails-on-expansion-project-135122123.html
Pollock’s hits awl nails on expansion project
.jpg "Pollock’s Hardware manager Mike Wolchock in front of the store’s latest endeavor — a building supply store in Point Douglas.")
Pollock’s Hardware manager Mike Wolchock in front of the store’s latest endeavor — a building supply store in Point Douglas. (PHOTO BY ROB BROWN)
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The popular, do-it-yourself hardware co-operative purchased a three storey-warehouse at 755 Main St. earlier this year.
It is currently in the midst of undertaking more than $200,000 of improvements to the building. Bridgeman Collaborative is the architect on the project.
The new location will sell basic building materials such as lumber and drywall.
Co-op officials hope it will attract both new and existing Pollock’s customers. It will operate in addition to the Pollock’s current location at 1407 Main St.
"Our goal is to be open for May 1," said manager Mike Wolchock.
The building will be a hub for other non-profit agencies in what Wolchock calls a "social enterprise centre."
Some of the agencies that are expected to locate in the new building will include the Manitoba Co-op Association, Build Manitoba, LITE, and the Point Douglas Resident’s Association.
Co-op treasurer Tom Simms said strong community support is one of the main reasons Pollock’s was able to undertake the project.
"In these times, with the economy the way it is, it is great to see this kind of partnership and community-building," he said.
The first floor of the new building will house Pollock’s while other groups and non-profits will occupy space on the second floor.
Wolchock said standard home building supplies not available at Pollock’s current operation — such as drywall, lumber and insulation —will be available at the new location.
He said supplying more home improvement materials was a logical next step for the co-op.
"Right now when customers ask for these sorts of things, we tell them we can’t help them," he said.
Wolchock said the co-op hopes to raise an additional $47,000 over the next few months to help bolster the new endeavour.
"We hope to do this without taking out (borrowing)," he said.
Since its opening as a co-operative venture in June 2008, Pollock’s has been consistently ahead of business projections, according to Simms.
Original business plans called for 200 members by the end of the first year of operations. Pollock’s celebrated its 1,000th member less than six months after opening and Wolchock said it is closing in on a few other milestones.
"We are close to our 2,000th member. We’re at like 1,980," he said.
"We’ve had three years of profit...(and) next year we fully expect to reach $1 million in sales."
Pollock’s memberships area available at the store at 1407 Main St. A membership is not required to make a purchase at the store.
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Twitter: @TimesWPG
rob.brown@canstarnews.com
http://www.jubileefund.ca/projects/PollackHardwareCo-opLtd..htm
Hundreds of people got together at 1407 Main Street on June 21st, 2008 to celebrate their newly re-opened community-owned hardware store.http://www.pollockshardwareco-op.ca/
North-End Institution Saved by Community
Pollock's Hardware Co-op Ltd Opens
The story of Pollock's Hardware Co-op Ltd. is an amazing tale of community ingenuity and development. A timeless North End institution located at 1407 Main Street. The store has been operating since 1922 and has earned a reputation as one of the few remaining retail outlets that sold those hard-to-find doodads that the giant stores don't carry.
When the previous owners Wayne and Lois Cash put the business and
building up for sale, they had no buyers and were forced to close in December 2007. North end residents and long-time customers of Pollock’s Hardware decided there has to be a better way. They launched a consumer co-op that would ensure the hardware store remained a foundation in the area. A business plan was developed that was based on raising equity capital through investment shares from interested community residents and former customers. Memberships were sold to raise working capital for the co-operative and the Assiniboine Credit Union along with the Jubilee Fund agreed to provide financing. The co-op business plan had optimistically hoped that by the end of their first year in operation, they would have 200 co-op members, and 300 by the end of their second year. Astonishingly by the end of 2008, Pollock had 800+ members and has had no shortage of customers or members entering its doors.
Membership in Pollock’s Hardware Co-op Ltd costs $25. This entitles members to vote at annual meetings and to receive a portion of patronage dividends based on personal purchases throughout the year. When the store turns a profit, the profits will be returned to the members based on how much they've bought at the store. Membership applications are available at the store or on their web site.
What is amazing is the community
energy and collaboration that has been seen in this project. Walking into the store, it isn’t uncommon to hear local residents connecting on more than just their hardware needs; people who have lived next to each other for over 20 years are for the first time meeting, discussing, laughing and talking of more than just hammers and nails, but their community. The store is a testament to the drive and determination of Winnipeg’s North End residents.
energy and collaboration that has been seen in this project. Walking into the store, it isn’t uncommon to hear local residents connecting on more than just their hardware needs; people who have lived next to each other for over 20 years are for the first time meeting, discussing, laughing and talking of more than just hammers and nails, but their community. The store is a testament to the drive and determination of Winnipeg’s North End residents.Hundreds of people got together at 1407 Main Street on June 21st, 2008 to celebrate their newly re-opened community-owned hardware store.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
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