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COOPERATIVE VALUES

THE DOOR COUNTY COOPERATIVE IS OWNED BY
MEMBERS AND PROFITS ARE RETURNED TO
MEMBERS THROUGH DIVIDEND PAYOUTS. OUR
MEMBER/OWNERS VOTE FOR BOARD MEMBERS
AND CAN PARTICIPATE IN GOVERNANCE OF THE
COOPERATIVE.

OUR HISTORY

  • 1939

    May 6, 1939

    Subscribers to stock in the new Door County Cooperative met at the County Court House in Sturgeon Bay.

  • 1939

    June 21, 1939

    Directors signed $1,000 letter of credit to be used as collateral for any bank loans.

  • 1939

    July 7, 1939

    Purchased assets of Maplewood Farmers Cooperative for $3328.51 as of June 30, 1939. Leased a bulk plant and gas station.

  • 1940

    March 8, 1940

    Purchased assets of Maplewood Farmers Cooperative for $3328.51 as of June 30, 1939. Leased a bulk plant and gas station.

  • 1940

    April 11, 1940

    First Annual Meeting of Stock-holders at Wagners Hall in Maplewood. Unveiled plans for a new bulk plant to be constructed by Midland Cooperatives Wholesale. Sales reported at $61,218.

  • 1940

    October 15, 1940

    Hired Axel Peterson to manage the Cooperative.

  • 1941

    April 18, 1941

    Second Annual Meeting at Sawyer’s Opera House in Sturgeon Bay with 58 people present. Ingvald Viste, Lawrence Johnson and Walter Schubert were elected to the Board of Directors.

  • 1942

    May 8, 1942

    Lawrence Johnson elected President of the Board of Directors.

  • 1943

    January 8, 1943

    Axel Peterson announces intention to join Uncle Sam’s Army, thus leaving his position as manager.

  • 1943

    March 1, 1943

    Ernest Storm, 17 years a school teacher at Casco, was hired as General Manager. Lawrence Weber, Carl Braun, Emil Bellin were elected to the Board of Directors.

  • 1943

    May 12, 1943

    Hired Ralph Hoyt as General Manager.

  • 1944

    October 31, 1944

    Hired Lynn Pingry as General Manager of the Cooperative.

  • 1947

    May 21, 1947

    Gilbert Jarman and Harvey Grasse elected to Board of Directors. Cooperative reached $500,000 in sales.

  • 1947

    December 9, 1947

    Purchased the feed mill and store at Forestville from Algoma Farmers Cooperative.

  • 1952

    January 11, 1952

    Purchased feed mill in Sister Bay from Elmer Berns.

  • 1953

    February 22, 1953

    Decided to purchase the Brandeis property in Sturgeon Bay.

  • 1954

    March 20, 1954

    Waldo Krueger and Herman Hass elected to Board.

  • 1960

    April 2, 1960

    Annual Meeting report shows sales of $893,000. Harvey Olson elected to Board.

  • 1963

    December 3, 1963

    New feed mill and store built at Forestville due to a fire which destroyed the property.

  • 1965

    March 25, 1965

    Annual Meeting report showed $1,168,000 in sales.

  • 1966

    Feb. 24, 1966

    Authorized construction of a bulk fertilizer blending building in Sturgeon Bay.

  • 1968

    March 29, 1968

    Purchased inventory of Rays Super Market and leased the building in Sturgeon Bay.

  • 1969

    June 30, 1969

    Approved expansion of Sturgeon Bay Maple Street building, thus adding hardware store.

  • 1970

    April 1970

    Annual Meeting report showed sales of $2,164,000.

  • 1974

    December 19, 1974

    Purchased the former west side fire station in Sturgeon Bay for a repair shop.

  • 1975

    May 22, 1975

    35th Annual Meeting sales reached $3 million.

  • 1976

    1976

    Donald Kinnard elected to Board. Bought a mini-computer to handle accounting chores.

  • 1977

    1977

    Approved construction of a new fertilizer plant 6 miles south of Sturgeon Bay on 6½ acres of land purchased from William Kipp.

  • 1979

    1979

    Kenneth Uecker elected to Board.

  • 1980

    1980

    Annual Report showed $5.2 million in sales.

  • 1981

    1981

    Sold the Sister Bay Mill

  • 1983

    1983

    Charles G. Jarman elected to Board of Directors. Sales reported at $5.5 million.

  • 1983

    1983

    Installed propane storage tank at fertilizer plant on Hwy 42/57 in Nasewaupee, Propane delivery to Door County residents begins

  • 1984

    1984

    James Grasse elected to Board.

  • 1985

    1985

    Hired Daniel Butterbrodt as General Manager of the Cooperative.

  • 1985

    1985

    Don Sixel, Jr. elected to Board of Directors at Annual Meeting. Paul Eggert retires after 40 years of service with the Cooperative.

  • 1985

    1985

    Construction begins on Sister Bay General Store.

  • 1987

    1987

    Construction begins on Brussels General Store.

  • 1988

    1988

    Purchased the assets of Door County Pool Supply.

  • 1988

    1988

    Eldred Koepsell elected to Board of Directors at Annual Meeting. Report showed sales of $5.6 million.

  • 1990

    1990

    We opened the convenience store on Egg Harbor Road in Sturgeon Bay.

  • 1991

    1991

    Randall Seiler elected to the Board

  • 1993

    1993

    Daniel Viste was elected to the Board at the Annual Meeting.

  • 1993

    1993

    NAPA Auto Parts store opens for business in Sturgeon Bay

  • 1996

    1996

    Don Koepsel was elected to the Board at the Annual Meeting.

  • 1996

    April 1996

    Purchased the assets of the Sister Bay Oil Company and expanded bulk fuel delivery in Northern Door County.

  • 1996

    September 1996

    Purchased NAPA Auto Parts Store in Luxemburg.

  • 1997

    October 1997

    Opened a convenience store on Bay Settlement road in Green Bay

  • 2000

    2000

    Added a ProLawn division. Larry Brickner was elected to the Board at the Annual Meeting.

  • 2001

    2001

    Jim Kloos was hired as General Manager of the Cooperative.

  • 2001

    June 2001

    Sale of all Door County Co-op Convenience Stores is completed.

  • 2002

    2002

    Brian Duquaine was named President and Chief Executive Officer of the Cooperative.

  • 2002

    September 2002

    Purchased the former Delchambre building and opened the Sawyer Hardware Company.

  • 2003

    2003

    The feed mill at 92 E Maple Street is put up for sale, as Sturgeon Bay anticipates the addition of the Maple to Oregon Street bridge. The Radio Shack division was added to the Co-op.

  • 2004

    2004

    Kevin Harmann elected to Board at Annual Meeting.

  • 2006

    November 20, 2006

    Opened the new Country Store & Rental Center adjacent to existing retail complex on west side of Sturgeon Bay.

  • 2007

    May 2007

    Acquired Shirley Feed Mill in Depere, WI. Sturgeon Bay mill is closed down and property is listed for sale.

  • 2008

    2008

    Sale of the Refined Fuels Division to Quality State Oil. Sale of the Maple Street Feed Mill completed.

  • 2009

    May 2009

    The Co-op celebrates 70 years in business.

  • 2010

    April 8, 2010

    Sales were reported at $15,847,000 and local net margin at $440,663 for 2009.

  • 2013

    January 2013

    Agronomy addition is completed, increasing fertilizer storage capacity and workshop space.

  • 2013

    March 2013

    NAPA Auto Parts business is relocated to the Bay Plaza building in Sturgeon Bay.

  • 2016

    October 2016

    Co-op purchases the former Warner Wholesale property on Egg Harbor Road in Sturgeon Bay.

  • 2017

    February 2017

    Appliance Avenue opens for business in the remodeled former Warner Wholesale building.

  • 2017

    May 2017

    Remodel of True Value Hardware and Country Store.

  • 2019

    2019

    Acquisition of the Walters of Rio Creek store and the Walters of Algoma stores.

PRESIDENT & CEO

BRIAN DUQUAINE
BRIAN DUQUAINE

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

NOMINATED AND ELECTED BY MEMBERS

ERIC OLSON
ERIC OLSON
JEFF MILLER
JEFF MILLER
MARGIE STAATS
MARGIE STAATS
DAN VISTE
DAN VISTE
RANDY SEILER
RANDY SEILER

7 PRINCIPLES OF
COOPERATIVES

Cooperatives are formed by people looking for solutions to shared problems. They are open to all who use or provide their services and are willing to accept the responsibilities of membership.

Cooperatives are controlled by those who use or provide the co-op's goods and services. Each member gets one vote to help make the organization's policies and decisions.

Members equally "buy in" and democratically control the cooperative's capital based on the amount of business they conduct rather than the dollars they invest.

Cooperatives are independent, self-help organizations. If a co-op enters into an outside agreement or raises external capital, it still retains autonomy and democratic control.

Cooperatives train their members, directors, and employees so they can best contribute to the co-op's development. They also educate the general public about cooperatives.

Cooperatives work together through strong local, national, regional, and international structures to most effectively serve their members.

Cooperatives focus on local development through policies and programs directed by their members.

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