News release
TOP 50 NON-FINANCIAL CO-OPERATIVES IN CANADA
OTTAWA, November 3, 2005 - The Top 50 non-financial co-operatives for 2004 show strong growth with a six percent rise in revenues over their year earlier figures and 11 percent growth in assets. Wayne Easter, Parliamentary Secretary with special emphasis on Rural Development, today announced the annual list of Canada's top 50 non-financial co-operatives for the year 2004.
“The co-operative model is going strong in Canada,” said Mr. Easter. “This list shows the success of the Top 50 Canadian co-operatives who, in 2004, had combined revenues of $18.6 billion and total assets of $7 billion. There’s no doubt of the economic and social impact of the top 50 co-ops, and co-operatives from coast to coast to coast.”
Federated Co-operatives Limited ranked number one for the fourth straight year with revenues of $4.2 billion. The Saskatchewan-based co-operative provides jobs for nearly 3,000 employees.
Coopérative Fédérée de Québec, with revenues of nearly $2.9 billion, was second on the list. They ranked as the number one employer on the list with nearly 10,000 employees.
Mountain Equipment Co-operative continues to have the largest member base of all co-ops, with over 2.1 million memberships.
The top 50 co-ops provide full-time employment to more than 30,000 people and part-time positions for an additional 6,800 people. Total membership for these co-ops was over 3 million individual members in 2004. Additionally, among them are seven that are wholesalers to over 550 member co-operatives who in turn serve over 1.2 million Canadians across the country.
Over 80 percent of the Top 50 co-ops are adding value to farm production across Canada. Thirty of the Top 50 co-ops this year are agri-marketing/processing co-operatives or agri-supply co-operatives and another eleven consumer co-operatives also provide goods and services to the agriculture community.
“I would like to congratulate the Canadian co-operatives sector for their achievements over the last year and for the many opportunities they provide Canadians,” added Mr. Easter. “Co-operatives are a part of our social fabric, providing a model for community development of working in partnership to help find community-based solutions to the challenges faced by Canadians.”
The Top 50 non-financial co-operatives for 2004
-30-
For more information, media may contact:
Rural Communications
Rural Secretariat
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Telephone: (613) 759-7559
 |
 |
|
News releases index : and .