Cooperative Development Institute

"Mobile home parks in Maine and across the county are increasingly being purchased by out-of-state investors that then raise the monthly lot rents, sometimes by as much as twice or even three times the price, according to national data. But several bills in the Legislature are working to get ahead of the problem and help communities purchase their parks before investors can." Thank you Portland Press Herald for shining a light on this issue and the ongoing efforts to preserve affordable homes in Maine. Read the full Portland Press Herald story here: https://lnkd.in/eG7Kksi7

Thank you Andy Farquharson for having us on your podcast Alternative Exit! Watch the show to hear from CDI’s Rob Brown who shares insights into how small businesses can grow and become more resilient through thoughtful exit-planning and employee ownership. "We want entrepreneurs to build businesses that last, that create jobs, and that create value in the marketplace," said Mr. Brown. "Once they've done that, [CDI's] value proposition is that they can cash out and they can realize the rewards of their entrepreneurship. At that point, you have a stable enterprise that can be carried forward?by a group of workers who are the shareholders of that business." Click here to watch the full interview: https://lnkd.in/eVF8Ke2A #employeeownership #smallbusiness #cooperatives #exitplanning #successionplanning

Meet the newest cohort of CDI’s Cooperative Development Training Program! This 9-month “training for trainers” program is designed to provide participants with the knowledge and tools to become a co-op developer. The goal is to expand our impact through partners who can steward the growth of co-ops and create economic opportunities in their local communities.?Our cohorts bring together individuals and organizations from across the Northeast.?Thanks to everyone who participated! To learn more about CDI’s training programs, visit https://lnkd.in/gWVHWi9F #coopsbuildabetterworld #iyc2025

“I wanted to see the company continue on after me,” said David Berryan, the previous owner of Eastern Garage Door, which has been serving communities in the greater Lawrence and Merrimack Valley, MA area for more than 100 years. “I certainly didn’t want to sell it to an outside company. I didn’t have a family member interested. I had another form of family, my employees. They are much of the driving force.” Mr. Berryan's wish came true with the help of CDI's Business Ownership Solutions team. We helped the company plan a smooth transition to employee ownership, including establishing a steering committee, training employees on how to run the business, and helping them secure the financing to buy-out the business. The new owners of the Eastern Garage Door cooperative include a mix of field technicians and office staff who have spent decades becoming specialists in their own roles. Now, as owners, not only do they have to solve problems in their own jobs, they have to solve problems and make money for the whole company. Join us in congratulating the Eastern Garage Door team! Read their story: https://lnkd.in/ekCUbzTx #iyc2025 #cooperativesbuildabetterworld #employeeowned #successionplanning

Maine’s co-ops are powering a people-centered economy – creating jobs, investing locally, and putting democracy in the hands of workers. The co-op impact is huge. Join us at the Principle Six Conference to meet the change-makers, spark new ideas, and help grow Maine’s cooperative movement. ??

Are you interested in a role that makes a direct impact in our communities? Are you passionate about helping to preserve affordable housing in Massachusetts? Then this is the position for you! CDI's New England Resident Owned Communities (NEROC) program is hiring a Cooperative Housing Specialist to support communities in Southeastern Massachusetts. In this position, you will guide, train, and assist resident-owned communities with the ongoing management and governance of their cooperatives. This includes helping the members of the cooperatives’ boards understand their roles and responsibilities in order to work effectively as resident-owners of a complex business. We also help co-op leaders and members foster a sense of empowerment and community spirit. Click here to apply: https://lnkd.in/giDi3a_S #JobOpportunities #careeropportunities #AffordableHousing

Residents of Cedar Falls Mobile Home Park formed a cooperative and today signed an $8 million deal to purchase their community, preserving nearly 130 affordable homes and solidifying plans to install dozens of new homes on the 79-acre park. Cedar Falls in Bangor, Maine is home to families and seniors, many who have lived in the park for more than a decade. Before the purchase, they owned their manufactured homes, but not the land underneath, which made residents vulnerable to lot rent hikes and possible displacement. Today, the residents own the land together and can feel secure in their homes. Last summer, the residents of Cedar Falls were notified by the owner of the park that their community was going up for sale and that an outside buyer made a bid. We are honored to have helped the residents organize to form the Cedar Falls Residents Cooperative and successfully outbid the outside offer to purchase the park. Under a?new state “Opportunity to Purchase” law, owners of manufactured home communities are required to notify residents when their park goes up for sale. Since the law went into effect in October 2023, Cedar Falls is the second manufactured home community to become resident owned. It is the 12th manufactured home community in Maine to transition to resident ownership. “We have an older community, and they were worried that if a developer came in, their community would go away,” said Alvin, Treasurer of the Cedar Falls’ volunteer board of directors. “We sat down with residents for one or two hours at a time helping to educate them about the process we were planning to go through and the result that could come out on the other end. The residents were fully on board after that, but it took us sitting in their living room, talking to them and convincing them that it was possible. You need a lot of patience, and you can’t give up.” Read their story here: https://lnkd.in/ef35qiZV #residentowned #IYC2025 #cooperativesbuildabetterworld #affordablehousing

Ms. Baker was an influential civil rights leader, playing a key role in the NAACP, Martin Luther King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.?But what people may not know about her is that she used the power of cooperative economics to solve problems for black communities in Harlem, New York and beyond. She was a founding member of the Young Negroes Cooperative League and spent years developing and promoting cooperatives. Thank you so much Ms. Baker for your relentless energy, focus and dedication to helping others! Visit the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights to learn more: https://lnkd.in/ecx_9pWg #blackhistorymonth #cooperativesbuildabetterworld #iyc2025

That's a wrap! The Northeast Transition Initiative (#NETI) Fellowship Retreat wrapped up last week, and before they headed home, we asked some of our fellows what they took away from the 2-day event. Watch the video to hear what they said. During the retreat, fellows got a chance to learn about the unique issues affecting their business communities and potential options for preserving businesses and jobs, such as employee ownership. Over the course of the next 9 months, fellows will strengthen their knowledge and gain resources to support business owners in planning for their future. Learn more about NETI here: https://lnkd.in/ehFwZFN7 #iyc2025 #smallbusiness #successionplanning

We are honored to present the second cohort of the Northeast Transition Initiative (#NETI) Fellowship! Yesterday marked Day One of the Kickoff Retreat in Manchester, NH, bringing together a diverse group of fellows representing organizations supporting small businesses across New England and New York. On day one, we discussed the issue of a "Silver Tsunami" of baby boomer business owners who plan to retire in the next few years without a succession plan, posing a great threat to businesses, job preservation, and growth in our communities. Over the course of the next 9 months, fellows will be given the knowledge and resources to support business owners in understanding their succession planning options, including employee ownership. Our amazing second cohort brings deep knowledge of the communities they serve and we are so excited to learn with them through this fellowship program. Thank you for participating! NETI Fellowship Cohort 2: Andrew Melendez Angie Montalvo-Greene Anthony Toscano Bryana Malloy Chloe Chassaing Christina Dodge Delia Marx Ed Miles Eric Beecher Eric Treworgy John Allen, III Karin Cioffi Kevin Pink .Lisa Ducharme Lisa Raiola MPH PAMELA ANDERSEN Paul Harden Sarah Jane Huber Sergio Espinoza Tricia Murray Learn more about NETI here: https://lnkd.in/g4U2JGKt