It¹s hard to believe we¹ll be in our beautiful new store four years on February 19, 2010! There¹s a lot to be proud of in our grassroots history. The Good Earth Market modestly began, like most co-ops, as a food buying club in 1987. For seven years the members ordered food that was delivered every eight weeks. That effort organically evolved into a need for a retail store front and in December 1993 they purchased the assets of Tenth Avenue Grocery (Billings¹ oldest). After months of hard preparation, GEM opened a cozy 1800 square foot store in July 1994 with a $500 monthly rent. We had 300 members, about $15,000 in inventory, and average daily sales of around $200 to $300.

Start up funds came mostly from members loans, with a supplemental bank loan. Some of these members generously ³forgave² the interest ¬ and even part or all of the principal ¬ or they traded their equity for food and other products. After one year we were up to 550 members. Many unnamed early pioneers deserve our thanks, but manager & newsletter editor Ann Guthals persistently held the vision longest and sacrificed the most. Our gratitude also extends to Hal Davis, Carol Van Tuinen, Scott Kingser, Debbie Magilke, and, of course, long timer Diane Stichman.

In October of 2001, GEM opened a little deli and debuted the now famous hummus. By 2004 overall sales had increased tenfold while increasing inventory fourfold with 900 members. We had 4 full time employees and 11 part time and were at a major crossroads. The Board of Directors was blessed with a bold President, Carol Beam, and hardworking board members willing to look at a major expansion project. The MSUB business students took us on as a class project and helped with crucial in-depth analysis of demographics, industry trends, alternative location and financing possibilities, and a subsequent business plan.

A conscious choice was made to stay downtown, which piqued the interest of business people and developers who comprise the Downtown Billings Partnership. The stars aligned and the former Archie Cochrane Ford building opened up. Owned by the civic minded Gainan Family, they were willing to negotiate a long-term lease on favorable terms, with rent rising as the GEM¹s sales volume rises. We fit the profile for some low interest loans, grants and matching funds. Randy Hafer of High Plains Architects and Greg Hardy of Hardy Construction didn¹t shy away from our shoestring, alternative venture. Ed Gullick was project architect and former GEM board member from whom we got a labor of love on 9,000 square feet of raw warehouse. The Bozeman Community Food Co-op assisted with invaluable, experienced advice and a $10,000 loan. The total expansion project cost about $400,000 and was again financed with a combination of a bank loan and loans and guarantees from dedicated members. Our current rent is $5,600 a month.

If we don’t count all of the volunteer labor, our move was a $775,000 project. We remodeled for about $450,000, we purchased equipment (most of it used and/or refurbished) for $200,000 and our initial inventory was about $125,000. This adds up to $775,000. If we add in all of the volunteer labor hours and supplies that made it the GEM it is, we could be close to $1.0M.

Every corner of the new store reflects considered improvements over our humble beginnings. The arts community came through with ³flying colors² and beautifying touches that give us a signature aesthetic feel. A volunteer force of ³worker bees² rescued the mezzanine and painted the upstairs. Home grown creativity from members gave us a new identity, new logo, and upgraded the newsletter. We recycled used store equipment purchased from the old Smith¹s in the Heights. Deli diner booths were salvaged from a Helena restaurant. The Apple Gallery enhances the deli seating for those enjoying the healthiest, quality food in Billings from Vicki Van Buskirk¹s kitchen.

Our total annual payroll is $475,000 for 20 full time employees and 6 part time. And at a pace of $7,000 per day, over 4,000 GEM members are on track for a two point seven million dollar year.

Is this a great story, or what?!! We can all take some deserved pride in our unique cooperative history. Good Earth Market is part of a profound, principled movement with a revolutionary governance structure, owned and controlled by the people who use it. Particular thanks goes to the seamless lineage of principled, volunteer board members who successfully held the vision for us all. Lastly, we are blessed with an extraordinary fit in a General Manager, Perry McNeese, who brought us a lifetime of grocery experience. May our best years be ahead of us!