REINCORPORATION – WE NEED YOUR VOTE!

Between February 18 – March 12, 2023, Co-op members will vote whether to reincorporate the Co-op under Connecticut’s updated Chapter 595 Cooperative Associations statute!

• The ballot will consist of one question, asking members whether they approve the Plan of Merger for Willimantic Food Co-op, Inc. (our current Connecticut non-stock corporation) to become Willimantic Food Cooperative (our new Connecticut cooperative corporation).
• By voting “YES” to approve the Plan of Merger, members will also, in effect, be approving the new cooperative’s bylaws.
• The resulting business will be the Willimantic Food Cooperative, which will become effective January 1, 2024.

LET’S GET REAL!!!

• Voting will take place between February 18 – March 12, 2023.
• Active, up-to-date and fully paid members with current contact info are eligible to vote on this historic transformation.
• To get up-to-date on equity payments, visit the store.
• To update your contact info, click here or visit the store.
• Members can vote electronically or by paper ballot.
• Members with an email address on file by February 12 will receive an email later that week with a link to a secure, electronic ballot.
• Members without email addresses on file will be sent voting instructions by the U.S. Mail.

If you have questions or would like more information, please review the FAQs and other materials on this page, or reach out to us using the contact form below. Thanks to those members who attended one of four member info sessions held between October and January!

Proposition 138 was introduced in the CT legislature to enhance the existing CT Co-operative statutes and encourage more co-ops to incorporate in our state. The bill was initiated by the Willimantic Food Co-op, Fiddleheads Co-op in New London and developed with the support of the Neighboring Food Co-op Association (NFCA). It was passed by the CT House and Senate and signed into law by the Governor on June 26, 2019.

REINCORPORATION – WE NEED YOUR VOTE!

This is a very exciting time for our Food Co-op! We’ve been in business for over 42 years, and while we have happily been operating and acting like a cooperative, we’ve been legally incorporated as a Connecticut nonstock corporation. Now we have an opportunity to actually be a co-op! Along with a group of cooperators from our state and region, we’ve worked to make it possible for us to incorporate as a real cooperative in the state of Connecticut. The next step depends on you, our members.

We need your vote to make this a reality. The core of the cooperative business model is member democratic control, and this is an opportunity for you to make your voice heard about the future of our Co-op. We hope to hold the member vote early in 2023.

Becoming a real cooperative in our state would be a great thing. It would be something that sets us apart from all of the other for-profit corporations and highlights the success and importance of cooperatives as a business model that is well worth learning about and participating in. Ahead of the vote, please consider attending one of our upcoming member info sessions about the reincorporation process.

LET’S GET REAL!!!

Member Info Sessions

No registration needed for in person sessions.