HubCity Cooperative

Board Chair Erin Ouzts talks Hub City Co-op on WSPA’s Your Carolina

webmaster — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 00:45:11 +0000

Click to view the video interview with Kimberly Kelly that aired on Friday, April 12

Hub City Co-op Exceeds $125,000 in ‘Invest and Grow’ Campaign

webmaster — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:49:46 +0000

SPARTANBURG, SC – Spartanburg’s Hub City Cooperative is growing closer to opening its doors as its owners have committed over $125,000 in the investment campaign.

The campaign, named ‘Invest and Grow’, is expected to generate $1 million from the nearly 950 Hub City Cooperative Owners and will be used to renovate the Co-op’s site at 176 North Liberty Street, Downtown Spartanburg.

Hub City Co-op Owner and Investor, Paul Desmond, commented, “My wife Tara and I became owners and are investing in Hub City Co-op because we are tired of the present struggle to get local, healthy food all in one location in Spartanburg County. We look forward to the Co-op becoming the one-stop-shop that our family and community desperately needs! We are excited to see the Co-op open its doors to a place our community has worked so hard to build. I look forward to the sense of community the Co-op will provide and to a place where I can shop for food where the staff will know my name and my family.”

Hub City Cooperative Owners have committed to invest in the Co-op through the purchase of preferred shares and loan offerings. These investments are only available to Hub City Cooperative Owners who are South Carolina residents.

Additional development costs will be raised from outside lenders and community supporters, a substantial amount of which has already been committed.

Hub City Co-op board chair Erin Ouzts, noted the successful start to the ‘Invest and Grow’ campaign and commented, “It is exciting to see the level of grass-roots investment from owners so early in the campaign! Raising funds from a large number of owners investing a little rather than focusing on just a few large investors is one of the many different ways Co-ops do things to benefit the whole community. How many times do over 900 community members have a chance to invest in a new business that will change the nature of downtown Spartanburg?”

About Hub City Cooperative: Hub City Co-op will be a cooperatively owned full-service grocery market focusing on fresh, local, natural and sustainably sourced products in a place all of Spartanburg will love to shop. The Co-op has been in planning and development since 2010. Currently, nearly 950 members of the community have shown their support by purchasing an ownership. Hub City Co-op plans to open its market at 176 North Liberty Street after all the funds are secured and renovations are complete. Learn more about how you can help or become an owner by visiting www.hubcitycoop.org

Co-op grocery store increases fundraising efforts

webmaster — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 09:48:07 +0000

By Trevor Anderson
trevor.anderson@shj.com
Published April 5, 2013

Officials seeking to bring South Carolina’s first cooperative grocery store to downtown are kicking their fundraising efforts up a notch.

Leadership behind the Hub City Co-op announced Friday the launch a new owner investment campaign, “Invest and Grow,” that is expected to generate $1 million.

The funds, which will be a combination of loans and purchases of preferred shares from the co-op’s 919 current owners, will be used to kick off renovations of the co-op’s planned site at 176 N. Liberty Street near the Chapman Cultural Center.

“We are thrilled to see the level of support from the ownership prior to the official start of the investment campaign,” said Erin Ouzts, board chairwoman of the Hub City Co-op, in a statement. “We expect continued enthusiasm from co-op owners as they begin receiving more information this week on the Invest and Grow Campaign specifics.”

Architect Rendering

webmaster — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 16:35:03 +0000

Store layout

webmaster — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:11:47 +0000

Click image to enlarge

Hub City Cooperative Holds 2013 Annual Meeting

webmaster — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 01:17:09 +0000

Unveils Store Layout, Celebrates 2012 Accomplishments and Announces Owner Investment Campaign

Thursday, March 7, 2013
by Mary Ann Cleland

SPARTANBURG, SC – Dozens of The Hub City Cooperative’s 870 owners attended the Co-op’s Annual Meeting held on Wednesday, March 6 at the Spartanburg County Headquarters Library.

The Co-op owners celebrated 2012 accomplishments including ownership growth of almost 85%, receipt of grants and gifts totaling $24,605, selection of a safe, accessible site in downtown Spartanburg and the start of architectural and store plans.

The next step to the Co-op’s opening is an owner investment campaign. The Co-op leadership announced the Invest and Grow Campaign at the meeting. Co-ops are community-funded, meaning that owners, local banks and economic development organizations invest directly in the business to develop the store. For Hub City Cooperative to start construction, owners will invest approximately $1 million through owner loans and the purchase of preferred stock. The remaining $1 million in development cost will come from other investors, lenders and community stakeholders. $500,000 is already raised or committed.

Hub City Co-op board chair Erin Ouzts commented, “2012 was an exciting year of progress for the Hub City Cooperative! An easily accessible, safe site was selected, ownership almost doubled, the community celebrated National Co-op Month in October with the announcement of two grants and the selection of the store planner and architect. Looking forward, the next steps are a successful owner investment campaign and renovations, and then the store opens. Owner investment is the catalyst that will launch the store into the final of development!”

Hub City Co-op seeks more funding

webmaster — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 01:13:45 +0000

Staff Report
Published March 7, 2013

Growth continues for the Hub City Co-op in downtown Spartanburg, but the future community market seeks more funding before opening its doors.

Of the roughly $2 million project, around $500,000 has been raised or committed thus far, according to a news release. As of November, the co-op had secured roughly $100,000 from owners’ memberships.

The co-op, a member-owned community market, plans to create around 30 jobs; repurpose a vacant building in downtown Spartanburg; and offer sustainable, local products to the community.

Hub City Co-op uses business school incubator space

webmaster — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 04:15:43 +0000

Staff Report
Published December 6, 2012

The Hub City Co-op announced plans Thursday to use incubator space in USC Upstate’s George Dean Johnson Jr. College of Business.

The co-op, a member-owned community market, will focus on fresh, local and sustainable products. The co-op plans to create around 30 jobs and repurpose a 7,800-square-foot, vacant building at 176 N. Liberty St. in downtown Spartanburg.

Hub City Co-op seeks $2M to open doors

webmaster — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 04:12:29 +0000

By Liz Segrist
November 14, 2012

The Hub City Co-op needs to raise roughly $2 million of its $2.4 million goal to open its doors.

The co-op, a member-owned community market, plans to create around 30 jobs and repurpose a vacant building in downtown Spartanburg.

The co-op board, and its community partners, hope to bring the community together and help fill the void of the downtown food desert — an urban area with little access to grocery stores with fresh and affordable foods.

Hub City Co-op hires architect; says they have more than 700 owners

webmaster — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 04:09:13 +0000

By Trevor Anderson
October 18, 2012

The Hub City Cooperative, an independent member-owned grocery market planned for downtown Spartanburg, took another big step toward becoming a reality on Thursday.

Co-op organizers held a special meeting in the old tire store at 176 N. Liberty St., which was selected in June as the future site for their venture, to announce two accomplishments that will help the project reach fruition.