Board member review
(03-30-2010)Hello AFCNA members, (some might have got this already, trying to resolve the problem) I have asked some of the board members to express their views of what the Cooperative is to them to you the members. Wade Gease has responded first, so here it is.LVI have been very excited to be involved with one of the longest running alpaca fiber cooperatives in this country. I am pleased to have been put in charge of our Research & Development department for the coop. We are looking into making our existing products even better, finding new avenues for production and working on different ways to utilize our members raw fiber. Times are constantly changing and I feel that always opens up new doors. If you think you have a new door that can lead our coop to new opportunities, please write me a brief note and Ill have our committee review it! wadegease@charter.net As far as I am aware the AFCNA coop is the only true coop in N.A. where it is owned by the individual members. No individual is receiving any higher percentage of payout over another due to ownership or management. The AFCNA board is elected by the members as volunteers to guide the organization in a positive and profitable manner. I feel there are a multitude of benefits that the AFCNA provides for alpaca breeders.
We are fortunate that our coop has a sound base of establishment in Decatur, Tennessee with a phenomenal staff. Which means your phone calls with questions or orders can be handled that day.
This is a highly visible cooperative and directly promotes alpaca products in the US. Grabbing the attention of the American shopper is fundamental to the success of the fiber industry. If the public sees the quality of alpaca products, more people will be interested in raising them.
Receive credit in the cooperative for your fiber contribution that calendar year. This may only be a benefit for some breeders. You do not receive your own fiber back but the greater volume benefits all members in lower costs of wholesale products made.
Receive a share of AFCNA sales profits. The coop is recovering like many business but only due to an unfortunate past investment. Recent years have shown current trends to be extremely positive.
EXPERIENCE! Being one of the longest running coops has advantages of learning from the school of hard knocks! Just like a breeding program, experience is invaluable.
Be able to purchase AFCNA products at wholesale prices. I think this is the best value for our members. If you send in your own fleece to a mini mill you are likely to have a choice of either yarn, felt or roving. Those products are great and I certainly encourage your store to have them. When you are a member of the AFCNA coop you have a whole finished product cornucopia of choices! Similar costs go in having the mini mill products made, but they are not even in a finished product format. You end up with a similar end price but have a finished item to use or sell. Typically, with much quicker turnaround times. I am certainly not trying to take the wind out of any mini mill as I support several, they are important to our industry as well. They are simply different business that fit different needs.
Join their affiliate program to receive 20% of sales for retail items sold from web linking. Wow! No work involved and is the only coop alpaca product affiliate program that I am aware of. Members do not even need to have a store to make their site more complete, use the coop store and receive a portion of the sale! This will also boost your sites activity and overall search hierarchy.
Donate for the betterment of the industry. If you dont have use for your fiber and need to just get it out of your buildings, send it to the coop FREE of charge. Shipments of over 500lbs are being picked up by the coop in 2010. Blanket and similar blanket quality are the restrictions. Many AOBA affiliates are having collecting sites at shows or farms. Get your fleece to one of them and you wont have to worry about shipping costs. You must contact the AFCNA office to set up the shipment.
My last benefit Id like to close with is the great degree of diverse directors we have on the coop board. Each one of them brings a value of experience that Im confident will propel this organization to new heights. Please continue to use your membership benefits and I encouraged you to become an even more active member. Thank you for your trust in us and your support. Sincerely, Wade Gease AFCNA Director / R&D Chair
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The Alpaca Fiber Cooperative of North America,
Inc.
1-877-859-0172
P.O. Box 349, Decatur,TN 37322
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