|
|
|
|
|
|
| Businesses Saying No 3
|
No matter what road you travel throughout Saskatchewan you’re bound to find a Co-op store in an adjacent community. Here in the Southwest The Pioneer Coop is based out of Swift Current and encompasses 13 branches across the Region with a number of departments from grocery, to hardware and agricultural supplies. Stu Dyrland is the General Manager for Pioneer Coop and has been with the store for 18 Years. Through his tenor with the company he’s seen both the ups and downs of the economy and says this latest market trend hasn’t affected their sales significantly.
Stu Dyrland- General Manager, Pioneer Coop
“We always try to make sure the prices are competitive to the membership, petroleum is the same type of thing it’s continually moving, so you just buy according to what you’re selling. The Agri products are another big part of our business, we have to buy product in order to be ready for spring and we’re still doing that. No, we’re kind of like business as usual, we haven’t changed until people stop buying and I guess that’s when we slow down but we’re looking forward to a year that’s similar from other years.”
|
|
|
Busy dealing with year end paperwork and the next round of budget Presentations with the Pioneer board, Dyrland and his team push Forward with business as usual. With Key construction projects on the horizon for Pioneer Coop in the coming months.
Stu Dyrland- General Manager, Pioneer Coop
“Pioneer has always had a plan of where we’ll spend in the neighborhood of $2-3 Million and up to $4 Million a year in expansions, upgrading, repairs, maintenance and new vehicles, etc. We’re going to the board with a new budget and there’s a lot of things in there for outlying communities and within the City of Swift Current. We’re in the process right now of upgrading our service station at the Wheatland Mall location.”
And as the turmoil on the markets continues to unfold on a daily basis, Dyrland holds onto his sense of optimism not only as General Manger of the Coop but as a local farmer and believes the tide will remain steady here in the Southwest and the Province as a whole.
Stu Dyrland- General Manager, Pioneer Coop
“Oh, I feel optimistic I’m always’ pretty Optimistic, I think 2009 will be similar. We probably won’t have the increase in sales like we had this past year. I think the positive thing so far in 2009 is the fuel prices are lower, if we can go through the year with fuel prices not going as high, it will definitely leave more money in the community. Anytime we have to pay additional money at the pumps or for anything we have, it just takes that money out of circulation.”
And like many residents who watch the National news for the updates On world wide developments , Dyrland, like many others we’ve spoken to, believes one should keep their eyes on the local front first.
Stu Dyrland- General Manager, Pioneer Coop
“The information that’s coming is of course negative and it’s not good for the people and the communities they’re in. When you hear 10 000 people being laid off in one factory even in fact across the world from us, it’s always a scare. But, I think we have to be realistic and see what’s happening around this area and to not start running scared before things actually happen.”
|
| |
|
|
|
|
