Universal Cooperatives

"United Cooperatives" redirects here. For the British cooperative, see United Co-operatives.

Universal Cooperatives
Type	agricultural supply cooperative federation
Industry	agriculture
Predecessor	United Cooperatives, Inc. and National Cooperatives, Inc
Founded	1972
Headquarters	Eagan, Minnesota, United States
Members	14
Website	www.ucoop.com

Universal Cooperatives, based in Eagan, Minnesota, is a cooperative controlled by 17 regional agricultural marketing and agricultural supply cooperatives. The distribution system includes 110 regional feed mills, 26 warehouses, and 7 research farms. The company was formed November 1, 1972 by a merger of United Cooperatives, Inc. of Alliance, Ohio and National Cooperatives, Inc. of Albert Lea, Minnesota. The companies had inter-mixed ownership, leading to merger discussion, and eventual merger. On May 11, 2014, Universal Cooperatives, Inc. and its domestic subsidiaries filed for voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

United Cooperatives, Inc.

United Cooperatives began in 1930 as Farm Bureau Oil Company, and changed its name in 1936. Founding members include:

Indiana Farm Bureau Cooperative Association, Indianapolis, Indiana
Farm Bureau Services, Inc., Lansing, Michigan
Ohio Farm Bureau Service Company, Columbus, Ohio

National Cooperatives, Inc.

National Cooperatives was founded in 1933 by

Farm Bureau Oil Company, Indianapolis, Indiana
Central Cooperative Wholesale, Superior, Wisconsin
Farmers Union Central Exchange, Saint Paul, Minnesota
Midland Cooperative Oil Association, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Union Oil Company (Missouri), in 1935 renamed Consumers Cooperative Association and in 1966 Farmland Industries North Kansas City, Missouri

Brands

Universal owns the CO-OP brand, which is used on tires, batteries, farm chemicals, animal health products, twine, and lubricants. It distributes tires through the Mr. Tire chain.

External links

Universal Cooperatives web site

Cooperatives and mutual organizations

Types of cooperative

By governance

Consumer	Cooperative federation list Cooperative wholesale society

Worker (list)	Employee ownership Workers' self-management Workers' control Workplace democracy Business and employment co-operative

Purchasing	Retailers' cooperative

Other	Social cooperative Agent-owned company

By purpose

Banking	Credit union Mutual savings bank Savings and loan association Building society

Housing	Building Cohousing Student housing Housing society (egalitarian) Intentional community

Agricultural	Collective farming Reforestation Winemaking Wheat pool

Utility (list)	Community wind energy Electric Telephone

Mutual education	Anarchistic free school Homeschool Democratic education Learning by teaching

Mutual insurance	Health insurance cooperative

Other	Food list Recycling

Topics

Identity	Rochdale Principles ICA Statement on the Cooperative Identity

Political and economic theories	Co-operative economics Cooperative federalism Distributism Economic democracy Mutualism Neo-Capitalism Owenism Social enterprise Socialism Socially responsible investing Solidarity economy

Key theorists	G. D. H. Cole Charles Gide David Griffiths William King Robert Owen Friedrich Raiffeisen David Schweickart Rochdale Pioneers Beatrice Webb

By region	Canada Ukraine United Kingdom United States

Organizations	List of cooperatives Worker Energy Federations International Co-operative Alliance Co-operative Party

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