In May, the Evergreen Cooperatives, a network of worker-owned businesses in Cleveland, took over operations of a laundry facility owned by the Cleveland Clinic. On the surface, it was a straightforward business transaction. The Evergreen Cooperatives launched in 2009 with Evergreen Cooperative Laundry, a small business owned and operated by just a handful of workers. Today, the whole network comprises the laundry, as well as a cooperative green energy business and an urban farm, and employs more than 220 people. After nearly a decade of steady growth, the Evergreen Cooperatives wanted to expand, and taking over operations of the Cleveland Clinic laundry facility was an opportunity to do so.
This new fund will help retiring baby boomers turn their businesses into worker co-ops
Posted in Links, Worker Co-op Stories.
