Scotland has produced successful co-operatives across many different sectors and with a variety of different business models.
Read about some of the businesses we've helped to flourish.
Successes
Business co-operatives
-
Co-operative Development Scotland facilitated the creation of Harris Tweed Artisans Co-operative after arranging support through one of its specialist advisers.
-
Co-operative Development Scotland funded a feasibility study to help Argyll Food Producers assess its potential as a co-operative business.
-
The Very People was established in 2006 with considerable advice and support from Co-operative Development Scotland, who recommended creating a secondary marketing co-operative.
Employee owned companies
-
Tullis Russell Group has been employee owned since 1994 and is a successful papermaking, coating and converting company based in Markinch, Fife.
-
Loch Fyne Oysters has been employee owned since 2003, when Baxi Partnership, the employee buyout specialist, and Royal Bank of Scotland funded a £3.9m employee buyout.
-
Since The Baxi Partnership financed a £1.3 million employee buyout in 2002, turnover at Woollard & Henry has climbed four-fold with diversification into new products and markets.
Worker co-operatives
-
Atomised was set up in 2008 with the help of Co-operative Development Scotland and is a Fife-based worker co-operative specialising in ethical web design and development.
-
Edinburgh Bicycle Co-operative is a successful worker co-operative that is account managed by Scottish Enterprise.
-
The Graphics Company is an Edinburgh-based workers' co-operative providing print and web design to the voluntary, public and social enterprise sectors.
Community co-operatives
-
Boyndie Wind Farm Co-operative was set up in 2005 to allow the community in Banffshire to own a share in the first wind farm co-operative in Scotland.
