Your co-op, March 2004

Gourmet News honors PCC

PCC Natural Markets is being honored as a finalist in the Gourmet News Retail Leadership Award competition. The award is presented annually to a North American specialty retailer that has led the industry or other retailers in a specific gourmet business movement or mission.

PCC was one of four finalists and was recognized for executing a major branding campaign and for the energy efficient features at our new Fremont store.

Recycling at Fremont — Closing the Loop

One of the goals for PCC Fremont’s construction process was to recycle as much as possible. The store is now built, the numbers are in, and the general contractor — Rafn Company — reports that it recycled a remarkable 84 percent of the waste materials leaving the site.

Ann Schuessler, director of sustainable building practices at Rafn, says her firm hired Renu Recycling Services to provide a single container for all waste materials. The container was hauled to Recovery 1 in Tacoma where wood, metal, drywall, cardboard and plastic film were separated for recycling. Recovery 1 operates a construction debris processing company that uses machines to separate co-mingled waste materials for recycling. They have the highest recycling rate in the region.

In order for recycling options to continue and grow, consumers need to close the loop and buy materials that have recycled content. Fortunately, the architects of the Fremont store, Velocipede Architects, were able to incorporate many environmentally friendly features, including recycled content materials.

Here is a list highlighting the use of recycled content construction materials:

• Structural steel: 100 percent recycled steel.
• Steel studs: 25 percent recycled steel.
• Steel doors and frames: 20 percent recycled steel.
• Wall and ceiling insulation: fiberglass containing 25 percent recycled glass.
• Building insulation under the floor slab: cellulose containing 80 percent recycled cardboard.
• Custom cabinets: panels made from 93 percent agricultural wheat chaff waste.
• Office ceiling tiles: 100 percent agricultural aspen fiber waste.
• Ceiling tiles at food prep areas: 55 percent recycled mineral fiber, a waste product from making steel.

Talk to the Board

From left: Board members Bob Cross, Alexander Rist and Chantal Stevens will take part in ‘Talk to the Board’ in-store visits in the upcoming months.

Board members are continuing to find benefit in these in-store opportunities to meet PCC’s members and patrons. “I value the chance to talk one-on-one with our members and hear what’s on their minds. I want to ensure that our co-op remains strong and continues to meet the needs of our members for years to come,” says board member Kathy Barry who recently spent several hours at the Greenlake store. Upcoming Talk to the Board dates:

• Thursday, March 11, 5 to 7 p.m. Kirkland PCC
• Saturday, April 3, 2 to 4 p.m. Issaquah PCC

What makes PCC special and meaningful to you?

The PCC Board of Trustees is developing an agenda for its long-term planning retreat in April. Board Chair Chantal Stevens reports, “I am hoping that the retreat will help us discuss and eventually write into policy our vision of PCC in a five to 50-year future. Having our members weigh in on how and why PCC is important in their lives will add immeasurably to our planning agenda.” If you would like to share your views with the board, please do so by March 26. Email them to board@pccmarkets.com or send your comments by mail to:

What are Ends Policies?

The PCC Board of Trustees develops policies outlining mission-related goals for the organization called Ends Policies that speak to the board’s current and long-range visions for PCC. These policies are monitored annually for compliance and reviewed for necessary additions and clarifications.

At least once each year, the board disseminates the policies in a member publication. The board welcomes your ideas. Here is the current Ends Policy language:

• GLOBAL ENDS: PCC ensures member and patron access to high-quality, fairly priced healthful food and other products and fosters a cooperative, sustainable environment in which organic and natural industries can thrive.
• ENDS-A: PCC takes positions on issues that affect our sustainable environment and communicates those positions to members and patrons.
• ENDS-B: PCC provides organic foods and supports organic agriculture.
• ENDS-C: PCC is a chain of neighborhood stores.
• ENDS-D: PCC’s greater community will have opportunities to learn about the use, benefits, and politics of natural and organic foods, healthy lifestyles and the cooperative way.

January 27 board meeting report

• The Sustainability Task Force has been gathering information on the process of implementing organization-wide sustainable practices. It is developing indicators and an action plan.
• The Nominating Committee’s work is proceeding. Applicant interviews were conducted in early February. The 2004 slate of candidates will be announced in the April Sound Consumer.
• The Board Development Task Force is working hard on logistics for the board’s long-term planning retreat and has decided to try to get member input to help frame discussions (How to submit your comments).
• The Finance Task Force presented a review of policies related to financial reporting requirements. The board voted on a new policy that, among other things, mandates that a Finance Task Force be appointed in each board term to assist the board with its financial oversight duties.
• The Linkage Task Force continues to oversee “Talk to the Board” events and has begun planning the May annual meeting.

The next scheduled board meeting will be on March 30 at the PCC main office. The meeting begins at 5 p.m. with time set aside for member comments at 7 p.m.