Co-op Month Spotlight: CenDak Cooperative

As October is Co-op Month, New Rockford Area Betterment Corporation spotlights CenDak Cooperative, a locally owned co-op.

The New Rockford store has recently gone through a complete renovation, remodeling both the inside and the outside of the building. When you walk into CenDak cooperative in New Rockford you will be greeted by their employees and the Petroleum and Retail manager Ron Keller. Keller has worked for CenDak since 2010, and has been at the New Rockford store for 5 years.

"Since coming here in 2013, I've enjoyed meeting a lot of new and interesting people," Keller said.

There are usually patrons sitting at the tables, enjoying either a hot cup of coffee or grabbing a bite of lunch. The New Rockford CenDak store offers an array of services, including propane, fuel delivery and propane tank delivery and set up.

They have a tire shop that performs shop maintenance, small engine repair, brake repair, hydraulic hose fix and make, and hay bailer belts and fix. They offer portable tire and truck repair as well.

"Our motto is: you break it, we can fix it!" Keller said.

The store also supplies fencing equipment, hardware, belts, filters, oils and more. They also offer agronomy services.

CenDak's full convenience store now offers Hot Stuff pizza and deli. They also have salads, cookies and a fresh foods cooler. For the sweet tooth, they have ice cream bars and f'real shakes, just to name a few. Throughout the month, they offer different deli and Hot Stuff specials.

A new addition to the inside of the store is the off-sale beer cooler. They have a newly installed pop cooler and an 8 by 10 foot walk-in freezer in the kitchen. For those on the go, they sell bags of ice, and have an ATM conveniently located inside the door. They are also a retailer for M&M bait- a locally owned business.

The gas pumps have also been updated. CenDak is a branded Cenex store for fuel and gas. They have two grades of gas and diesel and have 24 hour pay at the pump for customer convenience.

The New Rockford store currently has 25 employees. "We are always looking to hire people to work in our Deli," Keller said. "We have a great group of employees, and regular customers that will come in throughout the week."

Keller noted that CenDak prides itself on giving back to the community. "We have donated to both school and community events," he said.

Hours are 6 a.m. - 10 p.m. Monday through Sunday. Their shop hours are 8 a.m. - 6 p.m, Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. on Saturdays. CenDak Cooperatives also has locations in Maddock, Leeds, Niles, Harvey and New Rockford.

The New Rockford Area Betterment Corporation is featuring Small Business Spotlights. If you would like your business featured, please contact the NRABC office at (701) 947-2205 or [email protected].

This week local cooperatives observe Co-op Month. See the feature on page B5 for more information.