L.A. Roofing Materials joined the NEMEON cooperative in 2003. A cooperative is a member-owned organization that provides independent distributors like L.A. Roofing Materials with the power of nationwide purchasing, while maintaining the flexibility and strengths of local ownership.
What is NEMEON?
Founded in 1999, NEMEON is a member-owned purchasing cooperative in the roofing and siding distribution industry. It was formed to provide pooled buying power and management support for its members.
What is a Cooperative?
A cooperative is a business or organization owned and operated by its members for their mutual benefit. Unlike traditional companies where ownership is typically held by investors or shareholders seeking profits, cooperatives are owned and governed by the individuals who use their services. Members actively participate in the decision-making processes, elect their leaders, and share in the benefits or profits generated by the cooperative. Cooperatives can take various forms, such as agricultural cooperatives, consumer cooperatives, or worker cooperatives, each designed to meet the specific needs and interests of their members.
Why are we important?
Cooperatives help small businesses stay competitive by giving tools that will enable them to entice customers back from the giants. It may be hard to imagine small to medium-sized independent businesses having the same purchasing clout as a big box store, but as cooperatives they can achieve that goal. When a small business joins a co-op with other businesses that purchase the same goods, every one of them gets in on what is called a preferred vendor agreement negotiated on behalf of the entire group, no matter how little they purchase. Members share in the net profits of their cooperative in proportion to their participation in the co-op.
Teamwork is the key!
To achieve success in this jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise, there is a basic set of principles that cooperatives practice. These are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. In the tradition of the members who founded NEMEON, we still believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility, and caring for others.
“Our Association with NEMEON has been a plus from the beginning. We have improved relations with our preferred vendors because of our co-op connection; and it enables us to stay aware of what is happening nationwide in our ever changing industry.”
Don Gardner Founder, L.A. Roofing Materials
“NEMEON strengthens our standing alongside the National companies. We can meet or beat any price and certainly offer the friendliest service ever due to our connection to the communities we service. That is why I am on the NEMEON board of directors to motivate all NEMEON members to treat their customers as if they are family.”
Steve Gardner Owner, L.A. Roofing Materials
