By James Sullivan
The National Cooperative Bank (NCB) in America has released its annual NCB Co-op 100 list. The list shows the USA’s highest earning co-operatives and is the only annual report tracking profits and successes of co-operative businesses in the United States.
Overall, the top 100 brought in revenue of $243.2bn (£161.7bn) in 2014, a 4% increase from 2013.
The agricultural co-operative CHS Inc., based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, retained its position at the top of the list. The co-op is made up of farmers, ranchers and co-operatives across America and reported $42.6bn (£28.3bn) of revenue last year.
CHS was considerably ahead of the second placed co-op – also from the agricultural sector – Dairy Farmers of America, based in Kansas City, Missouri. They brought in $17.9bn (£11.9bn) in 2014, and kept hold of their second place spot from 2013.
Across the other sectors, Wakefern Food Corporation/Shoprite was the highest placed grocery co-op in fourth place, with $11.8bn (£7.8bn) of revenue, while HealthPartners Inc. from Minnesota was the largest health co-op, bringing in $5.5bn (£3.7bn) to make seventh place.
The highest placed energy co-op, Basin Electric Power Cooperative in North Dakota, failed to make the top ten, earning $2.2bn (£1.5bn) in eighteenth place.