Satakunta Cooperative Society is over 100 years old
EstablishmentThe founding agreement for Satakunta Cooperative Society was signed on 27 April 1917 at a meeting held in Pori. The beginning of the agreement stated as follows: "We, the undersigned, hereby establish a cooperative named Satakunnan Osuuskauppa (Satakunta Cooperative Society), the purpose of which is, by conducting a sales business for the common benefit of its members, to facilitate their economic livelihood. We declare that we will become members of the cooperative and accept the following rules." The first business premises of Satakunta Cooperative Society was the birthplace of the artist Akseli Gallen-Kallela in Pori, where a store was opened on 26 November 1917.Extensive servicesThe Satakunta Cooperative Society, which started operating in Pori, also expanded to other parts of the region over the years. Already in its third year of operation, stores were opened in Pomarkku, Kankaanpää and Ahlainen. Over the decades, the Satakunta Cooperative Society had outlets including convenience stores, milk and bread shops, service stations, bookstores, mobile shops, bars and hotels. In the 1940s, the cooperative's business even included a dressmaking shop, a pig farm and herring salting facilities.Regional cooperativeIn the 1970s and 1980s, there were still local cooperatives covering a single municipality in the Satakunta region. During the structural changes of S Group, many local cooperatives merged with Satakunta Cooperative Society, thus forming a strong regional cooperative. Merged cooperatives included those of Luvia, Siikainen, Nakkila and Peltopohja in the 1970s. In the following decade, the cooperatives of Harjavalta, Kokemäki and Huittinen, together with Satakunta Cooperative Society, formed the regional cooperative.Years of growthAfter S Group's structural changes, that is, the creation of regional cooperatives, both the entire S Group and regional cooperatives engaged in all kinds of development work. The cooperatives returned to their roots: to producing benefits and economic advantages for the co-op members. In the 1990s and since then, many new locations have opened and the benefits for co-op members have been expanded. In the 2000s, Satakunta Cooperative Society has grown its operations by opening new ABC service stations, restaurants, Kodin Terra and Sale stores, and by expanding Prisma's selection and services with a hair salon and the Oma Kukka service, for example.
