Montana has many entities operating in the economy that are not traditional businesses.
Based on a study by the University of Wisconsin’s Center for Cooperatives, in 2009 there were 209 cooperatives operating in Montana. By 2018, the number of cooperative establishments had dropped to 151.
According to the Montana Cooperative Development Center (MCDC), a cooperative is an organization that is owned and democratically controlled by the people who use its products, supplies or services.
The 151 cooperatives in Montana in 2018 generated $1.835 billion in direct sales, more than 4,000 jobs, and wages of $344 million. This represents approximately 1.3% of total revenue and 0.9% of jobs in the state of Montana. Notably, more than 50% of direct revenue from this sample of cooperatives was generated by agricultural cooperatives.
Montana has multiple factors that promote the use of cooperatives. One is according to Janice Brown, MCDC’s executive director co-ops thrive in small more rural towns because big grocery stores might not be economically viable. Also, many of the cooperatives are able to thrive in Montana through services like those provided by Montana Cooperative Development Center and other organizations.
