Established in September of 2009, with an initial grant from the USDA Rural Development Cooperative Services Program, the Cooperative Development Center at Kent State University has initiated several projects that focus on the support and development of a variety of cooperatives. Working in tandem with the long-established Ohio Employee Ownership Center (OEOC), the main initiatives of the Center include:

Developing Employee Owned Cooperatives - The Center promotes employee-owned cooperatives by providing technical assistance, advisory services, and complete feasibility studies. Entities can apply for up to 100% re-imbursement for the cost of these feasibility studies. Training is provided via seminars, webinars, and participation in general small business events. Also available for those contemplating conversion to a cooperative is a manual on selling a business to an employee owned Co-op.

Targeted exploration of specific sectors and opportunities - The Center links rural producer cooperatives with anchor institutions in large urban areas (locally owned/locally grown). We also are conducting a feasibility study for forming manufactured home park cooperatives in Ohio.

Responding to general cooperative development needs - We provide general support and technical assistance to existing and developing cooperatives, developed and provided as appropriate.

For more information on the Cooperative Development Center at Kent State University, contact Roy Messing at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 330.672.0333.

• Developing Employee Owned Cooperatives
• Linking rural agricultural producers with urban and suburban consumers
• Responding to general cooperative development needs
• Download Research Paper on Use of Cooperatives in Mnaufactured Home Parks
• Download Manual on Creating Multi-Stakeholder Cooperatives

Learn more about Employee-Owned Cooperatives, and the Evergreen Cooperative Initiative