A man very familiar with the Co-Op brand is the new General Manager of Prairie Co-Op.

Terry Vanmackelberg takes over the position from Chris Paradis, and says he has known and worked with Paradis for quite some time, and took a couple days to tour Prairie Co-Op’s sites and meet all the staff.

Vanmackelberg started working within the Co-operative Retailing System as a Bulk Petroleum Manager in 2007 and moved into the role of Petroleum Division Manager. In 2011, he then took on the position of General Manager of Tugaske Co-Op, which eventually became Palliser Plains Co-Op after two amalgamations with Shamrock Co-Op and Craik Co-Op. In 2014, he accepted his most recent position as a Business Advisor with Federated Co-Operatives Limited (FCL) in Regina.

Vanmackelberg says it’s exciting to lead Prairie Co-Op into the future.

“Prairie Co-Op has great momentum, they’ve been growing, they’ve been very successful serving the members in our trading area, and I definitely want to keep that going. Our membership is our number one priority, without our members, Prairie Co-Op wouldn’t exist.” he said.

When asked about how his years of experience would help him in the GM role, Vanmackelberg describes himself as a people person, and a leader who builds up other leaders.

“I like to surround myself with people that do jobs better than I do, and I think that’s important is having that team and building that team and allowing them to grow and lead their teams.” he said.

Prairie Co-Op has locations in Melville, Lipton, Fort Qu’appelle, Ituna, Kelliher, Cupar, and Strasbourg.

(Photo: Prairie Co-Op)