Rotary Club Sonny Brown Business Award selection committee members presented a $250 check to the Los Alamos Cooperative Market as part of its selection as the Club’s nominee for 2014 Sonny Brown Business Award in the medium-size business category. From left, Rotarian Gary DeRosier, Co+op Program and Outreach Coordinator Sandra West, Co+op General Manager Steve Watts and Rotarians Deesh Narang and Linda Hull. Photo by Bonnie J. Gordon/ladailypost.com

The Rotary Club of Los Alamos honored the Los Alamos Cooperative Market by selecting it as the Club’s nominee for 2014 Sonny Brown Business Award in the medium-size business category. The nomination was announced at the Club’s March 25 meeting.

Each business recognized by a Rotary Club within District 5520 will compete, by category, for the Sonny Brown Business of the Year Award. The Club presented Co+op General Manager Steve Watts and Program and Outreach Coordinator Sandra West with a certificate and a check for $250.

The Sonny Brown Business Award was established in 2005, Rotary’s Centennial Year, to honor Past District Governor Sonny Brown for his many years of service to District 5520 and to Rotary International and to recognize his outstanding leadership skills and dedicated support.

The Award recognizes businesses in District 5520 that exemplify high ethical standards. The business must demonstrate excellence in the following areas: employee relations, quality of product and/or service representation and community involvement by both management and employees.

The Rotary Club of Los Alamos believes the Co+op has demonstrated an exemplary track record in the areas of community involvement, customer service, employee relations, and quality of product and is deserving not only of our Club’s local award, but also of the District’s Sonny Brown Business of the Year Award,” selection committee member Linda Hull said. “Since its founding just three years ago, the LA Co-op has become a popular gathering place for our community and a generous contributor to it.”

Watts said the Co+op has a “triple bottom line.” It measures itself in three categories: profit, planet and people.

The Co+op has achieved 12 percent growth each year and generated $10 million in sales, Watts said.

In terms of the planet, the Co+op recycles nearly 86 percent of items coming into the story, including packaging and unsold items, Watts said. Current projects include installing a larger solar array, an electric vehicle plug in station and a system for capturing rainwater from the Co+op’s roof.

In terms of people, the Co+op employs 31 people. “We have a great staff,” Watts said. “Co+op employees work with eight local nonprofits and earn store discounts for the hours they volunteer.”