Looking for the Perfect Gift? Give the Gift of Savings!
What better way to show your appreciation for those special people in your life than to give them something that will make their lives better and easier?!? Nittany Co-Op’s new Individual Memberships allow anyone in a group with a standard membership to save on food, goods and services throughout town. Are you giving gifts to your fraternity brothers, sorority sisters? How about in your church or non-profit organization? The Individual Membership will be the talk of the everyone as the best gift…the gift that keeps on giving. So show those people you really care: give the gift of Individual Membership to the Nittany Co-Op!
Contact our office for more details today.
Individual Memberships
Once again, the holiday season is upon us, and everyone at the Co-Op is feeling festive. But more importantly, we are so excited to begin offering Individual Memberships along with our standard Group Memberships! Money always seems to be a little tighter around the holidays and we are so happy that now we can help everyone save on various goods and services. Check out our vendor list frequently as new Individual Membership vendors will be added.
Susy Glenn- Owner, Best Event Rental:
Dear Matt & Staff at Nittany Co-Op,
I would like to thank you and your staff for their continued efforts to support and promote the vendors of Nittany Co-Op. The new organization and direction is a great improvement and success. We have been serving community organizations, fraternities and sororities since 1964 and September’s Nittany Co-Op billing was the largest yet. Thank you for supporting local businesses and the marketing efforts on our behalf.
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Susy Glenn
Owner
Best Event Rental
Everyone Loves Rita’s Italian Ice!
Try these amazing slushie drink recipes for your next get-together! And save using your Co-Op discount for Rita’s Italian Ice! |
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Get Away from the Same Old T-Shirts
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The Reinvention of the Co-Op
Check out this article about the Top Ten trends for 2011!!!
http://popupcity.net/2011/01/trend-9-the-reinvention-of-the-co-op/
Introducing Chris Temple as our Member Services Manager
Nittany Co-Op is pleased to announce the addition of Chris Temple as our Member Services Manager. Acting as an account rep. for all of our members, Chris will be an all-encompassing point man to help your organization in whatever it may need. In frequently visiting and contacting our members, Chris is at your disposal to find ways on improving your operations. Whether it’s for coordinating services/deliveries, price inquiries, handling vendor issues, educating on all the discounts and programs available or sharing best practices, he will be a resource dedicated to our members.
Since we have 100+ vendors and numerous capabilities, we cannot expect everyone to know all the answers, especially since some officers act on a volunteer basis and also have professional and personal lives to account for. However, with Chris, you will only need to know how to contact him and he will provide the help that’s needed. Chris’ ability to bring the Co-Op to our members will go a long way in enhancing the service and relationship levels from us. He can be reached at 814-237-8800 or chris.temple@nittanyco-op.org. Please feel free to get in touch with him to see how we may be able to provide assistance to you.
Are You Staying Up-to-Date with Your Co-Op?
If you are a member of a greek or non-profit organization, or know someone who is, make sure that you are following us on twitter and linkedin and regularly check our blog for the latest in what’s happening with our Co-Op. This coming year promises to bring lots of positive changes, so make sure that you and your friends are in the loop. You can find us on twitter at: https://twitter.com/#!/NittanyCoop
And LinkedIn at: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=3712812
And of course, our doors are always open. Feel free to stop by anytime and say hello!
Please Allow Me to Introduce Myself…
My name is Matt Siekman and as the Executive Director of our new and improved Nittany Co-Op, I was hoping to take a moment to introduce myself, and more importantly, get to know more of you as well.
As a recent transplant to Happy Valley, I have been hiking, biking and fishing outdoors with my family in an attempt to enjoy this beautiful area to its fullest. I’ve been running the gorgeous mountain trails and, in addition to landscaping and renovating houses, my most gratifying hobby is spending time with my lovely wife Nicole and my three children Todd, 4, Dylan, 3, and Gabrielle, 1.
While I am ecstatic to be back in State College, to say that I did not expect it is quite the understatement. After graduating from Penn State with a Business Management Degree with a focus on Operations/Logistics, I began working for the world’s largest distributor of heating, plumbing and building materials and found myself advancing up the corporate ladder at a swift pace. Before too long, I had become one of the youngest managers and had an extensive operation with a $35 million sales budget.
However, I found that the fast-paced lifestyle did not fulfill me. On the contrary, I found myself missing valuable family time and my children’s once-in-a-lifetime milestones. After much discussion with my wife, I resigned in 2008 to stay home with the kids while she continued furthering her professional career. I have never regretted that decision, finding that sacrifices of time and stress did not outweigh my commitment to being a husband and father.
In 2010, I stumbled across this position in State College and the Board of Directors presented an opportunity that was hard to pass up. As Penn State alumni, my wife and I decided to make the change and return to beautiful Happy Valley to work for this non-profit organization with a rewarding work/life balance. In this experience I saw the opportunity to not only offer my family a wonderful environment to grow and thrive, but an organization and an occupation that could truly benefit local businesses and make a positive impact on the community as a whole.
I bring to this role not only experience with Greek Organizations (former president of Sigma Chi) and corporate leadership, but a passion for making a lasting and positive difference in the local community. I am excited to lead Nittany Co-Op into the future. I aim to foster sustainability in a variety of different aspects. And likewise, expand upon the member loyalty and service that has been fundamental to our organization for the past 44 years.
Previously known as FPA Cooperative Purchasing, we have been a little known secret for a select number of organizations since 1967. However, I believe now is the time to expand upon that great idea and develop it into a Co-Op that is all-encompassing, allowing it to be more useful to the community at large. The possibilities for the future of Nittany Co-Op are endless, and I am so pleased to see our vision coming to fruition as we gain more and more members and are able to help our member organizations run more effectively and efficiently.
From operational assistance to bill consolidation to purchasing discounts on everything from food and property management to office supplies and insurance, Nittany Co-Op promises to be a leader in building a better community. I look forward to working with more local people, organizations and businesses …let’s build our cooperative community together! Remember – Membership is the Heart of Nittany Co-Op.
Sincerely,
Matt Siekman
Executive Director, Nittany Co-Op
Here are just some of the benefits the Co-Op can offer your organization!
Purchasing Discounts
The buying leverage of the 100+ organizations in the Co-Op allows you to purchase virtually anything you need, at a bargain price not available to the average person or organization. Additionally, all of our vendors are vetted and approved by our team at the Co-Op to ensure the highest quality and service.
Bill Consolidation
Why waste precious time going through a multitude of bills each month? In extending a line of credit to our members, we consolidate your expenses so you only have to pay ONE BILL each month saving you valuable time and effort.
Operational Resources
We can offer you experienced and proven tactics to help in the areas of Member Relations Management, Accounting, By-Law Development, Fundraising, Event Promotion and other overlooked operational aspects. In helping your organization perform to its fullest potential, it only betters the community we live in.
Sustainability
Nittany Co-Op is dedicated to sustainability; both environmentally and economically. Our cooperative nature defines Nittany Co-Op’s commitment to the local community and to the environment. Many of our member organizations share the same promise so we provide solutions to make it simple and cost effective.
An Annual Rebate
At the end of each fiscal year, any additional revenue generated is returned to our Member Organizations in the form of a rebate. Rebates are calculated based on the percentage of volume purchased through the Co-Op. Since inception, Nittany Co-Op has returned over $2.3 million to our members!
