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The Maple Street Co-op


Alan Harrington



Alan led the Co-op shop team for 13 years between 1995 and 2008 and brought a wealth of both financial and retail experience to the Co-op. He also assisted the UpFront Club with financial systems that benefitted both co-ops greatly.

The Co-op was so fortunate to have Alan at the helm when we faced major changes and crises. His prior career in the ATO helped navigate the team through the complexities of introduction of GST and he also led the team through computerisation of invoice payments and payroll. He introduced improved governance practices and policies to strengthen our co-operative approach. Alan also led on the first Co-op expansion that created improved work space and cold storage allowing us to stock a better range of dried and fresh goods. The extra space made a huge difference to the comfort and efficiency of the team too.

Alan was such a strong advocate for the co-operative approach in organisations and played active roles in many of our local co-ops and community groups such as the Maleny Credit Union and Barung. He walked the walk too, asking to be paid the same as the team members. We were very lucky to have Alan at a time when we required his skills, experience and understanding of business and co-operation.

Alan passed away in 2024.


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