Earth Designs Cooperative is 20-employee landscaping company in Rosendale, New York, in the Hudson Valley. The founder of the young company converted it to a worker cooperative as it grew in order to retain employees who might otherwise see the work as fulfilling but temporary. The company was restructured to give employees greater opportunity for professional growth, investment and the pride of ownership, while the founder stayed on as a member.
Location: Rosendale, New York
Industry: Landscaping
Number of employees: 20
Became employee owned: 2016
Assistance: Cooperative Development Institute (CDI)
Financing: Cooperative Fund of New England (CFNE)
Learn more
- https://yourearthdesigns.com/
- Bloomberg – Retiring Boomers Turn to Co-Ops to Keep Their Businesses Running (2020)
- Commonwealth Hudson Valley – Building a Culture of Cooperation at Earth Designs (2019)
- Next Stop Now – Earth Designs Worker-Owned Cooperative (audio) (2019)
- Pathways to Ownership Case Study – Earth Designs (webinar recording)(2018)
- i want what SHE has – Working Cooperatively and Protecting our Lands and Water (audio starts 19:30) (2018)
- CDI – Converting a Young Business – Erin Domagal’s Story (2017)
- CDI – Earth Designs Cooperative Plans for Growth through Employee Ownership (2016)
