the containers used were so specialized that 
there would be little opportunity to consoli- 
date purchases. 
Cooperative Manufacture.--Processors in 
the Portland, Oreg., area were considering 
cooperative manufacture of metal cans in 
1966. Preliminary investigation revealed these 
processors had sufficient volume to support a 
can-manufacturing plant. 
Volume is a necessary criterion but should 
not be considered the only important one for 
cooperative manufacture. Consideration must 
be given to the problem of coordination. 
Presently there is no central organization in 
the Northwest to take the initiative and provide 
an organization for the establishment of a can 
plant. The task of coordination among inter- 
ested groups is difficult and will require con- 
siderable effort. 
The eight cooperative processors in the 
Northwestern States with individual sales of 
over $2.5 million indicated purchases of metal 
cans totaling about $9 million, Although many 
different sizes of cans are used, most of those 
reported consist of four main types. Four of 
the processors provided the following detailed 
figures on the number and types of cans used: 
Type Number used 
8 OZ. 20 million 
303 x 406 67 million 
401 x 411 6 million 
603 x 700 12 million 
Other 2.5 million 
Variations exist within each basic type, 
such as plain finish, enamel finish, and weights 
of material varying from about 60 pounds to 
112 pounds. These factors would also have to 
be considered in developing sufficient volume 
for a profitable line. 
Research and development costs, the com- 
petitive structure of the can industry, and 
transportation costs would all have to be given 
further consideration in a detailed analysis. 
34 
NORTHEASTERN STATES 
Production of canned fruits, vegetables, and 
juices in New York, Pennsylvania, and Michigan 
accounted for approximately 10 percent of 
the U.S. total. The most important products 
in Michigan and New York are canned fruit 
and canned fruit juices. New York also proc- 
esses a substantial amount of canned vege- 
tables, mainly in the northeastern part of 
the State. The larger cooperative processors 
interviewed were National Grape Cooperative, 
Westfield, N.Y.--grape juice; Pro-Fac Coop- 
erative, Inc., Rochester, N.Y.--mixed fruit and 
vegetables; Berks-Lehigh Fruit Growers Co- 
operative, Fleetwood, Pa.--deciduous fruits; 
Cherry Growers, Inc., Traverse City, Mich.-- 
cherries; and Great Lakes Mushroom Coopera-~ 
tive, Warren, Mich.--mushrooms. 
Cooperative action for the procurement of 
containers and packaging supplies in New York, 
Pennsylvania, and Michigan has some definite 
limitations. 
Cooperative Purchase.--Conditions favor- 
able to cooperative purchase, such as a large 
number of firms processing similar or identi- 
cal products within a small geographical area, 
are limited. In areas where firms produce a 
substantial amount of a similar product, such 
as cherries in Michigan or grapes in New 
York, the cooperatives are of sufficient size 
that it is doubtful whether any substantial 
advantage would be gained through consolidat- 
ing container purchases, 
Cherry Growers, Inc., Traverse City, Mich., 
is the only cooperative processor of cherries 
in that area. National Grape Cooperative's 
sales of grape juice and grape products were 
approximately $60 million in 1965, The only 
other grape cooperative processes and ships 
in bulk containers only, and its sales are only 
about $500,000 a year. 
The principal cooperative processor of 
vegetables is Pro-Fac Cooperative, Inc., 
Rochester, N.Y., with sales of $25 million. 
For such cooperatives, opportunities for coop- 
erative purchasing would be limited. 
