increased, the association helped mem- 

 bers obtain financing for the purchase 

 of equipment of their own to harvest 

 and haul timber products. Members, 

 in turn, must agree to make this equip- 

 ment available to other members at 

 a reasonable fee. 



And, to improve its competitive 

 position, a provision was made in the 

 bylaws that the cooperative could affili- 

 ate with similar groups. 



Operating Results 



The growth in dollar sales volume 

 and in number of members demon- 

 strates that Au Sable serves an eco- 

 nomic need in the local community. 



Dollar Volume of Business 



The dollar sales volume of this 

 cooperative has shown a steady growth. 

 Fluctuations have occurred from year 

 to year but there has been a definite 

 upward trend over the years. Vari- 

 ations in income from one year to the 

 next largely reflect changes in local 

 and general business conditions. 



Figure 1 shows that income from 

 timber marketing operations for 

 selected periods ranged from $38,000 

 in 1944-45 to $436,000 in 1960-61. 

 Data are not available for individual 

 years prior to 1944. 



Membership Growth 



Membership is a cooperative's chief 

 source of strength. In this respect. 



18 



