On the last day of 2012 our 25th year as a worker cooperative (and 37th in business) ended. It was an extraordinary year – rich, full, profitable, demanding, restorative, and uplifting.
It was a year of many “first-evers”. On November 1st we welcomed three new owners at SMC – the most ever at one time. When DonE Turnell, Marc Rosenbaum, and Aaron Beck became owners, it meant that 21 of our 30 full-time employees are now full owners. 
DonE worked here for 20 years before taking the buy-in plunge, our longest journey-to-ownership ever. And it goes back further – I can remember him as a 14 year old skate punk back in the early eighties. He hasn’t changed much. After his first SMC Board meeting, he said, “It was kind of like a road association meeting but with less stupid people.” Less stupid people? Hey DonE, what are you trying to say??