Sun Valley Co-op registered some very positive numbers on its operations for 2016.

According to the organization's annual report, sales at the Altona based co-op were up about 3 million dollars from $38.09 million in 2015 to $41 million last  year. Net savings hit 2.2 million, a 360 thousand dollar increase over the year previous.

"We saw growth across the board in most commodities," said general manager Brad Iverson. "Hardware sales have been positive, food sales have been positive as well as our gas bar sales. The one category that was a little slower last year was the bulk petroleum sales, which was due to some of the challenging conditions that farmers faced in 2016."

The Sun Valley board of directors approved a $1.2 million patronage allocation to members, which was down from $1.5 million the year previous.

Sun Valley Co-op purchased Pete's Plumbing property next door

"The main reason for this reduction is to strengthen our balance sheet, to be prepared to update aging assets in the future and pay for our existing upgrades," said Iverson.

Over the past five years, Sun Valley has allocated $9.4 million to its membership, of which $8 million has been paid back in cash, combined with further donations to various clubs and organizations.

While no major capital projects were undertaken last year, the Co-op did approve a significant capital purchase in the form of property located next to the hardware and lumber store on Centre Avenue in Altona. Sun Valley will take over possession of the Pete's Plumbing property on May 1, 2017.

"This new space will allow us to create more room for parking and additional storage and provides us with the necessary room to plan for the future," noted Iverson. "As most people can see, it can get pretty tight in the hardware parking lot, so we hope to open that up a little more to create more convenience for the customer, and we're planning to make those changes in the coming weeks."

According to Iverson, Sun Valley will continue to look for ways to improve its operation and remain competitive and praised the loyalty of the co-op's members.

"I'd like to thank all of our members for their continued support and we look forward to serving you in 2017."