have the same tools on the same scale as the big boxes. the carpet one cooperative membership is made up of more than 1,100 flooring retailers. when we buy something, we re buy i buying it at x amount. i have no idea what the guy down the street is buy iing it for b there s no way he can buy it what we can. we have 1,100 stores. how can one independent retailer buy it at the price we have? we buy, literally, millions of floor covering which puts in the same category as home depot, lowe s. you realize howard s retail cooperative is a very, very large business. we re actually bigger than starbucks. we re bigger than bed, bath and beyond. that s our combined all the different divisions we have within the cca global partners. for the frankcovellas, membership in the cooperative gives them the extra leverage necessary to get the price
owner in michigan is a realist when it comes to business. we were in desperate shape. but we just hung on and worked hard, cut back on help. the big boxes were coming in, the home depots and lowe s were coming in, and they were putting the locals out of business. the founder and ceo is a fighter. his organization helps the small ones. the local, independent business person has the brains, and they have the talent but they don t have a scale. individually none of the small businesses have much buying power, but together as members of the retail cooperative, they can compete with anybody. you have to level the playing field. we have the same rules and scale as the big boxes. the membership is made up of