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The cooperative began producing as such in October of 2007. It is a recovered factory that emerged from the intentional bankrupting and asset dumping of the previous, privately-owned enterprise. They make chew sticks and bones for dogs. Of the 130 some employees from the private enterprise, 28 stuck around to run the factory. There are currently 20 members of the cooperative, plus 5 who are passing through a training period. Subsequent to the recovery, they bought the factory's machinery in an auction, and they have received expropriation status from the Congress's lower house.
The last few months have been very difficult for the cooperative. In November, a meter recently | installed by the electrical company set on fire, leading to problems with several of the factory's machines and leaving them without power for more than a week. During this time, between $15 and $20,000 pesos in raw materials went bad and were lost. After making the necessary repairs, it became very difficult to obtain leather due to a variety of particularities of the local market. Production has reduced by 66% in the last three months and the cooperative has been almost completely decapitalized. The idea of this loan is to help Huesitos to purchase raw materials to resume production and hopefully begin to make up some of the ground they lost in the last several months. |
Snapshot
