Howard Brodsky, co-founder, chairman and co-CEO of CCA Global Partners, Inc. has been named the 2019 recipient of the international Rochdale Pioneers Award. Recognized as the "Nobel Prize of Cooperative Business,” the Rochdale Award is given out every two years to an individual who has made the greatest impact across the world through the innovations of shared ownership, specifically through the cooperative business model that anchors value with members, employees, customers, and their communities.

This honor is presented by the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), a consultative organization of the United Nations. In its history, the ICA has recognized only 16 individuals with Rochdale Awards for their commitment to cooperatives around the world. 

 “Throughout my career, I have felt that businesses should be more than profit centers. While profit is important, it is equally, if not more important that businesses be a force for good. The cooperative business model epitomizes capitalism with a conscience. A more inclusive future is in our grasp. Shared ownership advances shared opportunity, shared wealth, and ultimately shared hope,” said Brodsky, “I am honored and humbled by this recognition.”

Brodsky received the award on October 16^th in Kigali, Rwanda, during the biennial ICA Global Cooperative Conference. The conference was expected to have delegations from 106 countries in attendance.

This recognition highlights Brodsky’s career of innovation by re-envisioning conventional business through shared ownership. Dedicated to what he calls the contemporary cooperative business model, Brodsky has fundamentally transformed family businesses in the United States in an array of industries by structuring the companies as cooperatives – where putting people first, not profit, and leading with values is the task of every day.

“As a visionary leader and entrepreneur himself, Howard has a passion for invention. He does not simply talk about the future – he leads through his actions,” shared Trebor Scholz, Director of the Platform Cooperativism Consortium. “Howard is a rare leader that combines vision, innovation, gumption, and connectivity in all aspects of his work.”

Brodsky co-founded CCA Global Partners in 1984, bringing scale to entrepreneurial family businesses by creating an international enterprise of 15 unique cooperative businesses in multiple sectors of the economy from home furnishings, business services, sports retail stores, to childcare, nonprofits and more. Together, they serve 1 million small businesses in four countries and 20,000 childcare centers across America.

Beyond his innovations domestically, Brodsky has emerged as a leader in the global cooperative movement, founding Cooperatives for a Better World (CFBW), a not-for-profit dedicated to sharing the benefits of shared ownership and the cooperative business model.  CFBW has partnered with cooperatives in 14 countries, reaching over a quarter of the world population.

About The Rochdale Award

The Rochdale Award, named after the prolific founders of the world’s first cooperative business, is the highest honor the ICA bestows worldwide. Cooperatives are a significant and growing force in today’s international economy, with more than 3 million co-ops worldwide that generate annual revenues in the trillions. Cooperatives operate in every industry; cooperatives encompass financial institutions, mutual insurance, and enterprises in food, housing, agriculture, education, purchasing, and worker. Cooperative businesses represent over 1.2 billion individual co-op members and 280 million employees worldwide; they represent over 12% of the global population and employ 20% more people than international corporations. 

About CCA Global Partners, Inc.

CCA Global Partners is a privately held cooperative base in the United States with member businesses throughout the U.S. and Canada, and in Australia and New Zealand. Since 1984, CCA Global has partnered with entrepreneurial business people to create a cooperative powerhouse unmatched in the marketplace. Across North America, more than 2,800 retail locations, 20,000 childcare centers, and 1 million small businesses benefit from CCA Global’s leadership through its 14 different businesses – Carpet One Floor & Home®, ProSource®, Flooring America® and Flooring Canada®, FEI Group®, The Floor Trader®, International Design Guild®, Lighting One®, savings4members™, The Bike Cooperative®, CCA Sports Retail Services™, CCA for Social Good™, Innovia Co-op™, Lionsbridge Contractor Group™, and Drive™.