History

March 1, 1937

1937

Fruita Coop began March 1, 1937 as a grocery store located on the south east side of circle park in the town of Fruita, Colorado.

March 1, 1937

1940's

In the late 1940’s the Coop went into the hardware business where the Fruita Fitness Center is now located. Around this time the Coop closed the grocery store due to the economy after the war but continued in the hardware business.

1950's

In the early 1950’s Fruita Coop went into the bagged fertilizer business and began bagging fertilizer in the back of the hardware store.

1960's

In early 1960 they held out enough money from a daily deposit to buy a used pickup for the outside sales person. In the mid 1960’s Fruita Coop sold the building on Circle Park and moved the hardware and fertilizer business to south of highway 6 & 50 where the Farmland Feed mill still stands today. With more room to expand the Coop went into the feed business and continued to grow. Around this same time the Coop went into the bulk fertilizer business as well. In 1968 Coop went into the tire business and bought out a Conoco Bulk Fuel dealer east of the store and began the farm fuel delivery business.

1971

In 1971 Fruita Coop purchased a building in Plateau City to open a hardware and feed store at this location. They then built a new building with fuel pumps and fertilizer at this location. In 1972 The Coop purchased the property where the Fruita store is now located and because of pressure from the Town of Fruita immediately moved the bulk fuel to this location. The hardware store and offices were then built at this location.

Thursday, August 27, 2020

1974

In 1974 a second branch location was opened in Nucla, Colorado when they bought out an existing hardware operation. The Coop then added bulk petroleum and bulk fertilizer to this location.

Thursday, August 27, 2020

1982

In 1982 the Coop installed Cardtrol and Keytrol pumps in both the Fruita and Nucla locations. In 1984 the Plateau City operation was sold. In 1987 the third branch was opened in Silt. The Fruita Coop purchased “Our Cooperative at Silt” facilities, which included a farm store, fuel pumps, bulk fuel, feed mill and a bulk fertilizer plant. This operation was then sold with the exception of the fertilizer plant. The Coop then leased back the feed mill and added a small store and office to the mill.

1999

In 1999 Fruita Coop purchased the Ace Hardware store in Palisade and moved the hardware items from the packing sheds to this location. In 2000 the Thunder Mountain Bean facility was purchased to bag pinto beans. In 2002 we closed the packing shed in Palisade and discontinued the lease on the Farmland Feed Mill in Fruita.

2006

In 2006 we opened new store at the Nucla location. Retail space expanded from 1500 sq. ft. to 6000 sq. ft.

FRUITA

Palisade

Nucla

History

1937

1940's

1950's

1960's

1971

1974

1982

1999

2006

FRUITA

Store Hours

PALISADE

Store Hours

NUCLA

Store Hours