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Go Back (to archives)A new ACE Hardware store called SOCOADA opened Dec. 15 in Puerto Penasco. This well-stocked super-store is located on Calle Simon Morua at the corner of Justo Serra. We estimate that there are over 6000 sq. ft. of floor space inside as well as an equally large lumberyard outside. We walked around and looked at the items for sale and found a good selection of everything you would expect in a hardware store plus some items you might not expect--televisions, furniture, veterinary supplies, and a separate tire shop next door
The store has 30 employees, 7 of them women. 26 are from Peñasco. An attractive young woman named Letty took us to see the manager, Cesar Ramirez. He is one of 4 employees who came from the corporate headquarters in Caborca. We met two of the others, Lorenia Mendez, the accountant; and Anahí Martinez, the paint specialist. She is an interesting young woman who speaks English fluently, tall and elegant looking, with multi-colored paint stains on her fingers and hands. Obviously she really gets into her work. She told us that she thought women especially liked having another woman help them with choosing colors.
SOCOADA is an acronym for Sociedad Cooperativa Agropecuaria del Distrito de Altar (Cooperative Agribusiness Society of the Altar District). It began as a farmers' co-op, formed in 1951 to counteract some of the negative effects of the commercialization of combustibles. At the beginning it had only 45 members, 3 employees, and $75,000 pesos of initial capital. Today it has annual sales of more than $329,000,000.
The company's corporate center is in Caborca, Sonora. It has 8 regional areas, two daughter stores, and eleven branch stores. It has made an effort to maintain the high quality of its goods and services as it has grown in order to insure customer satisfaction. Its slogan is "Somos Tu Gente" (We are your people.)
The company has nine divisions: Hardware, Furniture, Automotive Supplies, Veterinary Shop, Combustibles (oil and gasoline), Multi-Services, Multi-Service Tire Shop, Agriculture (pesticides), and Electricity and Plumbing. The Division of Combustibles was the first to open in 1951. The most recent division is Agriculture, opened in 1979.
In Puerto Penasco the SOCOADA store is focused on the needs of the community. Since growth, tourism, and building have become so important in the last 5 years, building materials and related items are what the store emphasizes. A furniture department will be opening in the near future.
The tire shop serves another need of the community. It sells name brands such as BF Goodrich, Michelin, and Uniroyal. In addition to selling tires, the store sells batteries and parts and offers such automotive services as oil changes, lubrication, and brake jobs. We were impressed with the modern up-to-date facilities of the spacious automotive service center. Arturo Cardenas, the manager, told us that he especially wants tourists to know that they can get world class name-brand tires for their cars here.
We already have several very good hardware stores in Puerto Peñasco. But with all the construction that is going on, from the large developments to the small home remodeling projects, there will be plenty of business for everyone. Because of the continually growing need for more goods and services of the kind that SOCOADA can provide, it is a welcome addition to the community.
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