Hastings Co-op CEO Nick de Groot takes over during 'challenging' time

Mr de Groot is originally from Tamworth and worked in Sydney before relocating to the Mid North Coast in 2007.

He said he was drawn to the Hastings Co-op because of its ties to the community.

"Initially I joined as a director primarily because Hastings Co-op has always interested me, it's got great roots in the community and is a real local business," he said.

Mr de Groot became a member of the co-op in November 2022.

"It was actually during my induction with Allan when he was talking to me about retiring and about the business that it sparked my interest in having greater involvement than just a directorship," he said.

The former CEO of Hastings Co-op Allan Gordon sadly passed away on March 6.

"Because of the very sad passing of Allan, there wasn't an opportunity for a handover," Mr de Groot said.

While he admitted there have been some challenges since he took on the role from May 8, he said he's excited to tackle these issues.

"I wanted to become involved to see what we could do to develop the co-op and take it to the next stage," he said.

"It's been tumultuous and we've had some challenges to address immediately which are still being dealt with."

Some of these challenges include competition within the different industries the co-op operates in.

"Supermarkets are a very competitive environment, with movements towards online shopping and some of the big players having buying power," Mr de Groot said.

"Those big players also have elements they can bring to the table, which we as a more locally-focused IGA have to compete with."

Mr de Groot also said the co-op is looking into ways to move the business into the future, including making changes in the businesses' strategic direction.

"We know that retail is a difficult industry and we have to consider what we need to do there, whether we move more to online," he said.

"We have to work at doing better and consider which industries we want to be in and move forward."

Mr de Groot said he's up to the challenge.

"I want the co-op to continue being for the benefit of members and the community and a great place for our staff to work," he said.

"I'm really excited to be in the role and it's a wonderful organisation with a great history."

The Hastings Co-op is a community-owned co-operative with businesses across the Hastings and Camden Haven and employs more than 350 people.

Co-op businesses include fuel, supermarkets, liquor stores, department stores, hardware and rural supplies and car hire.

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