Mission, Vision & Values

MISSION
DEMCO is focused on enhancing the quality of life for members by providing safe, reliable and competitively priced energy services.

VISION
DEMCO strives to be an industry leader by being a trusted services provider for our members, an employer of choice and a respectable business partner that puts the community at the heart of everything we do.

VALUES
DEMCO's values serve as the organizational foundation that guides our decisions and direction. Our core values are Safety, Our People, Integrity, Member Focused and Innovation/Process Excellence. Our vision and mission are only achievable when our values are incorporated into our actions.

Cooperative Principles

Cooperatives around the world generally operate according to the same core principles and values adopted by the International Cooperative Alliance in 1995. The International Cooperative Alliance is a global membership association of co-ops and co-op support organizations. Cooperatives trace the roots of these principles to the first modern cooperative founded in Rochdale, England in 1844.

  1. Voluntary and Open Membership
    Cooperatives are voluntary organizations, open to all people able to use its services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without gender, social, racial, political or religious discrimination.
  2. Democratic Member Control
    Cooperatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members—those who buy the goods or use the services of the cooperative—who actively participate in setting policies and making decisions.
  3. Members' Economic Participation
    Members contribute equally to, and democratically control, the capital of the cooperative. This benefits members in proportion to the business they conduct with the cooperative rather than on the capital invested.
  4. Autonomy and Independence
    Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled by its members. If the co-op enters into agreements with other organizations or raises capital from external sources, it is done so based on terms that ensure democratic control by the members and maintains the cooperative’s autonomy.
  5. Education, Training and Information
    Cooperatives provide education and training for members, elected representatives, managers and employees so they can contribute effectively to the development of their cooperative. Members also inform the general public about the nature and benefits of cooperatives.
  6. Cooperation among Cooperatives
    Cooperatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the cooperative movement by working together through local, national, regional and international structures.
  7. Concern for Community
    While focusing on member needs, cooperatives work for the sustainable development of communities through policies and programs accepted by the members.