Bed-Stuy bike shop reopens as worker cooperative
The bike shop has provided bike services to the community since 2021 and is now run by five people, who all have an equal share in the business.
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Bike Plant, a Bed-Stuy bike shop, has reopened as a worker cooperative.
“It’s more than just fixing your bike, the way we are dedicated to making sure you feel comfortable here," said Bahar Baharloo, a worker and co-owner of Bike Plant.
The bike shop has provided bike services to the community since 2021 and is now run by five people, who all have an equal share in the business.
“We all contribute a lot, some of us are great with people, and some of us are stronger mechanically," said Sean Patterson, a worker and co-owner of Bike Plant.
The shops founder, Robin Graven-Milne, says she noticed a need in Bed-Stuy for another bike shop. After a couple of years, and additional employees came on, she began discussing turning the store into a co-op, but they were concerned they couldn't afford it. That's where the free resources provided by the Worker Cooperative Business Development Initiative came into play.
“It allows us to provide pro bono services to small business owners, it also supports a dozen nonprofits that work with cooperative start-ups," said Mike Sandmel, a consultant with ICA.
It's been over a month now since Bike Plant switched their business plan to a worker cooperative.
“I ’d never seen myself as like a business owner and I didn’t know what that would mean, turns out it's really empowering and cool to share the business all together," said Rae Pellerin, a worker and co-owner of Bike Plant.
