The National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA) is a United States membership organization for cooperatives, which are businesses that are jointly owned and democratically controlled.
The association was founded in 1916 as the Cooperative League of the United States of America. Its founding president was medical doctor James Peter Warbasse, who served in that role until 1941.[1]
NCBA members include some well-known United States consumer brands, such as Ace Hardware, Nationwide Insurance, Cabot Creamery, Organic Valley, Land O'Lakes, and CHS Inc.
History
In 1922, the League trademarked the twin pines symbol used to represent North American cooperatives. "The pine tree is an ancient symbol of endurance and immortality. The two pines represent mutual cooperation—people helping people."[2]