About us and our history

COOPERATIONS S.Coop is a socio-cultural company and local actor of social change. We act within a network of different inclusion workshops for professional integration, to share resources and try to awake the self-esteem of the employees. We focus on the person, their resources, needs and potential. We offer jobs in the hotel industry, gastronomy, market gardening, horticulture, organic farming and art.   COOPERATIONS SC acts as a regional and national player in the fields of culture, environmental protection and social, solidarity and recycling management.

The history of the Société Cooperative COOPERATIONS begins in 1991: COOPERATIONS s.coop. was founded to take over the candle factory in Esch/Sauer. After the death of the owner of the old factory, an initiative was to be created in which people with disabilities and handicaps as well as the long-term unemployed could work. At the same time the municipality of Wiltz gave the Gruberhaus to the Ligue HMC. In the 1990s, an "Espace Vert" studio for the design and maintenance of green spaces was also set up for several years. 
In 1995 the "Jardin de Wiltz" was opened by the then Minister of Culture Robert Krieps. At the beginning of the 2000s, further investments were made which would change the face of the "Gruberbeerig" and the city of Wiltz in a sustainable way. In 2003 the Prabbeli Restaurant and the Prabbeli Cultural Centre were opened. COOPERATIONS s.coop. runs the restaurant Prabbeli which is now known as "Eis Kichen".

In 2008 the sheltered workshop moves from asbl to s.coop, which thus grows to 35 employees. This commitment results in increased visibility and awareness of inclusion in Wiltz and the region. The Nuit des Lampions, which took place for the first time in 2007 under the name "Visions of Paradise", also contributes to this. At that time, COOPERATIONS s.coop. now runs workshops in garden design, art and gastronomy. The Nuit des Lampions and the cultural programme deepens the collaboration between asbl and s.coop.  
In the years 2008 to 2010 COOPERATIONS s.coop. is trying to implement its own brands and business ideas through intensive efforts in the field of commercialisation and start-ups. This is how the first collaborations in the field of "Sea-Biscuit" or "Ben & Dave's Cookies" are created. The new convention of the Ministry of Labour is successfully implemented by employees of both companies and active work is done to polish up the image. In 2011, the first considerations are being made to develop an inclusion hotel and to expand the range of gastronomy. A new studio is created: "Housekeeping".

In 2015, both asbl and s.coop. give each other a common vision for both companies as well as missions and strategic goals:  "Where people and places develop their qualities". The strategic goal is jointly defined as: "The development of organisational forms that allow board members and employees of both companies to work together in a network and that allow overall control via goals and strategies". What follows is the active promotion of the model of the learning organization, as a strategy for stimulating change, transformation and new thinking processes. The development of potential becomes a maxim and the focus, coupled with a positive error culture for all employees.
 In the following years, further workshops are developed, including Conex as an incubator for inclusion, which with its offers clears the way for people with disabilities to enter the regular job market. Furthermore, the Atelier Dono is founded for the processing of old plastic tarpaulins in the area of up- and recycling with a first pilot project "Stéck vun der Bréck". Meanwhile, the clients include the Ville de Luxembourg, KPMG, Commune de Wiltz and the Commune Lac de la Haute-Sûre. Atelier Dono is therefore an important part of the circular economy in Wiltz. In 2019 COOPERATIONS s.coop. starts with the project Inclusive Hotel co-financed by the European Social Fund. The project "B&B Jardin de Wiltz" and the takeover of Camping Kaul as preparation for the construction of the inclusion hotel are implemented.
  
The organisation chart of COOPERATIONS s.coop. today
For two years now, COOPERATIONS s.coop. has been shifting from a traditional hierarchical structure (pyramid system) to a network structure (network organisation). A decision taken by the Board of Directors in January 2017 to respond to the following challenges:
Working towards the vision of COOPERATIONS with an adapted corporate culture.
The need for a strong intrapreneurship culture, for the decentralized management of the various mini-companies and in-house brands (e.g. Ben&Dave`s, Eis Kichen, DONO, Nuit des Lampions, CONEX etc.)
The development of the many future projects of COOPERATIONS (Inklusionshotel Kaul, CONEX - Incubateur inclusif, etc.)
The European Commission's policy on social and professional inclusion
This reorganization, called "Projet OPAL" (according to the author of the book "Reinventing Organization" Frédéric Laloux) was initially based on the following principles, among others:

- Independent teams and mini-companies
- Coaches supervise several teams if required
- The head office posts have only an advisory function
- No titles or functions
- Completely decentralized processes
- assigning and finding meaningful roles