Cooperativa Cruz Azul is a cement manufacturer in Hidalgo that was bought by 200 workers as a cooperative in 1931. It now has around 1,400 workers. The company started in 1881. Investors rescued it from bankruptcy in 1906 but then wanted their capital out during the Mexican revolution, and after the 1929 crash the plant was only operating intermittently. In 1931 a competing company made a hostile effort to buy the company and shut it down. Workers successfully pressured the state to expropriate the company as a public utility and restructure it under workers ownership. In 1931 around 200 workers agreed to pay investors back $1.3m over 10 years. In the 1950s a new director modernized the company and grew it 600%. In the process they build a cooperative company town, investing in schools, paved streets, business corridors, and sponsoring a major soccer team. They also supported five similar cooperatives to open in nearby states. In 2019 a long term leader fled after accusations of mishandling funds.
Overview
- Gobierno de México – Historias de cooperativismo en México: Los orígenes de la Cruz Azul S.C.L. (2021)
- Ramírez González – ¿Cuáles fueron los orígenes de la industria cementera La Cruz Azul? (2018)
- Prezi – Cooperativa La Cruz Azul S.C.L (2015)
Video
- Farwell – Grupo De Obreros Crean Cemento Cruz Azul (2024)
- La Coperacha – En marcha la refundación de la cooperativa La Cruz Azul (2021)
- Tony Martinez – La cementera CRUZ AZUL (Ciudad Cooperativa) (2013)
Operations
- Milenio – Cooperativa La Cruz Azul impulsa bienestar y desarrollo de Oaxaca (2023)
- La Coperacha – Inversiones por 150 millones de dólares prevé cooperativa La Cruz Azul (2023)
- Forbes – Proveedores de Cooperativa La Cruz Azul urgen al gobierno de Hidalgo intervenir en conflicto (2023)
- Excelsior – Celebra Cooperativa La Cruz Azul 91 años de historia (2022)
- Sin Embargo – “Es una burla”, dice Cooperativa Cruz Azul por video de Billy Álvarez; piden justicia (2022)
- La Coperacha – Cooperativa La Cruz Azul cumple 90 años (2021)
- La Coperacha – Sanear La Cruz Azul, acabar con huachicoleo de cemento y recuperar tejido social: Antonio Marín (2020)
- La Coperacha – Cooperativa La Cruz Azul reactiva su participación en Cosucoop (2020)
- Mediotiempo – Cooperativistas de Cruz Azul piden a AMLO intervenir: ‘Hay pérdidas de 700 mdp’ (2020)
- Excelsior – Socios cooperativistas de Cruz Azul desconocen a disidentes (2020)
- Frecuencia Laboral – Jueces De La Cdmx Obstruyen La Democracia (2019)
- Infobae – Destapan malos manejos en la Cooperativa Cruz Azul: pagaron casi 200 millones de pesos a empresas irregulares (2019)
- Contra la Corrupción – El juego millonario de la Cooperativa Cruz Azul (2019)
- Arquired – Cooperativa La Cruz Azul: 86 años construyendo un mejor México (2018)
- Lideres Mexicanos – Gran responsabilidad: Cooperativa Cruz Azul (2016)
Also