The board of directors of the Frozen & Refrigerated Association of the North East (FRANE) has unanimously chosen Big Y Foods as its 2018 Member of the Year. Big Y will be honored at the group’s upcoming Convention & Business Conference to be held at Mystic Hilton in Mystic, Connecticut, on Friday, Oct. 5-Sunday, Oct. […]
Category: Association News
Wachter Of Murphy’s Market To Receive NJFC Award
John Wachter, GM of Murphy’s Fresh Markets of South Jersey, will receive the New Jersey Food Council (NJFC) Committee for Good Government Award on Wednesday, Oct. 3, at the Forsgate Country Club in Monroe Township, New Jersey. Wachter is an active board member of the NJFC and is being recognized for his government and leadership […]
New Survey Showcases How Americans Enjoy Breakfast
Whether it’s the slurp of a honey banana smoothie or the crackle of fresh bacon, breakfast is what gets many of us out of bed in the morning. A new survey conducted by the National Honey Board highlights how the U.S. does breakfast, in time for both National Honey Month and Better Breakfast Month in […]
PFMA Names Wegmans’ Gary Fechter To Board Of Directors
The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association (PFMA) has appointed Gary Fechter, Wegmans SVP for the Pennsylvania Division, to its board of directors. Fechter takes the seat previously held by Blaine Forkell. Fechter is responsible for the operations of 16 Wegmans stores across Pennsylvania. He joined Wegmans in 2013, formerly serving as regional VP for Romano’s Macaroni […]
Buehler’s Bagger Claims Ohio’s Best Title For Fourth Straight Year
Ellissa Chambliss of Buehler’s Fresh Foods defeated competitors from across Ohio to claim the title of the Ohio Grocers Association (OGA) Best Bagger Champion at the Aug. 9 competition held at the Buehler’s Wooster Milltown location. This is the second year in a row that Chambliss has claimed the state title and the fourth year in […]
Dome Joins Potatoes USA As A Global Marketing Manager
Kayla Dome has joined Potatoes USA’s staff as a global marketing manager in the organization’s retail sector. Dome comes to Potatoes USA with a background in merchandising and sales. She spent the last several years working in the produce industry for Grimmway Farms, where she managed sales and merchandising for the fresh produce category. Most […]
Release Of Retailer SNAP Data Imminent
The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals has denied the Food Marketing Institute’s (FMI) request to withhold annual individual store SNAP redemption information. Following this decision, FMI immediately filed an application for a stay in the U.S. Supreme Court. “Given the significant case load of the Court, we believe it is highly unlikely the stay will […]
Alabama Grocers Association Holds 28th Annual Convention
The Alabama Grocers Association (AGA) recently held its 28th Annual Convention at the Sandestin Beach Resort in Destin, Florida. The association brought members from all aspects of the grocery industry together to promote the growth and success of the food industry throughout the state of Alabama. The convention kicked off with the Larry D. Eddleman […]
National Chicken Council Launches Virtual Reality Chicken Production Tour
As per capita chicken consumption breaks a new record in 2018 and consumers express a growing interest in where their food comes from, the National Chicken Council (NCC), which represents the U.S. broiler chicken industry, has developed a series of 360° virtual reality videos showing the various stages of a chicken’s life during modern, commercial production. The […]
NAMI Scholarship Foundation Establishes Ron Gustafson Scholarship
The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) Scholarship Foundation in late June established the Ron Gustafson Scholarship, a $5,000 award honoring Scholarship Foundation Founding President and meat industry leader Ron Gustafson. Each year, the foundation awards scholarships to eligible sophomores, juniors and seniors attending accredited four-year colleges or universities who are enrolled in an approved animal, […]
PFMA Appoints Acme, Supervalu Execs To Board Of Directors
The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association (PFMA) has new representation on its board of directors. The association appointed Bill Crosby, VP of operations for Acme Markets, and Bob Holmes, area sales director for Supervalu, to its board. “We are delighted to welcome Bill and Bob to the PFMA Board of Directors,” said Alex Baloga, PFMA president […]
Crosby’s Markets President Named To AGNE Board Of Directors
Christopher Crosby, president and CEO of Crosby’s Markets, recently was named to the board of directors of Associated Grocers of New England (AGNE). Crosby’s Markets is a family-owned supermarket chain started by James Crosby, Christopher’s father, in 1980. The family operates seven stores, most of them located on the North Shore of Massachusetts and one […]
California Perspective: State Showed Its Purple In June Polling
by Ron Fong/president and CEO, California Grocers Association Californians went to the polls in June to determine matchups for November’s General Election. Despite California’s reputation as being solidly blue and progressive, this election showed the shades of purple that exist up and down the state. While a vast majority of Californians remain socially very liberal […]
Meat Institute Unveils New Resources For The ‘Meat Denied’
The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) is offering new resources for those it’s calling the “meat denied”—people whose offices are restricting access to meat in the workplace—on a new web site IChooseMeat.com. Among the resources are lists like “Top Ten Ways to Sneak Meat Into the Office” and “Best Excuses to Get Out of Your Office’s […]
Retailers Overlooking Weapon In Battle Against Industry Disruption
Rather than concede general merchandise sales to new and disruptive competition, brick-and-mortar retailers are seeking creative ways to maintain their share of this critical and high-margin category. This is one of the conclusions contained in the “General Merchandise Benchmarking Report,” an annual industry report recently released by the Global Market Development Center (GMDC) in partnership with A.T. Kearney. The […]
The Key To Competing With Digital Retail Is Consumer Loyalty
The best way for food retailers to gain an advantage over digital retailers and other competitors is to have a large, loyal customer base. “To achieve this, it is critical for retailers to take a next-generation approach to customer loyalty and view it in 3D: loyalty as a strategy, loyalty as an outcome of daily […]
NGA Applauds Advancement Of The Farm Bill To Committee
The National Grocers Association (NGA), a national trade association representing the independent supermarket industry, is reacting positively to the House’s vote to move the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, also known as the Farm Bill, to a conference committee. Lawmakers seek to reach on compromise on two different versions of the bill. In late June, the […]
Nature’s Path Leaves Organic Trade Association In Protest
Organic breakfast company Nature’s Path Foods today resigned from the Organic Trade Association (OTA) citing concern that the OTA is “shifting its commitment from supporting and representing the core principles of the organic food movement, to begin pushing a non-organic agenda which threatens the future of organic.” Nature’s Path says recent actions by the OTA […]
Produce Innovation Award Winners Recognized At United Fresh 2018
Seven Produce Innovation Award winners were recognized at United Fresh 2018 in Chicago in late June. This year’s honorees were selected by show attendees from a total of 36 contestants across seven categories: Best New Food Safety Solution; Best New Fruit Product; Best New Packaging; Best New Packing/Processing Equipment; Best New Vegetable Product; and two […]
Senate Passes Farm Bill, Omits House Bill’s SNAP Requirements
The Senate passed its version of the 2018 Farm Bill on June 28 with a bipartisan vote of 86-11. The $867 billion bill does not include the controversial work requirements for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients that were included in the House version of the bill. It also restates a prohibition of interchange and […]
