Posted inWholesaler/Distributor News, CERTCO Inc., Executive News, Midwest

Certco Leadership Transitioning As Ryman’s Retirement Nears

Madison, Wisconsin-based Certco Inc. is continuing to evolve its leadership structure and board of directors in anticipation of EVP David Ryman’s retirement in September. Since his retirement announcement last fall, the company has implemented several strategic changes. Paul Frey, promoted to VP of sales and business development in October, assumed responsibility for the sales team. […]

Posted inIndependent Store News, Midwest

SpartanNash Names Vision Award Winners At Annual Expo

SpartanNash honored eight independent grocers with a 2023-24 Vision Award during its Food Solutions Expo July 23-25 at DeVos Place Convention Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan. More than 1,500 attendees, including independent grocer customers, vendors and SpartanNash employees, gathered for industry deals, networking and education. “We’re proud that our customers contribute to our mission to […]

Posted inPackaging News, Feature, Midwest

Anchor’s ‘Packaging That Performs’ Good For Ops, Consumer Experience

Packaging is one of those things that isn’t always the center of attention but can play an important supporting role. Kurt Richars, director of growth and marketing for St. Louis-based Anchor Packaging, said his company focuses on providing customers with “packaging that performs.” Richars, speaking with The Shelby Report shortly after the IDDBA Show in […]

Posted inMeijer, Independent Store News, Midwest

Meijer Lands Naming Rights For Detroit Lions’ Training Facility

The Detroit Lions professional football team has named its headquarters and training facility the Meijer Performance Center as part of an expanded partnership with the Michigan-based grocery retailer. “We are excited to further solidify our partnership with Meijer by proudly displaying their name on our team training facility,” said Lions President and CEO Rod Wood. […]

Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Feature, Midwest

Harvest Health Foods Leveraging AI To Make Best Use Of Technology

Harvest Health Foods, a family-owned grocery chain in Michigan, is leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize inventory management and online shopping experiences, according to Bill Reiffer, the company’s VP of purchasing. Prior to becoming an ECRS customer in 2015, Harvest Health Foods employees were pricing each item individually. “It was our first point of sale,” […]

Posted inDairy News, Midwest

Prairie Farms Receives Top Honors At Cheese Competition

Edwardsville, Illinois-based Prairie Farms received top finishes June 3-7 at The American Cheese Society Judging and Competition. The event is one of the largest cheese judging events for American-made cheeses. Medals for the 41st anniversary of the competition were announced from among more than 1,400 cheeses competing in 120 categories and evaluated by a panel of […]

Posted inProduce News, Associated Wholesale Grocers, Midwest, Private Label Brands, Snacks Brands, Wholesaler/Distributor News

AWG Brands Expands Best Choice Produce Snacks

AWG Brands, the private brands portfolio of Kansas City, Kansas-based Associated Wholesale Grocers Inc., has launched its new Best Choice produce snack program. Designed to merchandise in grocers’ produce departments, the program offers a curated selection of 15 natural snacks. “We’re continuing to see growth in the category based on analytics from the AWG Partner Gateway […]

Posted inIndependent Store News, Cosentino's Food Stores, Midwest, Retailer of the Year

Cosentino’s Cultivating Community Through Giving, Local Partnerships

Being a part of the community is one of the core missions at Cosentino’s. From schools and sports teams to town holiday events, the Cosentino Charity Foundation helps support many groups and causes. The company also is a key supporter of local businesses, featuring many of their products in-store. As most philanthropic groups tend to […]