Last updated on March 30th, 2016 at 10:59 am
Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) is celebrating its 90th anniversary today. Since its incorporation on March 29, 1926, Kansas City, Kansas-based AWG has grown from a group of 20 independent grocery retailers to serving now more than 3,000 retailers.
“AWG is proud of the growth, revenue and success we’ve seen in our 90-year history,” said David Smith, president and CEO of AWG. “We serve our members by reducing expenses, providing resources to overcome competition and cultivating dedicated employees guided by a strong leadership team.”
AWG was created to provide its family-owned retail member stores the essential building blocks needed to establish themselves in each of their different marketplaces. AWG provides support services, educational programs and financial returns to member retailers in addition to grocery products. The collective strength of the cooperative model has provided ongoing opportunities for independent retailers to develop unique and sustainable businesses. These businesses have grown, despite an ever-changing retail environment, according to the wholesaler.
“Our model has proven successful for 90 years,” added Smith. “Together, we have survived and thrived in a marketplace of big-box stores thanks to the passion of our member retailers, board of directors, employees and suppliers.”
From humble beginnings to its record sales of $8.9 billion in 2015, AWG has expanded from one warehouse to nine and serves retailers in 31 states. This success has proven that independent grocers are stronger together, AWG says.
*Editor’s note: Find a special 90th anniversary section about AWG in the upcoming June 2016 print editions of The Shelby Report of the Midwest, The Shelby Report of the Southeast and The Shelby Report of the Southwest.
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