Last updated on December 12th, 2014 at 09:32 am
The Mexican American Grocers Association (MAGA) is dissolving the organization, effective Jan. 1.
In an email addressed to members and associates Wednesday morning, the Los Angeles-based organization said, “After 37 years, the Mexican American Grocers Association will be closing its doors and terminating all operations and activities… We want to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support and friendship throughout the years. We wish you all the very best and a successful future.”
The announcement comes after Steven A. Soto, MAGA president and CEO, stepped down Dec. 1 after 30 years at the organization.
In an email to The Shelby Report, Soto said of MAGA: “What started out as an effort to change our Hispanic community ended up changing a whole industry. I’ll leave you with our mission statement, ‘Our Social Activities Must Make Good Business Sense and Our Business Activities Must Make Good Social Sense.’ This mission statement is something I hope most companies would adhere to.”
He added, “I want to take this opportunity to thank you and The Shelby Report for always providing a voice for the independent retailer and the Hispanic consumer…I wish well in your future endeavors.”
MAGA formed in 1977 and describes itself as a national trade association for the “rapidly growing $1 trillion dollar Hispanic consumer and the retail, wholesale and manufacturing businesses that serve them in the grocery industry across the United States and Mexico.”
