2015 Southern Annual Meeting Magazine

92nd Annual Meeting & Trade Show Gaylord Texan • Dallas, Texas • June 9-12, 2015 This is a Members Only Event (Show Dates June 11-12, 2015)

Inside…

20 2014 Award Winners 30 Four Questions that will change your business 36 Southern Showcase Schedule of Events 60 Officers and Directors Elected and Installed

64 Savannah Convention Wrap-Up 70 2014 SAWD College Scholarship Winners 71 Tweet Me, Friend Me and

Make Me Buy! 72 Advertisers Directory

Table of Contents Letter from the Governor of Texas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Letter from the Mayor of Grapevine, Texas . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Letter from the SAWD President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Letter from the SLD President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Hospitality Suite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Lady President’s Social Invitation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Letter from the Executive Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Award Winners 2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-21 Education Fund Contributors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 New Exhibitor Spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 18th Annual Silent Auction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Four Questions That Will Change Your Business . 30-31 SLD Business Resource in Orlando, FL . . . . . . . . . . . 32-33

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36-37 Council of Presidents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 A Note About Anti-Trust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Welcome New Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 SAWD Executive Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 SAWD State Directors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44, 46 At-Large Directors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 SAWD Board Broker Rep, SLD Rep, Legislative Liaison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Manufacturer Representatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 SLD Officers & Directors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Officers & Directors Elected and Installed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60-61 2014 Savannah Convention Wrap-Up . . . . . . . . . . . . 64-65 Mid-Year BOD Meeting in San Diego . . . . . . . . . . . 66-67 2014 SAWD College Scholarship Winners . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Tweet Me, Friend Me and Make Me Buy! . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Advertisers Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 SAWD 2015

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June 9, 2015

Dear SAWD Distributors: On behalf of the citizens of Grapevine and members of the City Council, I am pleased to officially welcome you to our city and express our support for the Southern Association of Wholesale Distributorsʼ 92nd Annual Meeting and Trade Show at the Gaylord Texan, June 9-12.

Grapevine is honored to serve as your annual meeting destination. As the premier destination in North Texas, Grapevine provides visitors with a sophisticated charm and convenient escape from the big city. During your free time, be sure to enjoy Historic Downtown Grapevineʼs more than 80 unique boutiques, galleries, museums, restaurants and the Urban Wine Trail. See the Grapevine Glockenspiel, featuring the Would-Be Train Robbers, Nat Barrett and Willy Majors, who appear at noon, 3 p.m., 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. daily. When you add the Grapevine Vintage Railroad, Grapevine Mills, LEGOLAND® Discovery Center, SEA LIFE Grapevine Aquarium, Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, 81 holes of golf and 8,000 acres of beautiful Lake Grapevine scenery, you have the ideal location! Most of all, our friendly community allows you to feel at home.

We invite you to return to Grapevine throughout the year to take advantage of our many exciting and award-winning events including Main Street Fest, SummerBlast, GrapeFest® and the Christmas Capital of Texas®. Please be sure to visit www.GrapevineTexasUSA.com for detailed information.

Enjoy your convention. May it be productive and successful!

Sincerely,

William D. Tate Mayor of Grapevine WDT: mrb

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An Interview with the President Recently the Southern sat down with its new President Paula Glidewell to ask a few questions about her, the industry, and the organization.

continues to have a large number of people that are actively involved in the day-to-day operations of their businesses…you can talk with them and they actually know what is in their warehouses. For me as a business owner, that is huge. The Southern is where I learn about new innovations, new products, what is selling and what is not. It is more important now than ever before to be involved in our trade organizations.

Q. What does it mean to you to be the first woman President of the Southern?

A. While I am proud to be the Southern’s first female President, it is not something I have or will be focusing on. I have been active in leadership of the Southern for over 20 years. I started out by serving with the Southern Leadership Division (which used to be called the Young Leaders Division) and eventually became President of that group.

I was fortunate to be selected to move over to the “big board” and have served on and/ or led just about every committee we have including spending the last six years on the Executive Committee with the last two as VP Comptroller. So, I like to think that I was selected based on my experience and years of service and leadership. The fact that I am a woman is just not that big of a deal. What is most important to me is doing the job well.

Q. With that in mind, what are your goals as President?

A. Interestingly my goals as President are and have been my goals as long as I have been a member of the Southern. I want to increase membership, grow the show, and improve the quality of the show. Our Southern Showcase is the primary place that our members interact with our organization. It is also our leading contributor of revenue to our budget. So, it is very important that it be a quality offering and we have to continue to look for ways to expand it. As far as membership growth there are still opportunities for us to share what we do with other wholesalers who can benefit from a relationship with the Southern. They may not all look like us and talk like us, but it is vital that we become more inclusive if we are going to survive and grow.

Q. Where do you see the Southern in 5 years? 10 years?

A. There has been a steady decline in c-store wholesalers in the past fifteen years. The good news is that the same volume of product or more is flowing through the channel, it is just flowing through fewer hands and that spells opportunity for us. It is also encouraging that the pace of mergers and acquisitions seems to be slowing a bit on both the wholesaler’s side and the manufacturer’s side. These are dynamics that impact us all as business owners and that have a corresponding impact on our trade organizations. There is something very special about the Southern – there always has been. Our strength as an organization is in our people and I am extremely optimistic about the future of the Southern as a result. With great people working together on something that they are passionate about we can’t help but succeed.

Q. If you had to pick just one reason why you have been so involved in the Southern, what would you say?

A. It gets in your blood. If you are excited about what you do, you want to do more, learn more, be around more people who do what you do.

Our business is ever-changing and it is really nice to network with other distributors and to learn from them and share with them. The Southern 6

Q. What do you think is the biggest challenge facing distributors today?

A. Profitability. Profit is not a bad word. We have to make a profit to stay in business. I know that sounds pretty basic but we have all read the industry stats…our industry remains the lowest of related industries in profitability. In the past we could raise prices and control our own profitability… our own destiny if you will. We can’t do that anymore, at least not with our core products of cigarettes and candy. You can’t go up on the standard candy bar anymore. We need help from manufacturers for pricing incentives for wholesalers, not just for retailers. One of the reasons that I attend the Southern is for the show deals that are offered during the show. The promotional incentives offered are significant and help improve our bottom line. At the same time we have to be aggressively pursuing all opportunities for growth, not just in the traditional product lines but always exploring new ones. For example, at Glidewell Distributing we have a full offering of craft beer. Most of the other wholesalers I know are not offering craft beer, but it has been successful for us.

Q. Do you have any favorite quotes or words to live by?

A. One of my favorites is: “If you think you’re green you’ll grow. If you think you’re ripe you’ll rot.” The key to growth is a continual pursuit of learning. This is another one of the main reasons I attend the Southern.

I get targeted industry specific education that I can’t get anywhere else.

And, this year is no exception. There are sessions on marketing, speed to market, dealing with a multi-cultural customer base and digital marketing…I need to know about all of those things.

Q. Any final thoughts?

A. This is our 92nd Annual Meeting and Trade show in Dallas. 92 years is an accomplishment for any organization. And, this will be the first time we have met in Texas. I am excited about the venue for the show, optimistic about where we are going as an organization and look forward to seeing everyone at the show. ___________________________________________________________ Glidewell Distributing was founded in 1946 in the living room of James William (JW) and Cleo Glidewell’s first home, Glidewell Distributing has grown from a single delivery truck to eight digits in annual sales and a fleet of trucks. Today, Glidewell Distributing is the sole wholesale distributor in the area of Ft. Smith, Arkansas, and one of the largest in the region, providing full service to western Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. Paula serves as Vice President and Co-Owner at Glidewell Distributing.

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www.core-mark.com

We are passionate about the business We are committed to our Customers.

Come see for yourself.

Whether you are an independent retailer or a part of a national chain, Core-Mark offers each of its customers valuable customized solutions and services designed to help you grow your business.

We offer resources to help drive sales and profits: • Product Trends & Optimized Offering • Regional Demographics & Space Rationalization • Data Analysis & Competitive Comparison We are committed to providing superior customer service while delivering quality products and value-added resources to our customer.

Atlanta

Eric Meyer 4820 North Church Ln. Smyrna GA 30080 (404) 792-2000

Forrest City

Brad Blumenstock 3400 Commerce Road Forrest City AR 72335 (870) 633-2044

Ft. Worth

Chris Hughes 6401 Will Rogers Blvd.

Fort Worth TX 76134 (817) 293-5558

Kentucky

Matt Ashley 1055 Salt River Road Leitchfield KY 42754 (270) 259-9341

Carolina

Michael Davenport 1144 Broadway Road Sanford NC 27332 (919) 774-9444

Tampa

Jason Nevin 9020 King Palm Dr. Tampa FL 33619 (813) 664-0474

A Letter from the SLD President The Southern Leadership Division strives to offer emerging leaders an opportunity to grow by offering speakers, events, and fellowship with our industry peers in a comfortable atmosphere.

With that said, the SLD has had a great year with many accomplishments and changes. Below are a few I want to highlight.

The focus for the 2014 Midyear Meeting, held at the Hard Rock Hotel in Orlando, was teamwork. We started off by having the opportunity to give back to the community of Orlando at the Hubbard House, a place where families can stay when their loved ones are in the local Orlando hospital. The staff and residents were very appreciative of our efforts in helping maintain their facility. To finish off the afternoon, we decided to have a little fun by taking on a challenging scavenger hunt at Orlando’s famous Universal Studios. It was competitive but a great way to get to know our peers better. The following day, our first speaker of the meeting was Scott Stratman, who discussed “100 Ways to Better Manage your Inventory.” He stressed the importance that the objective of inventory management is to strike a balance between inventory investment and customer service. Stratman had the attendees form groups to work on exercises to understand and improve inventory management, which was very beneficial to all who attended. The second speaker was Steve Gavatorta, who discussed “Dynamic Communication: The Art of Successfully Connecting, Interacting & Engaging with Others.” Gavatorta emphasized that effective communication starts with a five-step process of establishing trust. He focused on how to utilize a behavioral model to master the art of communication, and provided charts for us to take back and apply as a reminder of how to identify the different communication styles each of us possesses.

One of the most recent accomplishments of the SLD was the Next Generation Session that was held in conjunction with AWMA at their annual show held in Las Vegas. The goal of the session was to bring together rising leaders in the convenience distribution industry to focus on “Costly Distractions: Finding Focus in a World at War for Your Attention” and was facilitated by Curt Steinhorst, founder of Promentum Group. Steinhorst discussed the many ways that attention and focus are impacted in both people’s professional and personal lives—something we could all use some help with.

I want to take this time to thank the Executive Committee for all of their support; I could not do it without you. The SLD Board Members, the Education, and Technology Committees are so instrumental in keeping this organization thriving. Thank you for that. Most importantly, thank you to our sponsors—we could not have these events without your support. You mean so much to this organization.

As you can see, the SLD has so much to offer. I challenge you to send someone from your company if you are not already doing so. Our goal is to continue to grow our association, and the information we take back is so invaluable. I cannot emphasize enough the impact SLD has made on my career.

The members are not only my peers—they are my friends. There are countless times that I have reached out to the group for advice and support. If you ever have any questions regarding the SLD, please do not hesitate to contact me. I hope to see you at the upcoming SAWD meeting in Dallas!

Sincerely yours,

April Garver

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CIGARETTES SAWD 2015

©2015 SFNTC (1)

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HOSPITALITY SUITE Be sure to drop by our “Southern Hospitality Suite”…during the day for a cup of coffee or a soft drink… and in the evening, a hosted bar.

It’s a great place to meet, make plans with friends, or just relax.

Adjacent to the Hospitality Suite will be the Silent Auction to benefit our Education Fund. This Silent Auction features over $15,000 worth of items contributed by the members of the Board of Directors, exhibitors, and others.

Hours Open: Noon to 5:00 p.m. — Wednesday After Dinner (About 10:00 p.m.) - Until — Wednesday evening 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. — Thursday After Dinner (About 10:00 p.m.) - Until — Thursday evening Texas 3 & 4 in the Convention Center The “Southern Hospitality Suite” is provided to all convention delegates by the Manufacturer & Broker Representatives on your Southern Board of Directors: Altria Group Distribution Company American Snuff Company Burdette Beckmann Commonwealth Altadis USA Creative Data Research Dot Foods Jack Links Beef Jerky Lil’ Drug Store Products Lorillard Tobacco Company

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Matrix Brokerage National Tobacco Nestlé USA R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company Republic Tobacco Company Swedish Match Swisher International The Hershey Company

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CATEGORYISGROWTH EVERY DAY.

Trusted iconic brands and

EXPERT CATEGORY MANAGEMENT deliver sustainable growth.* Another way we’re committed to creating shared success every day.

The Hershey Company is proud to support the Southern Association of Warehouse Distributors.

SUCCESS IS AN EVERYDAY THING.

*Source: Nielsen 12/2012-12/2014

hersheysconvenience.com

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Lady President’s Social Southern President Paula Glidewell wishes to extend an invitation to all spouses and guests attending the Annual Meeting, to join her for the Lady President’s Social which will be held on Thursday, June 11th from 10:00 am until 11:30 am This is an ideal opportunity to meet some of the other attendees while enjoying the Brunch.

This Social is also a great meeting place to gather with friends prior to going out for the day.

Please check your onsite brochure for location.

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From the Chief Executive Officer… “ If you’re not shootin’, you should be loadin’. If you’re not loadin’ you should be movin’. If you’re not movin’, someone’s gonna cut your head off and put it on a stick.”

attending this session, you will learn how to manage all of these new products, which questions you should be asking the manufacturer, and what metrics you should apply to the success of a new item.

— Clint Smith Director of Thunder Ranch

The softly worded advice of Marine Corps veteran Clint Smith, above, applies to business as well as warfare. Judging from a report distributed at the CDA’s (formerly AWMA) annual meeting, there are a lot of heads on sticks: “…CDA’s distributor member count has gone from 526 in 2001 to 171 in 2014.” There has been a corresponding reduction in manufacturer members as a result of mergers and acquisitions.

The good news is that those that remain have gotten really good at shootin’, loadin’, and movin.’ Our 2015 Southern Showcase is designed to help you improve your target acquisition, aim, and speed to target so that you can keep your head on your shoulders instead of on a stick.

Target Acquisition and Aim Gerry O’Brion, with What Big Brands Know, LLC, takes big brand strategies and creates techniques that any business can use. These include things you can do before you start marketing, getting customers to choose you, and reinventing your business when things get bad.

Dr. H. Rao Unnava, Professor of Marketing at The Ohio State University, discusses the cultural and economic backgrounds of emigrant India/Pakistan and Middle Eastern store owners, and the effect on their view of life and business. He then contrasts them with the American way of doing business, and points to areas of opportunity for wholesalers and manufacturers.

Scott Martin, with Infinity Marketing Solutions, presents digital marketing techniques to attract new customers and increase the likelihood that they will buy from YOU. Everyone will leave the session with actionable plans to improve their online presence, content, and sales channel effectiveness. Scott will also be available to provide personalized assessments to those interested.

Keep your head There is no doubt that the threat of terrorism affects how people go about their daily lives. And who would know better than James Olson, a former career officer in the Central Intelligence Agency. He shares the impact that his lifestyle, and the threat of terrorism, has had on his marriage and children, in addition to the current issues affecting the safety and security of American citizens.

Meetings with a Mission is an initiative, back for its second year, designed to encourage connections between attendees and those in the community for the purpose of doing good.

SAWD MWM is partnering with a local ministry this year, allowing us to step away from the hustle and bustle, roll up our sleeves, and work for a couple of hours alongside one another for a worthy cause. Join us for a different kind of experience at the Southern on Wednesday afternoon.

We are very excited to offer our golfers a day of fresh air and fellowship at the world’s first NFL-themed golf course, the Cowboys Golf Club. Our other “off campus” event is a trip to the legendary Dallas department store, Neiman Marcus.

There, you will be treated to lunch, a fashion show, and shopping.

And last, but not least, our exposition will feature a wide variety of companies and products, most of which are offering show-only deals that will—if taken advantage of—more than cover the cost of your trip. For each order that distributors place on the show floor, they “earn back” up to 50% of their registration fee in cash at the show! (Full details on the Distributor Rebate Program may be found in the on-site program).

Hope you can be there to learn, buy, and network!

Sincerely,

Speed to Target Steve Brady, with b2b Solutions LLC, addresses the challenges faced with the sheer volume of new products that manufacturers launch each year, across all categories. By 14

Greg Martin Chief Executive Officer SAWD 2015

Best Wishes for a Successful Convention!

Servicing: Philip Morris USA U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company John Middleton NuMark

Welcome to Dallas!

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FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT YOUR SWEDISH MATCH REPRESENTATIVE. 800-367-3677 customer.service@smna.com ©2015 SWEDISH MATCH NORTH AMERICA, INC.

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2014 Award Winners 2014 Tobacco Rep of the Year Award

Tony Clanton with Swedish Match received the 2014 Tobacco Representative of the year from the 2013 winner, Bill Dunn with Swisher International.

2014 Lou Gordon Humanitarian Award Greg Martin with SAWD was awarded the 2014 Lorillard Lou Gordon Humanitarian Award from Lorillard’s Miles Anderson.

2014 SAWD Service Award

2014 SAWD Allied Products Rep of the Year Award

The 2014 Allied Products Representative of the Year Award went to Tom Brice with Lil’ Drug Store Products. Tom is shown with Steve Stomel with ProCat Distribution Technologies, the 2013 winner.

Steve Douglas with Douglas Companies received the 2014 SAWD Service Award from the 2013 winner, Jeff Leischner with H.T. Hackney.

2014 SAWD Liberty Award

2014 Career Achievement Award

Congratulations to Robin Ray with Atlantic Dominion Distribution for receiving the 2014 SAWD Career Achievement Award. Robin was handed her award by Jimmy Stewart with Stewart Distribution, the 2013 winner.

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A 2014 SAWD Liberty Award was awarded to Randy Emanuelson with Team Sledd. Randy is shown accepting his award from Robin Ray with Atlantic Dominion Distribution.

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2014 Award Winners

2014 Southern Leader of the Year Award

2014 SAWD Liberty Award

Steve Kottak with R.J. Reynolds accepts the 2014 SAWD Liberty Award from Dave Riser, also with R.J. Reynolds.

Leanne Wilkerson with J.L. Gaddy Wholesale receives the 2014 Southern Leader of the Year Award. Shown here with the 2013 winner, Donnie Childers with Home Folks Wholesale.

Retiring

2014 Hershey Leadership Award

Outgoing President, Dick Dunham with Stephenson Wholesale, receiving the Hershey Leadership Award from Hershey’s Michael Hughes. SAWD First Lady, Donna Dunham is also pictured.

Gene Tipton with Commonwealth Altadis—retiring

Steve Shing with Grocery Supply Company—retiring

Elvin Smythers with Merchants Grocery Supply—retiring

Outgoing Southern Leadership Division President, Donnie Childers being thanked by Dick Dunham, SAWD President.

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All three are shown with Dick Dunham, Stephenson Wholesale—one of his last duties as outgoing SAWD President was honoring these three fine gentlemen.

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Education Fund Contributors 2015 Acosta Sale & Marketing

Great Midwest Tube

Red Smith Foods, Inc.

Allison Wholesale

Grocery Supply Company

Renfro Supply Co.

Altria Group Distribution

Gummer Wholesale

Republic Tobacco

Amcon Distributing Company

H. T. Hackney Co.

Scandinavian Tobacco Group-Lane

Andalusia Distributing

Hardec’s

Sledd Co.

Associated Distributors

Home Folks Wholesale

Smith Wholesale Co.

Atlantic Dominion Dist.

Inter-Continental Cigar Corporation

Smokey Mountain Chew

Burdette Beckmann

J.F. Johnson, Inc.

Southco Distributing Company

Caldwell Wholesale

J.L. Gaddy Wholesale

Standard Distributing Co.

Charles C. Parks Co.

Jack Link’s Beef Jerky

Stephenson Wholesale

Church Point Wholesale

Jackson Wholesale Co.

Stewart Candy Manufacturing Co.

City Wholesale Grocery

Kellogg’s Keebler

Stewart Distribution Co.

Claude’s Candy Brokerage Co.

King III Solutions

Swedish Match of North America

Commonwealth Altadis

Long Distribution

Swisher International

Core-Mark, International

Lorillard Tobacco Company

The Corr-Williams Company

Corso, Inc.

Lyons Specialty Co.

The Hershey Company

Creative Data Research

M. R. Williams, Inc.

Thomas M. Williams & Assoc.

Davison Fuel & Oil

Mars Chocolate

Turkey Creek Snacks

Dot Foods

McLane Company, Inc.

UniPro Foodservice, Inc

Douglas Companies

Merchants Grocery Company

Venture Sales

Eby-Brown Company

National Tobacco Company

W.L. Petrey Wholesale

Franklin Supply, Inc.

Nestle USA

Warren Oil Co.

Glidewell Distributing Company

Penguin Ice

Golbon

R. J. Reynolds

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5173 Pioneer Drive • Meridian, MS 39301 P.O. Box 667 • Marion, MS 39342 (601) 482-3144 • (800) 828-5664 • Fax (601) 482-3109

201 North Fulton Drive • Corinth, MS 38834 P.O. Box 250 • Corinth, MS 38835-0250 (662) 287-2421 • (800) 822-5664 • Fax (662) 287-6689

MERIDIAN Kenny Coghlan Ray Long, Jr. Sam E. Long, III Trey Long

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CORINTH Rusty Boone Colby Carmichiel Tracy Dye Jeff Johnson Randy Long Tommy Stine

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230 South 22nd Avenue • Durant, OK 74701 Phone 580-920-0110 • Fax 580-920-1323 • Toll Free 800-442-2880

www.INWsupply.com

Durant • Norman • Lawton

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MERCHANTS GROCERY COMPANY, INC. A Company You Can Count On

Proudly Supports

The South Southern hern A Association sssociiatiion of Wholesale Distributors ors

800 Maddox Drive Culpeper,VA 22701 540-825-0786 Fax: 540-825-9016

Wholesale Wh l l Di Distributors ib Si Since 1917

www.merchants-grocery.com

New Exhibitor Spotlight We would like to extend a warm Southern Welcome to the following exhibitors who are showing for the first time (or who have not been with us in several years)‌ Carolina Glove Company

InRhythm Solutions

Cott Beverages

L.A. Lighter

CSI Beverage

Lynco Products

Davidoff of Geneva

Rhino Rush LLC

Don Chelada

Xcaliber International LTD

Imageworks Tobacco Display

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18th Annual

Representative items only

SILENT AUCTION to Benefit the Education Fund

The Southern’s Education Fund was established a number of years ago to provide educational opportunities for members, their employees and family members. The Silent Auction, which will be held throughout the convention, will raise money for the fund. Our Education and Convention 28

Committees last year were successful in raising over $15,000 for our Education Fund through the Silent Auction. With your support and participation we hope to exceed that figure this year. Items are offered through the generosity of Southern members and exhibitors.

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4 Questions that will change your business Successful businesses thrive by doing a few simple things better than everyone else. There are four simple questions that the best businesses ask themselves year after year to stay relevant to their customers.

Focusing your targeting is unnerving, but is a tool that can exponentially grow your business, increase your advertising effectiveness and attract your ideal customers to your business.

Question #1: Who are your ideal customers?

Question #2: What do your customers really want?

Who are your truly ideal customers? I speak with hundreds of business owners every year. Over and over I hear a reluctance to focus which customers they’re targeting for fear of eliminating buyers.

As consumers, we have lots of needs we want to fulfill with every product we buy. Think of a simple product like tissues. We might be thinking about softness, absorbency, strength, price, box shape, box artwork, availability where we shop, size, brand name, tissue count, transportability, and more.

Here is the secret. If you’re extraordinarily clear about who your ideal customers are, then those customers will be extraordinarily clear that you’re ideal for them. If you try to focus on everyone, no one knows you’re just for them. When you stop focusing on everyone three things happen that help your business grow: First, you attract passionate fans to your business, and they start to bring others who are like them.

They share about your business because they feel a connection – it’s great for them.

Second, your advertising becomes more clear and powerful. If you know what’s important to those people, you can say it in your ads.

Third, all your employees will be clear on what to say to attract your ideal customers. You’ll make them feel more special.

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What needs or wants do your customers want to fulfill by using your product or service? Do you know which ones are most important? Which ones can you deliver better or differently from competition?

The most powerful brands touch consumers on both the rational and emotional sides of their minds. Rational needs are important when a customer is g ­ etting to know your company and evaluating options.

Emotional needs are powerful when you want them to spend more on each purchase and continue to be loyal over time.

Question #3: What is your unique outcome?

Your customers don’t care about your business, they care about themselves. They want to know what outcome you’ll deliver for them. The unique outcome or benefit you provide is the hook that gets customers to buy from you vs. your competition.

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To create the most compelling outcome, it’s useful to go beyond just filling needs and solving problems.

Which outcomes make your customer’s life better? While you may provide lots of benefits, which of them are different from what your competitors provide? Which are hard for your competitors to copy? Which of them do you provide better than your competitors? Combine your unique outcome with a powerful because from the next section and you’ll be off to the races.

Question #4: What’s Your Because?

Your best and most cost effective marketing is satisfied customers. There is no better way to build a strong brand than to deliver a great experience and get your customers to talk about it.

Yes, but how do you proactively get people sharing your business with others? The biggest reason that people don’t share about our business is one simple thing – we haven’t made it easy enough for them to

Things to think about when honing your target are: • Which customers are most profitable?

• Which buy from you the most frequently?

• Which spend the most with you?

• What kind of customers are in your area?

• When do they visit you?

• Which are the most likely to share their experiences with others?

• Which send you the most referral business?

• Which do you like working with the best?

• Which do you serve the best?

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know what to say! If you try to stand for everything, you end up standing for nothing, and people have no idea what to tell others about you.

When people give a referral, they want to say something specific, credible and compelling. They want you to use their recommendation.

So, I ask you this – What’s Your Because?

What do I mean? If one of your customers were to tell a friend that they should use your business how would they finish this sentence – “You’ve go to use XXXX because…”

It’s easy to say something general that pretty much anyone would say – we’ve got better service, we care more, we’ve been around forever. If anyone can say it, it’s not powerful. Great businesses grow word of mouth by delivering experiences with specific, credible, and compelling differences from competitors.

Now you’re ready for marketing.

Once you’ve figured out how to provide unique, sharable value to your customers, you’re ready to do marketing. What you say in your marketing messages will be simple if you’ve done this work up front.

There is a lot to do in any business, but the time you spend thinking and planning is what sets you up for long-term success. Creating differentiation that customer’s value can change the course of your business.

Gerry O’Brion grows businesses. He is a professional speaker, author and business coach and is a keynoter at the upcoming Southern Showcase in Dallas. After years as an executive with billion dollar brands, Gerry now uses big company strategies to grow businesses of all sizes. Gerry teaches a simple process that helps companies attract their ideal customers, regardless of their budget. Gerry began his career in marketing at Procter & Gamble, then he was an executive for Coors Light, Quiznos, and most recently Red Robin Gourmet Burgers.

His Business Blueprint includes simple steps to grow your businesses like the big guys. You can download the first section of the Business Blueprint at WhatBigBrands Know.com 31

SLD Business Resource Meeting 2014

Hard Rock Hotel, Orlando, FL

T

he Hard Rock Hotel in Orlando, FL was the location for the 2014 SLD Business Resource Meeting.

Members of the Southern Leadership Division participated in a three-day conference focusing on topics specific to the convenience products industry.

Informative and interactive sessions were well received on topics such as “Maximizing Profitability: The Buyers Role” led by Scott Stratman, President and Founder of Supply Chain Advisors.

Everyone also enjoyed hearing from Steve Gavatorta, President of Steve Gavatorta Group, Inc., who spoke on the topic of “Dynamic Communication—The Art of Successfully Connecting, Interacting and Engaging with Others.”

One of the highlights of the meeting was a visit to Hubbard House in Orlando.

Hubbard House is a 21,000 square foot home-away-from-home for families of patients in the critical care areas of 32

Orlando hospitals. While there, we had the opportunity to help out in a variety of ways.

We also added a Team Building event to the meeting. Five teams participated in a scavenger hunt at Universal Studios.

What a great way to get to know your fellow SLD Members!!

A very informative roundtable discussion was led by some of The Southern’s own distributors. As always, these discussions offered many new and different ideas for those in attendance to take back to their own businesses. This continues to be one of the most valuable events of the meeting.

The group also had a chance to enjoy dinner and some entertainment at Margaritaville in City Walk. Needless to say, a great time was had by all!

A very special thanks goes to our sponsors for their generous assistance in making this meeting a success!

Platinum Sponsors Lorillard Tobacco R. J. Reynolds Tobacco American Snuff Commonwealth Altadis SAWD Education Fund Gold Sponsors Altria Sales & Distribution Swedish Match Swisher International Silver Sponsors Creative Data Research Kellogg’s National Tobacco The Hershey Company Bronze Sponsors Jack Link’s Beef Jerky Republic Tobacco SAWD 2015

SAWD Education Fund

AT THE 2014 SOUTHERN SHOWCASE IN SAVANNAH

SAWD President Paula Glidewell presented a check from The Southern to the Savannah Union Mission at the 2014 Southern Showcase.

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SAWD 2014 “Meetings With A Mission” volunteers

SAWD 2015

Introducing Your FASTER-TURNS-FOR-HIGHER-PROFIT Team.

With training certification that is without equal in the industry, your award-winning Swisher sales team provides a complete portfolio of cigars and smokeless products for faster turns and higher profits.

SAWD 2015

Victor Blanco

Joe Curoe

Dean Simmons

Vice President Field Sales East

Vice President Field Sales West

Vice President National Accounts

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SAWD 92nd Annual Meeting and Note: This is a tentative schedule of events. All details subject to change. WWW.the-Southern.org will always have the latest information. The on-site program supersedes all pre-printed materials.

TUESDAY, June 9 2:00 PM - 5:30 PM Registration Desk Open 3:00 PM - 3:30 PM Chair/Vice Chair Meeting

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM SLD Board Meeting

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Session 1

6:00 PM - 7:00 PM Welcome Reception All delegates invited

“The Cultural Salad Bowl: Dealing with a Multi-Cultural Customer Base”

7:15 PM - 10:00 PM Dinner & Industry Awards Dinner and awards done “Texas style.”

After Dinner – Until Hospitality Suite - Open to All Delegates

3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Committee Meetings

THURSDAY, June 11

4:30 PM - 5:30 PM Finance & Budget Committee

7:15 AM - 5:00 PM Registration Desk Open

5:30 PM – 6:30 PM Executive Committee Meeting

7:00 AM - 8:30 AM Kick-Off Breakfast (Continental)

7:00 PM – 9:30 PM Chairman’s Reception & Dinner Old Hickory Steakhouse For members of the Board of Directors and Past Presidents.

WEDNESDAY, June 10 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM Golf Tournament Cowboys Golf Club www.cowboysgolfclub.com 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Registration Desk Open 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM Optional Tour and Luncheon Neiman Marcus Tour, Lunch, Fashion Show and Shopping No Dallas visit is complete without a trip to this legendary department store. Upon arrival, you will be taken for a walking tour of this fabulous, flagship store. Next, you will enjoy lunch in the world-famous Zodiac Room.

Afterwards, you will be treated to a formal fashion show of all the new and latest fashions from the world’s best designers.

2:00 PM – 4:00 PM SAWD Meetings with a Mission

7:30 AM - 8:45 AM General Session “What Big Brands Know” Gerry O’Brion Nationally recognized speaker, author and executive What Big Brands Know, LLC As a Marketing Speaker, Gerry O’Brion is known for distilling big brand strategies to techniques that any business can use. His presentation is an engaging and dynamic discussion including several case studies ranging from a $2 billion brand to a small auto repair shop. It is relevant, thoughtprovoking and acts as a catalyst for anyone who participates.

Key attendee takeaways: • Five things to do before you start marketing • Getting customers to choose you • Reinventing your business when things get bad

Meetings with a Mission (MWM) is a Southern initiative designed to encourage connections between attendees and those in the community for the purpose of doing good. SAWD MWM is partnering with a local ministry this year, allowing us to step away from the hustle and bustle, roll-up our sleeves, and work alongside one another for a worthy cause.

Gerry O’Brion built his career growing big brands. After earning his MBA at the University of Michigan, he worked with Procter & Gamble on brands such as Crisco, Tide, Mr. Clean, and Spic & Span. Next, at Coors Brewing Company he managed Coors Light, a $2 billion business. He was then VP of Marketing for the $1.5 billion Quiznos restaurant chain.

Gerry was most recently VP of Marketing for Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, a $1 billon brand.

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM SAWD Board of Directors’ Meeting

9:00 AM – 12:30 PM Education Sessions

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Dr. H. Rao Unnava W. Arthur Cullman Professor of Marketing and Senior Associate Dean of Academic Programs Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University Professor Unnava will discuss the cultural and economic background of individuals who emigrated from their home countries and now own retail stores in the U.S. These individuals represent two geographical areas – India/Pakistan and Middle East. He will explain how their cultural values affect the retail store owner’s view of life and business, contrast them with the American way of doing business, and point to areas of opportunity.

H. Rao Unnava is W. Arthur Cullman Professor of Marketing and Senior Associate Dean of Academic Programs at Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University. Dr. Unnava has won multiple teaching awards at Fisher and his doctoral dissertation won the Best Dissertation Award from the Academy of Marketing Science. He has presented at numerous convenience channel trade events. Dr. Unnava was also one of the initial founding members of Angie’s List and is now a member of the Board of Directors for PTS Physicians.

10:10 AM - 11:10 AM Session 2 “Speed to Market” Steve Brady President b2b Solutions LLC The number of new products launched each year across all categories can be a real challenge for the wholesale distribution community. Manufacturers try to balance the concerns of the wholesale community against getting their new items to market quicker. As a result, “speed to market” is critical for the future of the new products they are trying to launch.

SAWD 2015

Trade Show – Schedule of Events Key attendee takeaways: • How to manage all of the new items, given you cannot participate with all • The questions you should be asking the manufacturer • The metrics that a wholesaler should apply to the success of a new item as compared to the metrics used by a manufacturer.

Steve Brady has 30 years experience in the Grocery Distribution business. Steve is highly connected within the retail food class of trade, petroleum marketers, CPG supplier community, and an active supplier board member of the National Association of Convenience Stores, a member of the Convenience Retailing University Advisory Council, and Strategic Partner & Member Ambassador, SIGMA. 11:20 AM - 12:20 PM Session 3 “Digital Marketing for Business Growth” Scott Martin President and Founder Infinity Marketing Solutions This session will help you to utilize online marketing techniques to attract more prospective customers and to engage them in ways that increase the likelihood they will buy from you. You will learn how to architect your website and how to integrate social media in ways that generate engagement and ultimately new business leads. You will walk away with actionable plans to improve your online presence, content and sales channel effectiveness across a multitude of platforms and mediums.

Scott Martin is a highly regarded Sales, Marketing, and Internet expert with over two decades of corporate and entrepreneurial experience in broadband technology and Internet services.

As President and founder of Infinity Marketing Solutions, Scott’s wealth of knowledge and passion help businesses unleash the power of the Internet. He has seen how businesses can struggle with the complexity and rate of change brought on by the Internet and he teaches them how to maximize its potential for generating income, increasing operational efficiency, and strategically differentiating themselves from their competitors.

10:00 AM – 11:30 AM First Lady’s Social Open to All Spouses and Guests 12:30 PM – 1:45 PM State Association Executives & Political Affairs Luncheon 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM Grand Opening of Exposition 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM “Get Acquainted Reception” 7:15 PM - 10:00 PM Awards Banquet This evening is an opportunity to recognize some of the Southern’s award recipients… people who have each demonstrated extensive commitment to service and achievement in the industry.

After Dinner – Until Hospitality Suite - Open to All Delegates

FRIDAY, JUNE 12 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM Registration Desk Open 7:00 AM - 8:30 AM Industry Breakfast (Continental)

Key Attendee Takeaways:

7:15 AM - 8:30 AM General Membership Meeting

• Increased effectiveness of existing website as a new business lead generation tool • Identify which Social Media platforms are pertinent for your business • Connect with your audience through social channels • Search optimization, goals and analytics

“The Impact of Terrorism on American Life and Business”

NOTE: In addition to his education session, Scott Martin will be available to provide personalized Digital Marketing Assessments, purchased in advance, for those businesses interested. This assessment can be for your existing website or to discuss actionable plans for your digital media buying or social media. See Online Registration process for more information and how to sign up for one of these limited spots.

SAWD 2015

James Olson Author and Motivational Speaker James Olson will describe his undercover career in the CIA, including how he was recruited, the training he received, the risks he and his wife faced (she was also a CIA operative), and the effect of this undercover lifestyle on their marriage and children. Mr. Olson will also discuss the role of the CIA in the current Global War on Terrorism and other current issues affecting the safety and security of American citizens.

James Olson was a career officer in the Directorate of Operations of the Central Intelligence Agency. He served as Chief of Counterintelligence at CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia and performed overseas assignments in the U.S.S.R., Austria, and Mexico. Jim’s experience includes international affairs, economics, trade negotiations, intelligence, counterintelligence, counterterrorism, counternarcotics, and technical collection systems. Jim is a frequent guest lecturer and author of several books.

8:45 AM - 9:45 AM Distributors Forum Representatives of All Distribution Companies are encouraged to attend. This meeting is open to Distributors only.

8:45 AM - 9:45 AM Exhibitors Forum Representatives of All Exhibiting Companies are encouraged to attend.

10:00 AM - 10:45 AM Board of Directors Meeting 10:45 AM - 11:45 AM Executive Committee Meeting 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM Exposition Open 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM SLD Social “Party at the Glass Cactus” When the Texas sun sets, the Glass Cactus Nightclub comes alive. Come party with us and enjoy live entertainment and dancing, as well as creative cocktails and club cuisine. Your ticket includes our own private buffet dinner, open bar and the best music in Dallas! = Ticket Required Pre-purchase your raffle tickets for a chance to win one of two $1,000 cash prizes.

Proceeds will go to support the Education Fund. For your convenience, we have added the purchase of these tickets to the online registration process. Tickets will be sold on-site as well.

The Southern 3459 Lawrenceville Suwanee Road Suite C Suwanee, GA 30024-6427 Ph) 770-932-5810 Fax) 770-932-3276 www.the-southern.org info@the-southern.org

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For more information about these products and tools to help grow your business, visit www.kelloggsconvenience.com or call 877-511-5777. ®, TM, © 2015 Kellogg NA Co.

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SAWD 2015

James F. “Bucky” Johnson, President 225 Summerland Avenue Batesburg-Leesville, SC 29006 P.O. Box 2499 Batesburg-Leesville, SC 29070-2499

(803) 532-6341 1(800) 821-9744 Fax (803) 532-9552 www.JFJohnsonInc.com SAWD 2015

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Council of Presidents

Ricky Jones

Andalusia Distributing Co., Inc. Andalusia, AL 2010-2012

Mike Jones

Andalusia Distributing Co., Inc. Andalusia, AL 2000-2002

Scott Fisher

Spartan Automatic Retailers Memphis, TN 1990 - 1992

Jimmy Stewart Stewart Distribution Waycross, GA 2008-2010

Bob Pierpoint

Imperial Trading Co., Inc. Elmwood, LA 1998-2000

Dick Bray

Premier Beverage & Equipment Franklin, TN 1989 - 1990

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Mark Davenport

J. T. Davenport & Sons, Inc Sanford, NC 2006-2008

Duane Schneider

DUSA Distribution Center, Inc. Melbourne, FL 1996 - 1998

Grady Smith

TVC Wholesale, Inc. Florence, AL 1988 - 1989

Sherwin Herring

Southco Distributing Company Goldsboro, NC 2004-2006

John Head

Jack Cofer

James D. Cofer, Inc. Atlanta, GA 1994 - 1996

Head Distributing Company Smyrna, GA 1986 - 1988

A.C. May

Pelican Cigar Co. Lake Charles, LA 1985 - 1986

Steve Shing

Grocery Supply Co. Sulphur Springs, TX 2002-2004

Ken Caldwell

Caldwell Wholesale Tobacco Co. Shreveport, LA 1992 - 1994

John Green

P.M. Green & Sons Cleveland, TN 1979 - 1980

SAWD 2015

A Note About Anti-Trust…

As this meeting begins, we must remind you of ­certain essential ground rules which must be respected, not only at this meeting, but on every occasion, social or otherwise, during any meeting of The Southern Association of Wholesale Distributors.

There can be absolutely no discussion between or among competitors at any time concerning prices you charge or propose to charge your customers… the price you pay or propose to pay your suppliers… or the terms and conditions under which you buy and sell the products in which you deal.

The antitrust laws are designed to encourage competition at all levels of production and ­distribution. The Southern Association of Whole­sale Distributors is committed to ­ad­herence to those laws. Please keep these principles in mind for the benefit of us all.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS! On behalf of the members, directors, and officers of The Southern, we would like to welcome the following new members:

Cott Beverages J.C. Maintenance Inc. J.T. International USA ProCat Distribution Technologies Ultimate Sales Velocity Alliance North America SAWD 2015

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2015 SAWD Executive Committee

Paula Glidewell

Randy Long

President Glidewell Distributing Co. Fort Smith, AR

Vice President Long Wholesale Corinth, MS

Steve Douglas

Dick Dunham

Vice President Douglas Companies Texarkana, AR

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Board Chairman Stephenson Wholesale Co. Durant, OK

Randy Emanuelson Vice President/Comptroller Team Sledd Wheeling, WV

Greg Martin

Chief Executive Officer SAWD Suwanee, GA

SAWD 2015

Committed to Service, Delivering Success!

As a leading supplier of convenience store products for more than 40 years, Douglas Companies has been committed to delivering success for our customers.

When our trucks roll, our customers are ensured they will get the best possible products and pricing. From candy and snacks to coffee and food programs, Douglas can deliver success to your door.

Steve Douglas and Susie Douglas Munson

Conway, Arkansas 501-329-6866

Carthage, Missouri 417-358-9303

www.douglascompanies.com

SAWD 2015

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2015 SAWD State Directors

Nick Zaden

Marty Howell

City Wholesale Grocery Birmingham, AL

H.T. Hackney Opp, AL

Sam Stewart

Don Childers

Charlie Casper

Stewart Distribution Waycross, GA

Home Folks Wholesale Augusta, GA

Hardec’s Elizabethtown, KY

Dan McIntyre Jackson Wholesale Jackson, KY

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Keith Landen Franklin Supply Franklin, LA

Emile Cantrell Imperial Trading Elmwood, LA

Liz Joachim Corso, Inc. Biloxi, MS

SAWD 2015

SAWD 2015

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2015 SAWD State Directors

Lawson Williams M. R. Williams Henderson, NC

Bill Wilkerson J. L. Gaddy Wholesale Hickory Grove, SC

Scott McPherson Core-Mark Fort Worth, TX

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Jim Naifeh Standard Distributing Co. Sapulpa, OK

Jeff Leischner H. T. Hackney Columbia, SC

Robin Ray Atlantic Dominion Distributors Virginia Beach, VA

Chad Pickel Amcon Distributing.

Crossville, TN

Chris Smythers Merchants Grocery Co., Inc. Culpepper, VA

SAWD 2015

College Scholarships $15,000 to be Awarded This is a wonderful opportunity for students in college or technical school to help defray their school expenses. The deadline for the 2015 college scholarship applications was December 20, 2014, and we had 53 students apply for the scholarships. Over $15,000 in scholarships will be given away at the show!

Thanks to contributions from members into the Southern’s Education Fund, we are able to fund all of the education functions at the convention as well as give away over $15,000 in scholarships to our members, employees and family members. Scholarships are selected from applications from dues paid members.

Contact the SAWD office if you would like an application for 2016! 770-932-5810.

SAWD 2015

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2015 At-Large Directors

Nelson Parker

Hugh Raetzsch

George Naumann

Allison Wholesale, Inc. Paint Rock, AL

Renfro Supply Company Williamsburg, KY

Lyons Specialty Port Allen, LA

Jack Casanova

Chad Gummer

Churchpoint Wholesale Churchpoint, LA

Gummer Wholesale Health, OH

James “Bucky�

Johnson J.F. Johnson, Inc. Batesburg-Leesville, SC

2015 SAWD Board Broker Rep, SLD Rep, Legislative Liaison

Jack Anderson Broker Representative Burdette Beckmann, Inc. Hollywood, FL

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April Garver SLD Representative Southco Distributing Goldsboro, NC

Bennett Roberts Broker Representative Matrix Brokerage Chapel Hill, NC

Dave Riser Legislative Liaison R.J. Reynolds Winston-Salem, NC

SAWD 2015

www.stewartcandy.com

Manufacturer Representatives

Rick Di Donato

Commonwealth Altadis USA

Dave Bowersock

Altria Group Distribution

Jebb Maginnis

Creative Data Research

Mandi Clark

Michael Hughes The Hershey Company

Jack Link’s Beef Jerky

Carter Adair

Tom Brice

Bob Klein

Clark Sturdivant

Dave Johnson

Steve Sandman

Dot Foods

Lorillard Tobacco Company

National Tobacco

Victoria Person-Goral R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.

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Tony Clanton Swedish Match

Nestlé USA

Lil’ Drug Store

Republic Tobacco

Bill Dunn

Swisher International, Inc.

SAWD 2015

SAWD 2015

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COMPLETE CONVENIENCE STORE SUPPLIERS OVER 10,000 ITEMS Candy Tobacco Paper Groceries HBC Beverages Vending Food Service

Since 1875

Custom Programs For Retailers Of All Sizes Beverage and Equipment Division Trade Shows and Accrual Programs EDI and Information System Support For The New Millennium

Corporate Headquarters – Virginia Beach, VA 757-497-1001 Carolina Division – Hope Mills, NC 910-424-2292

Call today: VA, MD, DE, DC 800-468-6612 NC, SC, GA 800-682-1027 www.atlanticdominion.com

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SAWD 2015

A Family Business Since 1926

Providing what you need, when you need it

SAWD 2015

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SLD 2014–2015 SLD Officers and Directors Officers April Garver, Southco Distributing, Goldsboro, NC, President Leanne Wilkerson, J. L. Gaddy Wholesale, Hickory Grove, SC, SLD 1st Vice President Chuck Schimmel, Lyons Specialty, Port Allen, LA, SLD 2nd Vice President Barry Krebs, Kelloggs Company, Mableton, GA, SLD Treasurer Miles Anderson, Lorillard Tobacco Company, Atlanta, GA, SLD Secretary Donnie Childers, Home Folks Wholesale, Augusta, GA, Board Chairman

Directors Chris Herbert, Altria Group Distribution Co., Charlotte, NC Jeff Thompson, Douglas Companies, Conway, AR Morgan Blanchard, Franklin Supply Co., Franklin, LA Michelle Glidewell, Glidewell Distributing, Fort Smith, AR Brad Brown, Halpern Import Co., Atlanta, GA Colby Carmichael, Long Wholesale Dist., Corinth, MS Robbie Surratt, Merchants Grocery, Culpeper, VA Mike Thorner, National Tobacco, Louisville, KY Ron Leitner, R. J. Reynolds Tobacco, Winston-Salem, NC Maria Miro-Narlock, Spotlight Innovations, Brandon, MS Jake Stewart, Stewart Distribution, Waycross, GA Mark Tuck, Swedish Match, Atlanta, GA Victor Blanco, Swisher International, Ponte Vedra FL Steve Winkle, The Corr Williams Co/TVC Wholesale, Florence, AL Trey Williams, Thomas Williams & Assoc., Atlanta, GA

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SAWD 2015

SAWD 2015

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Trustworthy. Service-Oriented. Flexible.

Focused on Regional C-Store Wholesalers & Retailers.

Corporate Headquarters:

1633 SE 17th Street Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33316 Phone: 954-983-4360 | Fax: 954-462-3848

Sales Headquarters:

5851 Johnson Street Hollywood, Florida 33021 Phone: 954-983-4360 | Fax: 954-983-4405

Regional Offices: 12830 W. Creek Parkway Richmond, Virginia 23238 Phone: 804-346-4949 | Fax: 804-346-4977 116 Associate Lane Indian Trail, North Carolina 28079 Phone: 704-821-4677 | Fax: 704-821-4654 516 Douglas Ave.,Ste. 1102 Altamonte Springs, Florida 32714 Phone: 407-869-0797 | Fax: 407-869-0059

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SAWD 2015

Home Folks Wholesale Co., Inc. Since 1938 Distributors of convenience grocery, candy, tobacco, and general merchandise.

Visit us on the Web at www.homefolksdist.com 2001 Westside Dr., Augusta, GA 30907 706-868-0055 • 800-762-7588 Fax: 706-868-1154 SAWD 2015

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Visit our website at www.glidewelldistributing.com • Phone (479) 649-3999

Wishing All The Southern Attendees Great Success and Sunny Days!

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SAWD 2015

LAUNCH YOUR PROFITABILITY TO NEW HEIGHTS Our cigarettes are 100% American Blend; crafted with the finest, premium blend tobaccos to ensure the quality the consumer expects, at a price they’ll love. Our mission is to deliver the best value every day – all day, to the trade and the consumers.

Talk to us about category optimization & cigarette contracts!

12 Route 17 N Ste #304, Paramus, NJ 07652 (800) 317-0377 | www.kmm-inc.com

SAWD 2015

S U RGEON GE N E R AL’ S WA R N I NG : C i gar e t t e S m oke C ont ai n s Ca r b o n Monox i de

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Officers & Directors EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE President Vice President VP/Comptroller Vice President Board Chairman

Paula Glidewell Randy Long Randy Emanuelson Steve Douglas Dick Dunham

Glidewell Distribution Long Wholesale Team Sledd Douglas Companies Stephenson Wholesale

STATE DIRECTORS STATE DIRECTORS COMPANY Alabama Marty Howell H. T. Hackney Alabama Nick Zaden City Wholesale Arkansas Paula Glidewell* Glidewell Distributing Arkansas Steve Douglas* Douglas Companies Florida Sam Stewart Stewart Distribution Georgia Don Childers Home Folks Wholesale Kentucky Charlie Casper Hardec’s Kentucky Dan McIntyre Jackson Wholesale Louisiana Keith Landen Franklin Supply Louisiana Emile Cantrell Imperial Trading Mississippi Liz Joachim Corso, Co. Mississippi Randy Long* Long Wholesale North Carolina Lawson Williams M. R. Williams, Inc. Oklahoma Jimmy Naifeh Standard Distributing Co. South Carolina Bill Wilkerson J.L. Gaddy South Carolina Jeff Leischner Thomas & Howard Co./H.T. Hackney Tennessee Chad Pickel Amcon Distributing Texas Scott McPherson Core-Mark Virginia Robin Ray Atlantic Dominion Distributors Virginia Chris Smythers Merchants Grocery Co., Inc. West Virginia Randy Emanuelson* Team Sledd *Currently seated member of the Executive Committee AT-LARGE DIRECTORS NAME COMPANY Nelson Parker Allison Wholesale (AL) James “Bucky” Johnson J.F. Johnson (SC) Hugh Raetzsch Lyons Specialty (LA) George Naumann Renfro Supply (KY) Jack Casanova Churchpoint Wholesale (LA) Chad Gummer Gummer Wholesale (OH)

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SAWD 2015

Elected and Installed BROKER & SLD REPRESENTATIVES/LEGISLATIVE LIAISON NAME Jack Anderson Bennett Roberts April Garver Dave Riser

COMPANY BROKER/SLD Burdette Beckmann Broker Representative Matrix Brokerage Broker Representative Southco Distributing SLD Representative R. J. Reynolds Legislative Liaison MANUFACTURER REPRESENTATIVES

NAME COMPANY Dave Bowersock Altria Group Distribution Company Rick Di Donato Commonwealth Altadis USA Jebb Maginnis Creative Data Research Mandi Clark Dot Foods Carter Adair Jack Links Beef Jerky Tom Brice Lil’ Drug Store Products Bob Klein Lorillard Tobacco Clark Sturdivant National Tobacco David Johnson Nestlé USA Dave Riser R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company Victoria Person-Goral R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company Steve Sandman Republic Tobacco Tony Clanton Swedish Match Bill Dunn Swisher International, Inc. Michael Hughes The Hershey Company

COUNCIL OF PRESIDENTS NAME Ricky Jones Jimmy Stewart Mark Davenport Sherwin Herring Steve Shing Mike Jones Robert Pierpoint Duane Schneider Jack Cofer Ken Caldwell Scott Fisher Dick Bray Grady Smith John Head A. C. May John Green Bert Trompeter

SAWD 2015

YEAR(S) SERVED 2010-2012 2008-2010 2006-2008 2004-2006 2002-2004 2000-2002 1998-2000 1996-1998 1994-1996 1992-1994 1990-1992 1989-1990 1988-1989 1986-1988 1985-1986 1979-1980 1973-1976

COMPANY Andalusia Distributing Stewart Distribution J. T. Davenport & Sons, Inc. Southco Distributing Grocery Supply Company Andalusia Distributing Company Imperial Trading Company DUSA Distribution Center James D. Cofer, Inc. Caldwell Wholesale Spartan Automatic Retailers Premier Beverage & Equipment TVC Wholesale Head Distributing Pelican Cigar P.M. Green and Sons John F. Trompeter Company

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A Full Service Convenience Store Supplier

Since 1937 (256) 776-3268 • 1-800-239-5173 Fax: (256) 776-4717 Highway 72 East Paint Rock, Alabama 35764 www.allisonwholesale.com 62

SAWD 2015

www.RisingChurch.org

SAWD 2015

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SAVANNAH 2014 WRAPUP

T

he Southern’s 2014 Annual Meeting and Trade Show was held at the Westin Savannah Harbor and Savannah International Trade & Convention Center in Savannah, GA. The meeting featured the 2nd largest trade show for convenience wholesalers in the country: Southern Showcase 2014.

In addition, attendees received outstanding industryspecific educational sessions, updates on industry and legislative issues, and a host of networking opportunities including: golf at The Golf Club at Savannah Harbor, awards dinners on Thursday and Friday evenings, the 64

Silent Auction that benefits the SAWD Education Fund, the Hospitality Suite with our very own Karaoke entertainment, a Meeting With a Mission event, a “700 Cooking School” optional outing, and an evening out that included the famous “Southern Pub Crawl”!

The Southern Board of Directors and Committees of the association met to carry on the business of the organization.

We would like to extend a sincere debt of gratitude to our sponsors for their part in making this meeting such a tremendous success.

SAWD 2015

SAWD Education Fund

2014 Annual Meeting Sponsors Altria Group Distribution American Snuff Co. Burdette Beckmann Commonwealth Altadis USA Creative Data Research Dot Foods The Hershey Company SAWD 2015

Jack Links Beef Jerky Kellogg’s Lil’ Drug Store Lorillard Tobacco Matrix Brokerage National Tobacco Co. Nestlé USA

R. J. Reynolds Republic Tobacco SAWD Education Fund SICPA Smokey Mountain Snuff Swedish Match Swisher International 65

Midyear Board of Director’s Meeting

Loews Coronado Bay, San Diego, CA

T

he Southern’s Midyear Meeting of the Board of Directors was held in beautiful San Diego, CA at the Loews Coronado Bay on February 12th – 14th, 2015. This meeting usually sets the direction of the organization for the coming year and this year was no exception. Thanks to this meeting, we feel that the 92nd SAWD Annual Meeting set for Dallas, Texas on June 9-12th will be another successful event not to be missed.

All of the Southern’s committees met, including Finance & Budget, Education, Conventions & Meetings, Government Affairs, and the Executive Committee. A full report of committee activities will be made during the Annual Meeting in Dallas.

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We would like to extend a sincere debt of gratitude to all of the members of the Board who were able to make the meeting in San Diego. For those of us that did make it to San Diego—WOW, what wonderful weather we were treated to! In addition to the work that was accomplished at this meeting, lots of fun and networking continued on the golf course and on the land and sea tour. The Loews Coronado Bay was a perfect venue to enjoy working, sharing, brainstorming and, of course, managing to find time for some fun in that wonderfully sunny San Diego weather.

We would certainly like to express our thanks to our sponsors for their part in making this meeting such a success!

2015 SAWD Midyear Sponsors Platinum Sponsors Altria Group Distribution Company American Snuff Commonwealth Altadis R.J. Reynolds Gold Sponsors Jack Links Beef Jerky Lil’ Drug Store Products Lorillard Tobacco National Tobacco Nestle USA Swedish Match Swisher International Silver Sponsors Burdette Beckmann Creative Data Research Dot Foods Matrix Brokerage Republic Tobacco SAWD 2015

A Great Time Was Had By All!

Wholesale Distributors Serving Kentucky, West Virginia and Ohio with candy, tobacco products, groceries, paper goods and institutional items.

We Sell The Old Fashioned Way‌ We Show It! Ashland Specialty Co.

Wholesale Distributors 125 29th Street • Ashland, Kentucky 41101 Bud Copley President 68

Lisa Scott Vice President SAWD 2015

SAWD 2015

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2014 SAWD College Scholarship Winners Congratulations to Parker Stewart, son of Van Stewart with Lorillard Tobacco Company receiving his scholarship check from Lorillard’s Bob Klein.

Scholarship winner Emerson Newsome, son of Michele Newsome, accepting his check from Tony Clanton with Swedish Match of North America.

Chad Gummer, President of Gummer Wholesale, delivers Maria Dellapina her scholarship check. Standing with Maria are her proud parents, Donna and Lou Dellapina.

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hanks to the support of the SAWD Education Fund and the Annual Silent Auction, the Southern has been able to provide college scholarships for Southern Member employees and their families.

The Southern was pleased to announce at the 2014 Southern Showcase and Annual Meeting the winners of the 2014 SAWD College Scholarships. For 2014, the applicants were asked to write an essay on the topic, “As a consumer in 2014, how does social media influence your purchasing decisions?”

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We had 38 applicants in 2014, all with creative and very interesting essays. Choosing just 3 was not an easy task for the SAWD Scholarship Jury!

The three $5,000 scholarships were won by Parker Stewart, who attends North Carolina State University and is the son of Van Stewart with Lorillard Tobacco; Emerson Newsome at the University of Cincinnati whose mother is Michele Newsome with Swedish Match of North America; and Maria Dellapina who attends Miami University and is the daughter of Lou Dellapina with Gummer Wholesale.

Christopher Sean Wallace, who

is attending Central Piedmont Community College, won the $2,000 Technical School Scholarship. Chris is the son of Jimmy and Sheila Barefoot with U.S. Flue-Cured Tobacco.

We want to congratulate these scholarship winners and wish them the best!

The Southern will be announcing the 2015 winners at the Southern meeting in Dallas, TX this June. Best of luck to all who applied writing an essay on the topic “How do you feel about the legalization of marijuana in certain states and what suggestions would you make if your state would consider it?”

SAWD 2015

Scholarship Winner

Tweet Me, Friend Me and Make Me Buy!

By Parker Stewart

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oday, March 14, 2014, I received 2,532 tweets, 104 notifications and 35 snapchats. I viewed over 200 posts on Instagram, spent 28 minutes on Facebook and check-in twice. Of the 2,532 tweets I received, 39 were promoted. During my 28 minutes on Facebook, I stumbled across 24 suggested posts. I am a social being, but I am also a consumer. More and more recently these two personas have collided.

I share, therefore I am. Social media signifies the power of our lifestyle gestures by broadcasting them to a larger audience and making them seem less ephemeral.

Facebook and Twitter enable me to connect with friends, family and many more people whom I’ve likely never met and never will meet. Whereas before, a person might share their love of a particular brand with a few associates at work, a few family members at home and a few close friends out in public, they’ll now endorse it to friends on their social networks. These identity making gestures temper the anonymity that consumerism’s mass markets tend to impose by concretely attaching our identity to what we consume.

Social media appeals to our vanity and plays to our vulnerability. Because of the way Facebook and Twitter are structured, social media urges us to continually devise ingenious new solutions to our identity. This, however, is suddenly cast as a particular kind of reoccurring problem, one that needs solving by replenishing SAWD 2015

social media’s various channels with fresh content. How we project ourselves to the world is a challenge because urban societies use consumption and consumerism to create and display their social selves and to judge their peers. Social media has created the opportunity for us to present our best self for everyone to see, yet we feel the need to promote ourselves as attention worthy. We distinguish ourselves from one another, but only within the prevailing canons of taste of our preferred peer groups.

This raises the question: do people choose their identities, or do they choose where to shop?

Comments, reviews, ratings and recommendations underpin many of the purchase decisions I make. We generally buy what we see our friends and family using and enjoying. We, however, live in a world of digital connections: of tweets, of posts, of snapchats. This new free exchange of information through both the internet and social media means that every consumer is equipped with the tools for in depth research about a brand or product. Rather than having to rely in the testimony of a sales associate, or advertising, I can quickly look to their social networks to see what people think. But it is not just friends we trust, we even examine what strangers are saying about a brand or a product.

Unlike the toll-free numbers of a past generation, the posts and tweets of 2014 are public. With social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, everybody is connected, and everybody has a voice.

Social media users now have the ability to instantly connect with a brand, sometimes even with the CEOs of the organizations. It is not that social media actually influences the purchasing decisions and habits of the users, rather, it is the sharing of thoughts and opinions through social media. These posts and tweets are a matter of empowerment. Before social media, many jilted consumers struggled to have their voices heard, while brands shouted advertisements and marketing back to them. Now consumers have a right and a growing responsibility to hold brands accountable through social media. When I post a complaint on Facebook I share my opinion with all of my 615 friends. If my friends agree, they will send it to their own friends. Soon, several thousand users have read about my experience.

As a consumer in 2014, the world is watching and even informing my purchasing decisions. Instead of shouting advertisements and marketing, brands now tweet me, friend me and provoke my purchases through interaction. The sales room, now extended into a virtual scape, reflects its audience’s dreams to overcome their reservations and provoke a purchase.

Yet I am now empowered by the same social networks that play to my amity and vulnerability. I understand that I am a consumer targeted by brands, but, as a social being within a larger scape of tweets, posts and snapchats, I care more about what my friends like and repost than the suggested posts on my wall. n 71

Advertisers Directory A Special Thanks To All Listed Below Who Make Our Convention Magazine Possible!

Allison Wholesale. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Jack Link’s Beef Jerky. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Altria. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

King Maker Marketing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Andalusia Distributing Co.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Ashland Specialty Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Atlantic Dominion Distributors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Kellogg’s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Long Wholesale Distributors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Merchant’s Grocery Company, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Burdette Beckmann. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 City Wholesale Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Commonwealth – Altadis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-17 Core-Mark. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

National Tobacco Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Nestlé. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Premier Manufacturing Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Corso, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

R. J. Reynolds/American Snuff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Creative Data Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Republic Tobacco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back Cover

Douglas Companies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Santa Fe Natural Tobacco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

GSC Enterprises, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Glidewell Distributing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 H.T. Hackney Co.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Southco. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Standard Distributing Co.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Stephenson Wholesale. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Hardec’s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Hershey USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Home Folks Wholesale Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 ImageWorks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside Back Cover

Stewart Candy Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Swedish Match.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-19 Swisher International, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Inter-Continental Cigar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Team Sledd.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

J. F. Johnson, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Velociti Alliance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside Front Cover

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SAWD 2015