2016 Southern Annual Meeting Magazine

Finish First in Profits, Sales, and Opportunities!

93rd Annual Meeting & Trade Show

Hilton Daytona Beach / Ocean Center • Daytona Beach, FL • June 14-17, 2016 (Show Dates June 16 and 17) • www.the-southern.org • 770-932-3263

Inside…

16 All I wanted was a cake!

64 Dallas Convention Wrap-Up 70 2015 SAWD College Scholarship Winners

20 2015/2016 Award Winners 30 Changing the conversation

around Millennials 71 Award Winning Essay: Is it time to legalize medical marijuana?

36 Southern Showcase Schedule of Events 60 Officers and Directors Elected/Installed 72 Advertisers Directory

Table of Contents Letter from the Governor of Florida . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Letter from the Mayor of Daytona Beach, Florida . . . . . . 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 CEO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 All I wanted was a cake! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-17 Award Winners 2015 / 2016 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-22 New Exhibitor Spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 19th Annual Silent Auction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Changing the conversation around Millennials . . . . 30-31 SLD Business Resource in Fort Myers, FL . . . . . . . . . . . 32-33

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36-37 Education Fund Contributors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 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 2015 Dallas Convention Wrap-Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64-65 Mid-Year BOD Meeting in Costa Rica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66-67 2015 SAWD College Scholarship Winners . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Is it time to legalize medical marijuana? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Advertisers Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 SAWD 2016

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March 10, 2016

It is a pleasure to welcome you to the Southern Association of Wholesale Distributors’ 93rd Annual Meeting and Trade Show being held at the Hilton Daytona Beach and at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Florida.

The Southern Association is a 14-state regional trade show representing the interests of corporations and individuals involved in the manufacturing, sales and distribution of convenience products. Our state is proud to host this meeting, and we look forward to showcasing the hospitality that makes Florida the world’s destination of choice. Enjoy the beauty of our state parks, world class attractions and our miles of beautiful beaches.

Florida offers an endless variety of enticements and remains one of the most dynamic and diverse destinations you can experience.

Best wishes for a successful meeting.

Sincerely,

Rick Scott

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SAWD 2016

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SAWD 2016

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SAWD 2016

From the President’s Corner

“If you own your story, you get to write the ending.”

—Brené Brown

he Southern is in the process of owning our story so that we can write the ending...

T

At the end of April (after the publication deadline for this magazine), leaders and stakeholders in the Southern will be gathering in Atlanta for a two-day Strategic Planning meeting to take a hard look at the future of our organization and our trade show. While post-show evaluations are helpful to guide small changes from year to year, periodically you have to dip a bigger bucket into the moving river of member needs. I am grateful for the leaders of our organization who offered up their time so readily to assist us in charting our course for the coming years.

Coping with change is an ongoing process. Mergers and acquisitions in the marketplace seem to be slowing but are continuing to impact our businesses and the organizations that serve us. Trends at the national level are typically felt at our regional level as well. Recent and significant changes at CDA, our national affiliate, will impact both our show and our organization going forward.

In addition, we are seeing a significant increase in legislative and regulatory activity that directly affects our members as a result of states seeking to safeguard the revenue streams provided to them by the MSA. In some states, like South Carolina, that means a return to stamping cigarettes. In most other states it means our having to provide more and more complex reports on what products were sold to who and when. Staying on top of 6

technology that can assist us with this will be critical to our future profitability.

These trends are all on top of the daily routine of sales, marketing, managing fleets of vehicles, managing through driver shortages, changing manufacturer programs, meeting the ever-increasing demands of customers, and the list goes on.

The good news is that we don’t face these changes alone…corporately or organizationally. The Southern has been blessed with outstanding leaders who transparently share information to help each other and who willingly share their time to set the direction for our organization.

As my term as your President comes to a close, I want to thank the members of my Executive Committee: Randy Long, Randy Emanuelson, Steve Douglas, and Dick Dunham, for their faithful service during my term and before. I want to thank my committee Chairs and Vice Chairs as well as the entire Board of Directors for their participation and support. April Garver has done a great job as President of the SLD during her term. Finally, I want to thank our CEO, Greg Martin and his staff for their part in making the Southern a success.

The Southern will celebrate our 93rd anniversary this year on the Beach in Daytona, Florida. The program looks to be another outstanding offering and I look forward to seeing you there.

Paula Glidewell SAWD 2016

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

Mark Dryden 9020 King Palm Dr. Tampa FL 33619 (813) 664-0474

A Letter from the SLD President I want to start by thanking everyone for their support these past 2 years as I have served as the SLD President. One of the goals of the SLD is getting to know our members better as we share ideas and enjoy the fellowship both personally and professionally, and this is what I have cherished most about the organization.

As a member of the SLD, you are exposed to the education needed to develop leadership skills as well as cultivate a culture of learning within your organization. One of the best ways to do this is by attending the SLD Midyear Meeting, which is held in November. Our education committee does a great job choosing relevant and interesting speakers that offer ideas for us to take back to our organizations.

We generally kick off our meeting with “Meetings with a Mission.” The SLD participants have the opportunity to give back to the local community where we are holding our meeting. We have received great feedback from our members on these opportunities. This past year we made a lot of strides by better understanding how to communicate with our New American customers.

Dr. Unnava was our speaker on this topic and shared some very powerful insights. One of the key takeaways from Dr. Unnava’s presentation was that New Americans value family more than anything and knowing this is very helpful in learning how to better communicate. A few mock interviews were held with a New American customer that was very beneficial to both wholesalers and manufacturers since we all face many differences within our cultures. Rick Farrell finished off the meeting by discussing how to sell in the age of the information economy. He discussed the whole concept of effective selling and the challenges and problems we face in the marketplace. These speakers allowed us to take ideas back to our businesses and share with our employees to improve our communication with our customers.

The technology committee has been busy keeping the SLD members up to date on upcoming meetings and events within our industry because communication is key for us to continue to grow our organization. We have a dynamic meeting already in the works to be held on November 9 -11, 2016 in Pittsburgh, PA. The meeting will include a tour of Team Sledd along with some great education sessions lined up that you will not want to miss. Stay tuned for upcoming information regarding this worthwhile meeting!

The SLD helps its members make connections with manufacturers and wholesalers, as well as making life-long friends. These are the people that make this association so special. I want to thank the executive board for all of your hard work; I could not do it without you. Thank you to our vendor sponsors, without you these meetings and events could not take place. The staff, committees, and the board works hard to provide beneficial meetings and experiences that are also memorable. The SLD will be under great leadership with Leanne Jennings taking over as President, as she will serve the SLD well. Thanks again for all of your support. This organization has been a pleasure to serve.

Thanks,

April Garver

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SAWD 2016

©2016 SFNTC (2)

For more information on Natural American Spirit visit EngageTradePartners.com or contact your local SFNTC representative.

CIGARETTES ©2016 SFNTC (2) SAWD 2016

* BASED ON STR 2008 - 2015 FOR BRANDS WITH A GREATER THAN .05 SOM

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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: 2:00 p.m. 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 Oceanview Room, Hilton Hotel 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 Creative Data Research Dot Foods ITG Brands Jack Links Beef Jerky Lil’ Drug Store Products Matrix Brokerage

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

SAWD 2016

CATEGORYISGROWTH EVERY DAY.

Trusted iconic brands, consumer-focused innovation 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 Wholesale Distributors.

SUCCESS IS AN EVERYDAY THING.

*Source: Nielsen 12/2012-12/2015

hersheysconvenience.com

SAWD 2016

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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 16th 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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SAWD 2016

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Jack Link’s® has all the resources you need to satisfy your cravings for revenue. We’ll serve up the insights and business solutions that really hit the spot.

CUTTING-EDGE INNOVATION Product platforms and merchandising solutions that meet evolving shopper needs.

SAWD 2016

®, TM, © 2016 LINK SNACKS, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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From the Chief Executive Officer…

L

ocated on the East coast of Florida between Orlando and Jacksonville is the home of gorgeous beaches, beautiful weather, the Daytona 500, and the Southern’s 93 Annual Meeting…and we hope you’ll be there!

Tommy Spaulding, a best-selling author and world-renowned inspirational speaker on leadership, will kick-off the meeting at our Thursday morning General Session. His latest book, The Heart Led Leader is a New York Times and #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller and was named as a Top 100 Business Books of 2015 by INC.com. In September 2012, Tommy was named by Meetings & Conventions Magazine as one of the BEST KEYNOTE SPEAKERS in the nation.

Popular industry speaker, researcher, and profitability analyst, Dr. Al Bates returns to the Southern’s stage discussing: “The Real Profit Drivers: An In-depth Review of What Really Impacts Profit.” Dr. Bates is excited to share the results of his latest study on distributor profitability and what distributors need to know to survive and thrive in a quickly changing marketplace.

Jamie explores research from his latest book: “When Millennials Take Over” that illustrates the more important role Millennials play as decoders of the key changes that are happening in the business world today

Meetings with a Mission is an 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 service organization, 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.

We are very excited to offer our golfers a day of fresh air and fellowship at the LPGA International golf course, as well as at a party on the roof of Joe’s which is built out over the water and enjoys a stunning view of the sunset over the water.

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 Steve Gavatorta received some of the highest the show floor, they “earn back” up to 50% of their evaluations received by a speaker at one of our recent registration fee in cash at the show! (Full details on the SLD Business Resource meetings. He is a consultant, Distributor Rebate Program may be found in the on-site trainer, coach, and speaker who conducts workshops program). and speaks on the topic of effective communication Hope you can be there to learn, buy, and network! and how it is a catalyst for personal development, success in sales, management, leadership, teamSincerely, building, and dealing with change.

Jamie Notter, Founding Partner WorkXO, will be speaking on one of the most asked about topics today…how to deal with the Millennial workforce.

In his session, “The Power of Millennial Alignment”, 14

Greg Martin Chief Executive Officer SAWD 2016

Best Wishes for a Successful Convention!

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

All I wanted was a cake!

BY TOMMY SPAULDING

E

very company can name a handful, or sometimes, one person that represents the heart of their organization. Often times it’s not the CEO or a member of the senior executive team.

It’s usually someone working hard in the trenches— someone closest to the employees and customers. These people should be honored and cherished.

Link Wilfley is President of A.R. Wilfley & Sons Inc., a fifth generation family business that engineers, manufactures, sells and supports heavy duty centrifugal pumps in the most severe pumping applications around the world. Link’s great-great grandfather, Arthur Redman Wilfley started the business with his two sons George and Elmer in the early 1900’s in Denver. Pumping applications is not a sexy business, but I have learned more about leadership from A.R. Wilfley’s current thirty-six-year old President than most tenured Fortune 500 CEO’s.

Link and I both have eight-year old sons that play on the same hockey team. Our boys get up early five days a week to practice before school. Not many kids under the age of ten show that kind of commitment for the game.

But our sons do. And our alarm clocks go off at 5:00am because of our sons’ passion!

If I were ever to have a man crush it would be with Link. He is built like Michelangelo’s Statue of David— having played professional rugby in England and a fourtime member of the US National Team. But what makes me admire Link is not his physical strength but his heartled leadership style and sheer loyalty and commitment to the 150 people that call themselves employees of A.R. Wilfley.

Last month I invited Link and our boys to a Colorado Avalanche hockey game. Not knowing a darn thing about heavy duty centrifugal pumping applications, I drilled him with questions. And what I learned is that his company, like most domestic industrial manufacturers, is challenged with innovation, off-shore competition and efficiencies. After listening intently, I asked Link a direct 16

question, “Have you ever thought about selling your company?”

I shared with Link that if 100 business consultants and analytic experts studied his business model, perhaps 99 of them would recommend him to consider selling taking the tens of millions of dollars of profit and reinvest in current technologies and new industries.

Link’s answer was only three words, “No Way!” (I left out the middle word to keep this rated PG!).

Conversation over.

A few days later I received a hand-written letter from Link thanking me for taking he and his son Luke to the AV’s game. And then he shared his heart with me.

“Tommy, on the cover of this card is a picture of Phu Sinh Truong. Sinh is a Vietnamese gentleman that has worked in our assembly department for 37 years. He has a tremendous story of resilience and perseverance to make it to the United States. I grew up working at the plant alongside him and many others in our company, and they truly do feel like family. You asked me the other day if I would ever sell my company. The reason why I would never sell is because of men like Phu Sinh Truong.

It would be disloyal to Arthur, Elmer, George, Mike, Jack, Tony, Chuck, Art, Clint, Sing, Yen, Hung and the hundreds of thousands of family members that have been with us over the past hundred years.”

After I finished reading Link’s words, I closed his card and wiped a tear from my eye. And I said to myself, “Every leader should have that much love and loyalty towards their best people.” And I thanked God that He put Link in my life to teach me this valuable lesson.

[The people and organization in the next part of the story are altered to protect the innocent and the guilty.]

Doreen Westman worked for Change the World non-profit organization for nearly thirty years. Of the tens of thousands of volunteers, staff and participants of Change the World, Doreen was, like Phu Sinh Truong, the heart of the company. Doreen was not the CEO or on SAWD 2016

the senior executive team—she worked in the trenches closest to the mission of the organization - bringing her best to work for nearly three decades. I once witnessed Doreen walk in a room of four hundred Change the World student participants clapping politely after the founder gave his remarks, but giving Doreen a roaring standing ovation after she was mentioned only by first name.

That was the kind of selfless leader Doreen Westman was. She represented the heart and soul of Change the World.

Last year Doreen was fired from Change the World. I have held the position of CEO in past organizations and understand the unfortunate need for layoffs, downsizing and company restructuring. I was not angry to hear “why” Doreen was fired. Organizations need to make hard decisions to survive and thrive. However, I was infuriated with “how” Doreen was fired. After nearly three decades of being the heart and soul of Change the World, Doreen was called into her superior’s office one morning and told, unexpectedly, that today was her last day. She needed to pack up her belongings and she

would be escorted out the building. No goodbyes. No thank you. No recognition. No nothing.

I recently wrote Doreen a long letter telling her how I feel about her. I told her that of the tens of thousands of alumni, volunteers and staff members of Change the World, that she was my very favorite.

That she was the heart and soul of this remarkable organization. And I thanked her and honored her for giving her life to Change the World’s mission.

It took quite some time for Doreen to respond to my e-mail. Later, she admitted, that she was overwhelmed with my words.

Her response was first class. Hiding the pain, she did not say one bad word about the organization that she and I love so dearly. But what Doreen said was something that rocked my heart, “After thirty years Tommy, all I wanted was a goodbye cake. Nothing more, just a cake!”

Every organization has a Doreen Westman and a Phu Sinh Truong. They are the heart of your organization.

Identify them. Thank them. Honor them. Value them.

Praise them. Protect them. Love them. And if they ever leave your organization, for whatever reason, for heaven’s sake please buy them a damn cake!

Tommy Spaulding is a world renowned inspirational speaker on leadership and best selling author. Tommy is currently the president of the Spaulding Corporation, an international leadership developing and training organization.

He will be a keynote speaker at this year’s SAWD Annual Meeting.

SAWD 2016

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SAWD 2016

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Please call 1-800-367-3677 or visit swedishmatch.com Š2016 SWEDISH MATCH NORTH AMERICA, INC.

SAWD 2016

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The Southern Awards 2015 Congratulations to all our Award Winners for 2015!

Maria Miro-Narlock, owner of Spotlight Innovations, received the 2015 Southern Leader of the Year Award.

Maria is shown here with the 2014 winner, Leanne Jennings with J.L. Gaddy Wholesale.

2015 SOUTHERN LEADER OF THE YEAR AWARD

2015 SAWD ALLIED PRODUCTS REP OF THE YEAR AWARD

2015 TOBACCO REP OF THE YEAR AWARD

2015 CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

The 2015 Allied Products Representative of the Year Award went to Mandi Clark with Dot Foods.

Mandi is shown with Tom Brice with Lil’ Drug Store Products, the 2014 winner.

Victoria Person-Goral with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco received the 2015 Tobacco Representative of the Year Award from the 2014 winner, Tony Clanton with Swedish Match.

Congratulations to Ricky Jones with Andalusia Distributing Company for being awarded the 2015 SAWD Career Achievement Award. Ricky was handed his award by Robin Ray of Atlantic Dominion Distributors, the 2014 winner.

2015 SAWD LIBERTY AWARD

2015 SAWD SERVICE AWARD

2015 SAWD SERVICE AWARD

A 2015 SAWD Liberty Award was awarded to Leonard Robinette with The H.T. Hackney Co. Leonard is shown accepting his award from the 2014 Liberty Award winner, Randy Emanuelson with Team Sledd.

A 2015 SAWD Service Award was awarded to Scott McPherson with Core-Mark. Scott is shown accepting his award from Jeff Leischner with The H.T. Hackney Co., a 2013 winner.

Chris Smythers with Merchants Grocery received the 2015 SAWD Service Award from the 2014 winner, Steve Douglas of the Douglas Companies.

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SAWD 2016

Meetings with a Mission

SAWD President Paula Glidewell presented a check from The Southern to the Beautiful Feet Ministry at the 2015 Southern Showcase.

SAWD 2016

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The Southern Awards 2016

Tony Berryhill 2016 SNACK REPRESENTATIVE OF THE YEAR

Bob Klein CAREER ACHIEVEMENT

The Southern Association of Wholesale Distributors will be honoring these 2016 award winners at the annual meeting this June in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Sincere congratulations to them all!

Trey Williams 2016 ALLIED PRODUCTS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE YEAR

Marty Howell 2016 SAWD SERVICE AWARD

Paula Glidewell

President Glidewell Distributing OUTGOING PRESIDENTCo. Fort Smith, AR

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Dick Dunham CAREER ACHIEVEMENT

Jack Casanova 2016 LIBERTY AWARD

April Garver OUTGOING SLD PRESIDENT

SAWD 2016

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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

SAWD 2016

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

SAWD 2016

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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)…

6 Hour Sleep

Megawholesale Inc.

Boulder International Inc.

P4 Technologies

Calbee North America

Prime Foods

Chain Drug Marketing

Rudolph Foods

Custom Blends

Treat Planet

Hy-Tek Material Handling

Van Holten’s

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SAWD 2016

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19th 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.

SAWD 2016

SAWD 2016

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Changing the conversation

BY JAMIE NOTTER

A

lot has been written about the Millennial generation in the last ten years or so, and to be frank, much of it is distracting, at best. The research that is cited is usually fairly accurate—that’s not the problem. The problem is that each new article on Millennials is trying to teach us how to “deal with” this generation. It may have a positive spin (the Millennials are a harbinger of the future!), or it may have a negative spin (can you believe the kids these days?!), but it’s still about us (you know, the “normal” people) needing to deal with “them.”

We desperately need to change this conversation, and I’ll start by asking you to focus a bit less on the Millennials and a little more on you and your organization. Consider the following questions: Do you have close to 100% staff engagement? By this we mean, do you have a place where nearly all 30

of your staff are continuously giving extra effort. They LOVE working there. They all get tons of stuff done because working there is just so integral to their lives and who they are.

They say things like “I can’t imagine working somewhere else.”

Do you encourage “positive” turnover? And not just the obvious poor performers who won’t be around long anyway—we mean, are you actively moving people out if they are toxic, overly negative, or a bad fit for your culture? And even the “good” ones— are you okay with them leaving if they want to explore other options, knowing that they will probably come back a few months later once they see how great your workplace is compared to others?

Could you charge a lot more and still keep your customers? In other words, is the quality and value of what you provide so exceptional, that you

can charge significantly more than your competitors, but have customers line up anyway?

I assume most of you are answering “no” to these questions, so it may surprise you to find out that there are organizations out there that can answer yes. There are quite a few of them, actually. In the research my co-author and I completed for our book When Millennials Take Over, we found several that you’ve probably never heard of. The American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH), for example, is a small nonprofit in Chicago, but when they have a position open up there, they routinely get applications from people at local technology firms, which is actually the reverse of the traditional flow of talent between nonprofits and cool tech companies. They were one of several of the organizations we studied whose employees could not imagine working anywhere else. We SAWD 2016

also found Quality Living, Inc. (QLI) in Omaha, Nebraska. They are a healthcare company, yet have always kept their overall turnover well below the industry average, and when you look at only their “bad turnover” rate (the people they wished would stay) you’ll see that it never went above 10% per year in their 20-year history.

So what are companies like QLI and the American Society for Surgery of the Hand doing differently?

Interestingly, they (and others like them) are taking a surprising number of cues from the Millennial generation.

It’s not that these organizations were founded and led by Millennials—they were not; they’ve had Baby Boomer and Generation X leaders at the helm

that is harder on the software designer, but that’s what users expect these days.

To embrace the digital mindset inside your organization, then, you must see your employees as the “users” of your workplace. At ASSH, for example, they designed the entire workspace around the needs of the employees, complete with power and wifi on the roof deck and a mix of quiet spaces and collaborative spaces that let the individuals find what works for them.

They even put the CEO’s desk right out in the open workspace, in the middle of everyone. Employees found that when they had instant access to senior management, they got their work done more effectively and effi-

to Millennials. The digital mindset is just one way organizations are tapping into this power, but I’m seeing it in other areas as well, specifically around increased transparency and a more fluid hierarchy, among others. There is a trend towards more companies taking extra steps to make more things visible internally in order to increase the quality and quantity of good decisions inside the organization.

Traditional management asks the top of the organization to determine who “needs to know” before information is disseminated, but that doesn’t work in a fast-paced, networked world.

So let’s stop arguing about whether or not the Millennials are too entitled or spoiled in the workplace. Let’s not worry about which generation is the most correct when it comes to management style or dress code. Let’s start learning from the Millennials instead so we can all figure out how to thrive in a business environment that is becoming something radically different from what we’ve all grown up with. As we move forward, the most successful organizations will abandon the conversation about how to “deal with” this new generation and will focus on how they can help us all understand (and create) what the future of business will look like.

around Millennials the whole time. And they didn’t even set out to create the cultures they have with the specific intention of attracting the Millennial generation (though they all seem to be doing well in that area). They simply set out to create amazing organizations, but when you look at the patterns across these organizations, as well as some of the darlings of the business press like Zappos, or Valve, or Nordstrom, some important patterns emerge.

For example, these organizations are all very good at embracing what we call the “digital mindset.” The digital mindset, as the name implies, requires a different way of thinking—a lot more like a software designer than like a traditional manager. In the software world, the user is king. You have to make the user experience stellar, despite that fact that users are picky and on different platforms and ­devices. You have to make it customizable for them (nearly all of them—not just the elite), and it has to be continuously innovated and improved. All SAWD 2016

ciently, so that’s the path they chose.

In taking this approach, ASSH has achieved a level of employee engagement that most companies would envy, and they end up accomplishing more than many nonprofits their size.

As one employee put it, “This place cares so much about us, so we should care more about this place.”

The one outcome they may not have predicted was the way the organization became attractive to the Millennial generation. But think about it—the Millennials grew up in the digital age. This is a generation that does not remember work before the internet. They get new phones every two years, they customize all their apps instantly, and they are comfortable abandoning old tools for new tools as they are improved upon. The digital mindset simply makes sense to them.

And that’s the key lesson here.

Organizations that are performing surprisingly well in today’s environment also happen to make complete sense

Author info: Jamie is a founding partner at WorkXO where he helps leaders create stronger cultures and upgrade their workplaces, based on a deeper understanding of their organizational genetic code. He brings 25 years of experience in conflict resolution, generational differences, leadership, and culture change to the consulting firm he started with Maddie Grant and Charlie Judy in 2016. Author of two books (When Millennials Take Over, and Humanize), Jamie has a Master’s in conflict resolution from George Mason and a certificate in OD from Georgetown, where he serves as adjunct faculty.

Jamie is a keynote speaker at this year’s SAWD Annual Meeting.

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SLD Business Resource Meeting 2015

Sanibel Marriott, Fort Myers, Florida

T

he 2015 SLD Business Resource Meeting was held at the Sanibel Harbour Marriott Resort and Spa. 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 by the attendees. SAWD President, Paula Glidewell, started the meeting off with a session that included some fresh insights on the topic of leadership, self-involvement, and being successful in this ever-changing marketplace. Dr. H. Rao Unnava spent an entire day discussing “How to Thrive in a Culturally Diverse Marketplace.” Some interactive role-playing really helped bring Dr. Unnava’s insights home. Everyone also enjoyed hearing from Richard Farrell, President of Tangent Knowledge Systems, who spoke on the topic of “How to Sell in the Age of the Information Economy.”

Rick shared his in-depth knowledge of 32

the sales challenges of small to mid-sized companies.

The attendees “gave back” to the Children’s Network of Southwest Florida by assembling bicycles and stuffing backpacks for distribution this Christmas to foster children in the Fort Myers area.

A very informative roundtable discussion was lead 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 enjoyed a relaxing dinner cruise on the Princess and a couple of evenings networking in the hospitality suite, hosted by ITG Brands.

The weather was perfect and 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 R. J. Reynolds Tobacco American Snuff SAWD Education Fund Gold Sponsors ITG Brands 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 2016

SAWD Education Fund

SAWD 2016

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SAVE the DATE

SLD Business Resource Meeting November 9-11, 2016 Pittsburgh, PA

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 2016

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 93nd 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.

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

TUESDAY, June 14

7:15 PM - 10:00 PM Dinner & Industry Awards

2:00 PM - 5:30 PM Registration Desk Open

After Dinner – Until Hospitality Suite - Open to All

3:00 PM - 3:30 PM Chair/Vice Chair Meeting

THURSDAY, June 16

3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Committee Meetings

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

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

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

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

7:30 AM - 8:45 AM General Session

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

“The Heart Led Leader”

WEDNESDAY, June 15 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM Golf Tournament LPGA International Golf Course Register for golf during the online registration process: www.the-southern.org 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Registration Desk Open 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM Lunch and Wineglass Painting Come and enjoy lunch and libation before you learn to paint wineglasses. Each person will use your imagination, or you can copy from several examples and designs that will be on hand. You will be able to sign your masterpieces and take them home to enjoy or to give as gifts.

2:30 PM – 4:00 PM SAWD Meetings with a Mission Meetings with a Mission is a Southern initiative designed to encourage connections between attendees and those in the community for the purpose of doing good. SAWD will be partnering with a local charitable service organization this year in a half-day of service, allowing us to step away from the hustle and bustle, roll-up our sleeves, and work alongside one another for a worthy cause. Join us for a different kind of experience at the Southern’s 93rd Anniversary & Trade Show.

4:15 PM – 5:15 PM SAWD Board of Directors’ Meeting 4:15 PM – 5:15 PM SLD Board Meeting

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Tommy Spaulding has been teaching heart led leadership and the art of developing successful, authentic and lasting relationships that build businesses and brand loyalty for over 20 years.

A world-renowned inspirational speaker on leadership, Spaulding speaks to hundreds of corporations, associations and organizations around the globe.

Currently, Tommy is the president of the Spaulding Companies Corporation, an international leadership development and training organization.

Prior to founding his own company, Spaulding was the Business Partner Sales Manager for IBM/Lotus, and in 2005, Tommy was named the fifth President and CEO of the renowned international leadership organization, Up with People. Tommy earned his MBA from Bond University in Australia, and in 2007 he received an Honorary PhD in Humanities from the Art Institute of Colorado.

His first book, It’s Not Just Who You Know, released and published by Penguin Random House in August 2010, hit #2 on the New York Times, #2 on the Wall Street Journal, and #1 USA Today national bestsellers lists. His latest book, The Heart Led Leader is a New York Times and #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller and was named as a Top 100 Business Books of 2015

by INC.com. In September 2012, Tommy was named by Meetings & Conventions Magazine as one of the BEST KEYNOTE SPEAKERS in the nation. Ken Blanchard, author of The One Minute Manager and who wrote the foreword to It’s Not Just Who You Know, says, “Tommy Spaulding is one of the most inspirational and talented speakers in the country.”

9:00 AM – Noon Education Sessions 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM Session 1 “The Real Profit Drivers: An In-depth Review of What Really Impacts Profit” Dr. Albert D. Bates is founder and Director of Research for the Profit Planning Group Distributors have a decision to make as to whether they want to base their actions on profit anecdotes or profit facts. This session will focus on the real keys to profit improvement.

This convention session will present the results of largest sample of distributor profitability ever undertaken. It will reveal what actually drives profit across a wide range of distribution industries. The conclusions shatter much of the conventional wisdom in distribution.

Firms that employ the right combination of the Critical Profit Variables produce a Return on Assets and a Pre-tax Profit Margin that is twice as high as the typical distributor. It is a massive difference.

Key attendee takeaways: • Does size matter?

• How fast does the firm have to grow?

• Can gross margin be too high as well as too low?

• Is cost control an out-of-date concept as some consultants suggest?

• Should firms to continue to try to lower investment levels?

Dr. Albert D. Bates is founder and Director of Research for the Profit Planning Group, a benchmarking and executive education firm headquartered in Boulder, Colorado. He is also a Principal in the Distribution Performance Project, a research group devoted to distribution issues. Al makes approximately 100 presentations each year on topics such as Improving the Bottom Line, Getting Serious About Profit, Doing More with Less, and Pricing for Profit. He is also a featured speaker at the University of Innovative Distribution.

He has written extensively in both the professional and trade press, including the Harvard Business Review, the California Management Review and Business Horizons. In addition he writes the quarterly Profit Improvement Reports for the firm’s trade association clients.

Al received his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Arlington and his MBA and doctorate from Indiana University.

While at Indiana he was one of the first recipients of the Ford Foundation Fellowships in Business Education.

SAWD 2016

Trade Show – Schedule of Events 10:45 AM - Noon Session 2 “Dynamic Communication – Maximizing Customer Interaction and Engagement” Steve Gavatorta, Owner Steve Gavatorta, Group In today’s fast-paced, high tech, low touch world, the art of effectively connecting, interacting and communicating with others is becoming a lost art.

Leaders/Managers that can effectively connect with their teams and customers through tailored communication will indeed differentiate themselves and create a competitive advantage for their company.

Effective communication includes understanding how people behave, communicate, are motivated, make decisions, and deal with change, risk and conflict. Using a proven behavioral model, we will enable participants to understand various communication styles and how best to connect, interact and communicate with each for maximum success, driving sales, managerial effectiveness and team work.

Participants will: • Learn the skill set of reading communication styles of their key customers • Gain introspective knowledge about their own style to be applied for self-development • Develop specific action plans to better communicate, interact and engage with their key customers Who should attend: • Salespeople • Buyers • Management/Leadership • Customer Service Steve Gavatorta (owner of Steve Gavatorta, Group), is a Certified Professional Behavioral Analyst (CPBA), Certified Professional Values Analyst (CPVA), Myers-Briggs Certified Practitioner, and accredited coach and trainer for Emotional Intelligence (EQ). He is a consultant, trainer, coach, and speaker who conducts workshops and speaks on the topic of effective communication and how it is a catalyst for personal development, success in sales, management, leadership, team-building and dealing with change. He works with large corporations, small businesses, entrepreneurs and individuals. He is also author of The Reach Out Approach: A Communication Process for Initiating, Developing & Leveraging Mutually Rewarding Relationships.

SAWD 2016

10:00 AM – 11:30 AM President’s Social Open to All Spouses and Guests 12:15 PM – 1:30 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

FRIDAY, JUNE 17

delivering conflict resolution training programs in areas of ethnic conflict in the 1990s.

He transitioned into organizational work, initially as a diversity trainer and consultant, and later leading his own management consulting practice where he specialized in helping systems work through the most difficult conversations. Before founding WorkXO, Jamie provided consulting through Culture That Works LLC. 8:45 AM - 9:45 AM Distributors Forum Representatives of All Distribution Companies are encouraged to attend. This meeting is open to Distributors only.

This session will include a case study from a key player in our community of C-store distributors whose computer system was hacked and his company held ransom to regain access to his own business data. What happened, how it happened and how to avoid it happening to you.

9:00 AM – 2:00 PM Registration Desk Open

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

7:00 AM - 8:30 AM Industry Breakfast (Continental)

10:00 AM - 10:45 AM Board of Directors Meeting

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

10:45 AM - 11:45 AM Executive Committee Meeting

Jamie Notter, Founding Partner WorkXO

11:00 AM - 2:00 PM Exposition Open

“The Power of Millennial Alignment” It’s time we change the conversation about Millennials—from one of complaining, to one of curiosity and learning—because when we do, we uncover the tremendous power that exists when we align our organizations with where the Millennial generation is already heading. In this session, Jamie explores research from his latest book (When Millennials Take Over) that illustrates the more important role Millennials play as decoders of the key changes that are happening in the business world today.

Citing case studies from organizations that have cracked the code on both performance and employee engagement, Jamie will explore the four key capacities organizations need to succeed in this new normal and how to build them inside your organization, attracting Millennials as both employees and customers along the way.

Jamie began his career in the international conflict resolution field, designing and

6:30 PM - 8:30 PM Raising the Roof at Joe’s Hosted by the members of the Southern Leadership Division (Open to All) Come and join us for a party where you can enjoy the sunset, a view of the beach, a great buffet, an open bar and some live entertainment. Your ticket will include dinner, beverages and entertainment. = 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) 770-932-3263 Fax) 800-601-4659 Register Now at: www.the-southern.org

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Education Fund Contributors 2016 Allison Wholesale

King III Solutions

Altria Group Distribution

Long Distribution

Amcon Distributing Company

Lyons Specialty Co.

Andalusia Distributing

Mars Chocolate

Ashland Specialty Company

McLane Company, Inc.

Atlantic Dominion Dist.

Merchants Grocery Company

Burdette Beckmann

National Tobacco Company

C&B Distributors

NestlĂŠ USA

Caldwell Wholesale

ProCat Distribution Technologies

Charles C. Parks Co.

R. J. Reynolds

Church Point Wholesale

Renfro Supply Co.

City Wholesale Grocery

Scandinavian Tobacco Group-Lane

Corso, Inc.

SellEthics Marketing Group

Creative Data Research

Smokey Mountain Chew

Davison Fuel & Oil

Southco Distributing Company

Dot Foods

Standard Distributing Co.

Douglas Companies

Stephenson Wholesale

Eby-Brown Company

Stewart Candy Manufacturing Co.

Franklin Supply, Inc.

Stewart Distribution Co.

Glidewell Distributing Company

Swedish Match of North America

Golbon

Swisher International

Great Midwest Tube

Team Sledd

Grocery Supply Company

The Corr-Williams Company

Gummer Wholesale

The H. T. Hackney Co.

Hardec’s

The Hershey Company

Home Folks Wholesale

Thomas Williams & Associates

Imperial Trading Company

Turkey Creek Snacks

Inter-Continental Cigar Corporation

UniPro Foodservice, Inc

ITG Brands

Venture Sales

J.F. Johnson, Inc.

W.L. Petrey Wholesale

J.L. Gaddy Wholesale

Warren Oil Co.

Jackson Wholesale Co. 38

SAWD 2016

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 2016

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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 2016

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 Whole­ sale 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:

Farner-Bocken Company USA Sales William F. Brockman Company

SAWD 2016

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2016 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 2016

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 2016

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2016 SAWD State Directors

Nick Zaden

Marty Howell

City Wholesale Grocery Birmingham, AL

H.T. Hackney Opp, AL

Sam Stewart

Don Childers

Jeff Leischner

Charlie Casper

Stewart Distribution Waycross, GA

Home Folks Wholesale Augusta, GA

H. T. Hackney Morrow, GA

Hardec’s Elizabethtown, KY

Dan McIntyre

Keith Landen

Emile Cantrell

Liz Joachim

Jackson Wholesale Jackson, KY

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Franklin Supply Franklin, LA

Imperial Trading Elmwood, LA

Corso, Inc. Biloxi, MS

SAWD 2016

SAWD 2016

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2016 SAWD State Directors

Lawson Williams

Jim Naifeh

M. R. Williams Henderson, NC

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

Standard Distributing Co. Sapulpa, OK

Chad Pickel

Scott McPherson

Amcon Distributing.

Crossville, TN

Core-Mark Fort Worth, TX

John Prickette

Robin Ray

Grocery Supply Company Sulphur Springs, TX

Atlantic Dominion Distributors Virginia Beach, VA

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

Chad Gummer Gummer Wholesale Health, OH

SAWD 2016

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 2016 college scholarship applications was December 15, 2015, and we had 38 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 2017! 770-932-3263.

SAWD 2016

QUALITY & PRICING WITHOUT COMPROMISE

ÂŽ

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2016 At-Large Directors

Nelson Parker

Hugh Raetzsch

George Naumann

Allison Wholesale, Inc. Paint Rock, AL

Renfro Supply Company Williamsburg, KY

Jack Casanova

James “Bucky�

Johnson

Churchpoint Wholesale Churchpoint, LA

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

Lyons Specialty Port Allen, LA

Tony Shubert Eby Brown Company Rockmart, GA

2016 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 2016

www.stewartcandy.com

Manufacturer Representatives

Jebb Maginnis

Dave Bowersock

Altria Group Distribution

Michael Hughes

Kevin Union

The Hershey Company

Jack Link’s Beef Jerky

Clark Sturdivant

Dave Johnson

National Tobacco

Nestlé USA

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

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Mandi Clark

Creative Data Research

Tom Brice

Bob Klein

Steve Stomel

Steve Sandman

ITG Brands

Lil’ Drug Store

ProCat Management

Joel Palmer Swedish Match

Dot Foods

Republic Tobacco

Bill Dunn

Swisher International, Inc.

SAWD 2016

SAWD 2016

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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 2016

A Family Business Since 1926

Providing what you need, when you need it

SAWD 2016 SAWD 2015

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SLD 2015–2016 SLD Officers and Directors Officers April Garver, Southco Distributing, Goldsboro, NC, President Leanne Jennings, J. L. Gaddy Wholesale, Hickory Grove, SC, SLD 1st Vice President Chuck Schimmel, Lyons Specialty, Port Allen, LA, SLD 2nd Vice President Mark Tuck, Swedish Match, Atlanta, GA, SLD Treasurer Miles Anderson, ITG Brands, 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 Erin Inman, ProCat Technologies, West Berlin, NJ Ron Leitner, R. J. Reynolds Tobacco, Winston-Salem, NC Maria Miro-Narlock, Spotlight Innovations, Brandon, MS Jake Stewart, Stewart Distribution, Waycross, GA Mark Rollins, Swisher International, Duffield, VA Steve Winkle, The Corr Williams Co/TVC Wholesale, Florence, AL Trey Williams, Thomas Williams & Assoc., Atlanta, GA

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SAWD 2016

SAWD 2016

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OUTWIT. OUTWORK. OUTPERFORM. 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 OďŹƒces: 516 Douglas Ave.,Ste. 1102 Altamonte Springs, Florida 32714 Phone: 407-869-0797 | Fax: 407-869-0059 116 Associate Lane Indian Trail, North Carolina 28079 Phone: 704-821-4677 | Fax: 704-821-4654 100 Volvo Parkway Suite #100, Chesapeake, VA 23320 Phone: 757-630-9291

CONTACT US TODAY!

Max Weiner | Genergal Manger, C-Store | 954-241-8818 mweiner@bbiteam.com | www.bbiteam.com

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SAWD 2016

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 2016

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Celebrating 70 years of relationships . . .

This year marks the 70th anniversary of Glidewell Distributing.

After launching in Fort Smith, Arkansas, in 1946, we’re still on the road – bigger and stronger than ever. And it’s the people we serve every day who have made it happen.

Relationships mean everything. Our founders J.W. and Cleo Glidewell knew it, and our current leadership is on target to continue down the proven path of service, integrity and commitment. We think that’ll do us for at least another 70 years.

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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 Georgia Jeff Leischner The H.T. Hackney Company 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. Oklahoma Dick Dunham* Stephenson Wholesale South Carolina Bill Wilkerson J.L. Gaddy Tennessee Chad Pickel Amcon Distributing Texas Scott McPherson Core-Mark Texas John Prickette Grocery Supply Company Virginia Robin Ray Atlantic Dominion Distributors Virginia Chris Smythers Merchants Grocery Co., Inc. West Virginia Chad Gummer Gummer Wholesale 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) Tony Shubert Eby Brown Company (GA) Hugh Raetzsch Lyons Specialty (LA) George Naumann Renfro Supply (KY) Jack Casanova Churchpoint Wholesale (LA)

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SAWD 2016

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 Jebb Maginnis Creative Data Research Mandi Clark Dot Foods Bob Klein ITG Brands Kevin Union Jack Links Protein Snacks Tom Brice Lil’ Drug Store Products Clark Sturdivant National Tobacco David Johnson Nestlé USA Steve Stomel ProCat Management Dave Riser R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company Victoria Person-Goral R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company Steve Sandman Republic Tobacco Joel Palmer 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 2016

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 61

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

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he Southern’s 2015 Annual Meeting and Trade Show was held at the Gaylord Texan in Dallas, TX. The meeting featured the 2nd largest trade show for convenience wholesalers in the country: Southern Showcase 2015.

In addition, attendees received outstanding industry-specific educational sessions, updates on industry and legislative issues and a host of networking opportunities including: golf at The Cowboys Golf Club, awards dinners on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, the Silent Auction that benefits the SAWD Education Fund, the Hospitality Suite with our very own karaoke entertainment with DJ’s Mike and Steve Shing, a Meeting With a Mission event, a tour of the original Neiman Marcus, lunch and private fashion show optional outing and an evening out that included the SLD Social, “Party at the Glass Cactus”!

While in Dallas, 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.

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

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

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

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SAWD Education Fund SAWD 2016

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Midyear Board of Director’s Meeting

Andaz Peninsula Papagayo Resort Guanacaste, Costa Rica The Southern’s Midyear Meeting of the Board of Director’s was held in beautiful Guanacaste, Costa Rica, CA at the Andaz Peninsula Papagayo Resort on January 28th – 30th, 2016. 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 93nd SAWD Annual Meeting set for Daytona Beach, Florida on June 14-17th, 2016 will be another successful event not to be missed.

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

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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 Costa Rica. For those of us that did make it to the Anadaz Resort— 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 fishing outing and on the sunset water-taxi tour to Coco Beach. The Andaz was a perfect venue to enjoy working, sharing, brainstorming and of course managing to find time for some fun in that wonderfully sunny Costa Rican weather.

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

2016 SAWD MIDYEAR SPONSORS Platinum Sponsors Altria Group Distribution Company American Snuff R.J. Reynolds Gold Sponsors Jack Links Meat Snacks Lil’ Drug Store Products ITG Brands National Tobacco Nestle USA Swedish Match Swisher International The Hershey Company Silver Sponsors Burdette Beckmann Creative Data Research Dot Foods Matrix Brokerage SAWD 2016

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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 Smith Vice President SAWD 2016

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2015 SAWD College Scholarship Winners Meghan Wingert is a 2015 SAWD Scholarship winner and attends the University of Virginia.

Meghan is the daughter of Robert Wingert with National Tobacco.

John Prickette, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, and Ryan McKenzie, Chief Operating Officer, with Grocery Supply Company present Katia Fralin a $5000 SAWD scholarship check. Katia is the daughter of Karmon Fralin with Grocery Supply Company and attends the University of North Texas.

Scholarship winner Mary Martha Dichiara​,​​d​aughter of Pete and Lucy Dichiara accepting her check from City Wholesale’s Nick Zaden and Paul Dichiara​.

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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 2015 Southern Showcase and Annual Meeting the winners of the 2015 SAWD College Scholarships. For 2015, the applicants were asked to write 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?”

We had 52 applicants in 2015, all with creative and very interesting essays. Choosing just three was not an easy task for the SAWD Scholarship Jury!

The three $5,000 scholarships were won by Meghan

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Wingert, who attends the University of Virginia and is the daughter of Robert Wingert with National Tobacco Company; Mary Martha DiChiara at Auburn University whose father is Pete DiChiara with City Wholesale Grocery; and Katia Fralin who attends the University of North Texas and is the daughter of Karmon Fralin with Grocery Supply Company. We want to congratulate these scholarship winners and wish them the best!

The Southern will be announcing the 2016 winners at the Southern meeting in Daytona Beach, FL this June. Best of luck to all who applied writing an essay on the topic, “What drives your purchase decisions in convenience stores today? What trends do you see coming that will impact the convenience store industry?”

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Scholarship Winner Meghan Wingert

Is it time to legalize medical marijuana?

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his fall my mother’s best friend, a paraplegic, came to visit us from Pennsylvania. Normally, this event would have been completely beneath my notice, but it was not exactly a normal trip: she is dying of cancer. Previously, I had never met anyone with cancer, and my knowledge of the disease was limited entirely to books I had read. I admit that I was morbidly fascinated by the idea of meeting someone who was actually, well, dying. What would she be like? Crazy, I imagined, as someone who has absolutely nothing to lose. Or perhaps bitter. I know I would be bitter if my already wheelchair-bound life was being taken away from me. What I did not expect was the woman I met, a nice lady who wanted to experience everything, who saw beauty in places that I did not. She was even excited by the airplane ridesomething I complain about. Her visit was pleasant; when she went back home a week later, she began chemotherapy.

And she started smoking marijuana.

Imagine my surprise when I heard about my mother’s friend’s foray into illegal activities. Here I thought she was a normal lady, not a pothead. I feel very strongly about following rules—my friends think I am a bit of a goody two shoes—and so my initial reaction was that of stunned disapproval, not unlike when I heard about the new marijuana laws being passed. When they legalized marijuana in Colorado, I laughed. How SAWD 2016

stupid, I thought, for them to condone their citizens’ vices. The whole state will be high. However, as I read more about the state’s decision, some interesting terms kept arising. The one that caught my attention was “medical marijuana.” I assumed that people were getting high to avoid pain, which I thought was a bit of a cop out, and frankly, rather disgusting.

But my mom’s friend seemed like a strong person, and I knew that she had experienced a good deal of pain in the past. So I looked into it.

As it turns out, there are a lot of ways that marijuana can help people with terminal illnesses, like cancer or HIV. According to the American Cancer Society, various marijuana extracts, as well as the drug in its raw form, can potentially relieve pain, control nausea, and stimulate appetite.

Incredibly, some cannabinoids— compounds that include the active constituents of cannabis—slow the growth of, and sometimes kill, cancer cells. And that really made me think.

If marijuana can help people, why are we banning it at face value? After all, marijuana is illegal in my state, even for medical purposes. Yet there are still easily a hundred kids at my school who use it regularly—so it is not as if outlawing the stuff is doing much good.

The only people it is preventing from using marijuana are the law-abiding citizens who could benefit from it.

While I may be over quick to condemn,

I am also logical enough to see that when something is not working, it needs to change. I think that the conversations I have heard in my classrooms regarding my peers’ pot stashes in their hubcaps are enough to suggest that our current system could use some improvement.

Maybe Colorado has it right after all.

Today, 23 states have legalized medical marijuana use. Although I am certainly no expert, I believe that my state, Texas, should join their ranks. I am aware of how conservative my state tends to be, but I do not think that it is radical to say that we should provide the best possible medicine for people, and perhaps that is cannabis. Marijuana may not be completely safe—there are definite side effects. But every drug has its dangers. In fact, my biology class just learned about an instance where different isotopes in an “over the counter” drug were killing people. So I simply propose that Texas be smart. We need to think about who it is that we are actually hurting—people who are already suffering. While I do not really speak to my mom’s friend, I still think about her. The holidays are approaching, and this could be her last Christmas.

Life certainly is not fair, but a person’s last Christmas ought to be a good one, and if marijuana is the medication it takes to make that happen, that should not be illegal. The law should take everyone into consideration, and from now on, I will, too.

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

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

Long Wholesale Distributors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Altria Group Distribution Co.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Merchant’s Grocery Company, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Andalusia Distributing Co.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

National Tobacco Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Ashland Specialty Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Nestlé. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Atlantic Dominion Distributors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Burdette Beckmann. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 City Wholesale Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Core-Mark. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Corso, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Novex Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside Front Cover Premier Manufacturing Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 R. J. Reynolds/American Snuff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Republic Tobacco. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back Cover Santa Fe Natural Tobacco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Creative Data Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Southco. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Douglas Companies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 GSC Enterprises, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Glidewell Distributing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Hardec’s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Home Folks Wholesale Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 ImageWorks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Standard Distributing Co.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Stephenson Wholesale. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Stewart Candy Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Swedish Match.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Swisher International, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

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

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

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

The H.T. Hackney Co.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

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

The Hershey Company USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

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

Velociti Alliance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside Back Cover

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