December 2013
ROFDA Working on Second Half-Century of History It was 1962 when a few cooperative food distributors around the Southeast formed the Southeastern Food Cooperative Association (SFCA). The cooperative’s purpose was, and remains today, “to facilitate and enhance the success of Independent Retail Grocers.” The “Southeast” portion of the name eventually no longer applied, as cooperatives across the country recognized the advantages of being part of a cooperative-only group. A name change was approved by the board of direc-
1988
Here are some highlights from ROFDA’s history book:
• S FCA changes its name to Retailer Owned Food Distributors & Associates (ROFDA), based on the expanding geography of its member co-ops.
1962
1989
• T he Southeastern Food Cooperative Association (SFCA) was founded.
•A WI in Robesonia, Pa., joins ROFDA—the first to join under the new name.
1983
1990
•H illar Moore, president and CEO of Associated Grocers Baton Rouge, is SFCA chairman. • Affiliated Foods, Amarillo, Texas, joins SFCA. • The oldest meeting minutes on file are from Oct. 13, 1983; in the early years the distributors would get together somewhat informally to exchange ideas, and no one officially was recording the minutes. Four of today’s ROFDA members were SFCA members in 1983—AG Baton Rouge, AG Birmingham, AG Florida and Affiliated Foods Amarillo.
1984
•A ffiliated Foods Midwest, Norfolk, Neb., joins SFCA.
tors in 1988, and Retailer Owned Food Distributors & Associates (ROFDA) emerged. Just this year, a new mission statement was adopted to launch the group into its second half-century: “Cooperatively united to utilize and leverage all available resources, industry best practices, and business relationships to provide added value to our Independent Retail Grocers.”
land in Pembroke, N.H., joins ROFDA. • ROFDA is incorporated as a cooperative. Before that, it had been a nonprofit association, but the aim of the association to “do things in an aggregate way that would generate income,” as Franklin described it, led to the change.
1997
• CERTCO in Madison, Wis., joins.
• J im Morton is hired as ROFDA’s first executive director.
1991
•O lean Wholesale Grocery Cooperative in Olean, N.Y., joins ROFDA.
1992
•A ssociated Food Stores, Salt Lake City, becomes a ROFDA member. • Ferrell Franklin is hired as assistant director under Jim Morton.
1993
1999
•U RM Stores, Spokane, Wash., becomes a member of ROFDA. • Unified Grocers, Los Angeles, joins. • AG of the South resigns its ROFDA membership.
2000
•A G of the South rejoins ROFDA under its new leader, Gerry Totoritis. • Ferrell Franklin succeeds Morton as president and CEO of ROFDA.
2004
•A ssociated Grocers of Seattle joins ROFDA.
2007
•A G of Seattle merges with Unified Grocers. • Central Grocers in Joliet, Ill., becomes a member of ROFDA.
2012
• F rancis Cameron succeeds Ferrell Franklin as president and CEO of ROFDA.
2013
•C ameron and the ROFDA board of directors develop a new purpose, mission and four strategic initiatives as well as a new, modern logo.
•P iggly Wiggly Alabama Distributing Co. in Bessemer becomes a member of ROFDA.
1996
• Associated Grocers New Eng-
ROFDA Membership Retailer Owned Food Distributors & Associates offers three categories of membership: * Regular Members are made up exclusively of Retailer Owned Food Distributors, defined as those primarily engaged in the wholesale distribution of food and related services in the United States, and having at least 66-2/3 percent of its issued and outstanding voting stock owned by active retail outlets. * Associate Members are firms regularly engaged in the supply of services or products to Regular Members.
Francis Cameron, ROFDA president and CEO, with his family: Cole, Teri and Kaci
* Honorary Members are those former members or associates who are not presently active in the food industry, but permitted to retain an association with the organization in recognition of past service and dedication to the association.
Shelby Publishing
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