On March 17, Associated Food Stores hosted the annual meeting for member retailers at the Little America Hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The meeting began with the national anthem performed by the audience, in honor of the United States’ 250th anniversary. Then, David Rice, president and CEO, welcomed the hundreds in attendance and introduced special guests.
Chip Atkinson, chairman of AFS’ board of directors, introduced fellow members of the board and expressed gratitude for their efforts before Board Member Mike Holm announced this year’s election results.
Following the election results, Dave and Board Member Paula Simerly announced the recipients of the “Donald P. Lloyd Spirit of Independents” award, Brent and Kent Foulger. A video commemorating their accomplishments brought a standing ovation for the Foulger brothers as they accepted Associated Food Stores’ highest honor.
Following the presentation of the “Donald P. Lloyd Spirit of Independents” award, Dave introduced the rest of the executive team. Leaders Travis Boman, Glen Keysaw, Jason Sokol, Justin Atwater, Steve Miner, Chad Cameron, Eliseo Faz, Darin Peirce and Justin Johnson all provided updates on key projects and initiatives including:
- AFS’ financial performance
- Enterprise risk management and cybersecurity
- AI and Retail technology
- Project ROAR (warehouse modernization)
- AFS’ Go-to-Market strategy (MC2)
- The future of pharmacy
- Store development
- Retail operations
- Distribution center modernization
To conclude the meeting, Dave addressed the importance of retailers, AFS team members, partners, and national allies elevating their participation and collaboration and that the company is well positioned to build now and continue building in the years to come.
As Dave finished his remarks, he voiced his confidence in the power and ability of “One Associated” to be the premier wholesaler in the west. A full video of the meeting will be available soon.