It was a milestone day at Associated Food Stores as company legends Lenny Sperry, John Hardy and Richard Hardy joined President and CEO David Rice and Distribution Center General Manager Tony Merrill for a firsthand look at the progress of Project ROAR.
The timing of the visit couldn’t have been better. It happened just as AFS completed ROAR Phase 1 Final Acceptance, a key milestone in the company’s distribution center modernization effort. The group toured the Farr West Distribution Center, where they observed progress on the advanced automation and technological improvements now playing a central role in the company’s value chain operations.
“It was a privilege to have Lenny, John and Richard back to see what’s happening here,” said David. “These leaders helped build the foundation of our company, and now they’re seeing the next phase of that legacy unfold.”
The tour provided a close-up look at the distribution center’s new inbound and outbound crane systems, which successfully passed their final acceptance test by running at 109 percent productivity for 10 consecutive hours with zero errors. Each pallet was audited for quality, confirming flawless stacking, wrapping and order accuracy. The completion of this phase represents a benchmark accomplishment for the ROAR project.
For Lenny, John and Richard, who have seen decades of AFS growth and transformation, the experience highlighted how the company continues to evolve while staying true to its core values.
“We’re still the same company at our core,” said Tony Merrill, general manager of the distribution center. “But the tools we’re using today reflect how much the grocery business has changed. It was special to share that progress with the leaders who helped get us here.”
The visit was a symbolic connection between the company’s history and its future and highlighted the commitment to innovation and teamwork that continues to define AFS.
“It’s about honoring the past while building for the future,” Rice said. “And that’s exactly what Project ROAR represents.”