Itasca, Illinois, March 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Topco Associates, LLC recently held its Annual Membership Conference where the cooperative provided notable updates, including the announcement of American Foods International Inc. and Associated Wholesale Grocers Inc. as the two newest organizations to join the membership.
American Foods International Inc., headquartered in Miami, services independent retailers throughout the Caribbean, Latin America and South Florida. American Foods has joined as a full member, participating in Dairy/Commercial Bakery; Deli-Bakery-Foodservice; Frozen; Grocery; HBC & GM; Indirect Spend; Meat & Seafood and Produce & Floral. Frank Stanzione serves as the organization’s President & CEO.
Associated Wholesale Grocers Inc. (AWG) is headquartered in Kansas City, KS and operates as a retailer-owned wholesaler with 1,100 member companies that distributes to more than 3,400 stores across 33 states, including a few Topco members. AWG joined Topco as a full member in Deli-Bakery-Foodservice; HBC & GM; Indirect Spend and Produce & Floral programs. AWG is led by President & CEO Dan Funk.
“We’re excited to partner with both organizations, and their joining of Topco shows the continued importance of independent grocers partnering together to be successful,” said Topco President and CEO Randy Skoda. “In addition, their active participation will strengthen the membership’s total go-to-market strategy with improved sourcing opportunities and new and unique perspectives based on their business models.”
The Topco cooperative now stands at 48 member-owners.
Additionally, during the Board of Directors meeting, Big Y Foods, Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer Michael D’Amour was appointed Vice Chairman of Topco’s Board of Directors. Michael is the grandson of Big Y co-founder Paul D’Amour and son of Donald D’Amour. He began working in the supermarkets in various roles as a teenager before beginning his full-time career at Big Y in 1996. Additionally, Michael serves on the board of FMI/The Food Industry Association.
Big Y has been a member of Topco since 1991. D’Amour has been an active supporter of Topco for decades and served as a member of the Operations Team for the last 20 years.
D’Amour joins Topco Chairman of the Board Steve Smith, who was appointed to his board-leading position last year. Smith operates as K-VA-T Foods Stores, Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer.
“I’m honored to serve as the Vice Chairman of the Topco Board of Directors, assisting Steve in guiding the company as we continue to navigate an ever-evolving grocery retail landscape,” D’Amour said. “I look forward to collaborating with the membership on key initiatives and continuing the work of our strategic vision for the cooperative.”
The current Board of Directors and Operations Team can be found in the photo captions.
About Topco Associates, LLC
Topco Associates, LLC is a $19 billion, privately held, member-owned company that provides aggregation, innovation and knowledge management solutions for its leading food industry member-owners and customers, including grocery retailers, wholesalers, food service, and pharmacy companies. Topco leverages the collective volume, knowledge, and commitment of these companies to create a competitive advantage in the marketplace by reducing costs and offering winning business-building capabilities. For more information, please visit www.topco.com.
- Topco Associates announces notable membership updates
- Topco Associates announces notable membership updates
