The National Grocers Association (NGA) and Retailer Owned Food Distributors & Associates (ROFDA) announced that ROFDA will merge under NGA. The merger is set to take effect on January 1, 2020.
The merger, approved by both NGA and ROFDA’s Board of Directors, will bring together two organizations with a shared mission to ensure a robust independent supermarket industry while continuing to provide a forum and platform for cooperative wholesalers.
“NGA is pleased to welcome ROFDA into the NGA family. Our two organizations and missions have been closely aligned for decades, and this is a natural next step,” said Greg Ferrara, NGA President, and CEO.
“Cooperative wholesalers play an important role in serving the independent supermarket industry. NGA looks forward to working closely with ROFDA’s members and associates to preserve what has made ROFDA special while supporting their share groups and programs,” Ferrara added.
“We have valued the strong partnership we’ve had with NGA over the years and look forward to bringing together two great organizations into one,” said Francis Cameron, President & CEO of ROFDA. “The supermarket industry is changing at a rapid pace. Similarly, as organizations serving independent retailers, we too must shift and align areas of interest and streamline efficiencies.”
ROFDA’s current share groups and buying programs will continue to operate under this new alignment.
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ROFDA is based in Pinson, Alabama, and operates across the United States, and currently represents eight cooperative wholesaler members, as well as a supplier associate member category.
Its origins date back to 1962 when a group of retailers owned distributors founded what was then called the Southeastern Food Cooperative Association (SFCA). According to its website, ROFDA has 6,164 member stores, 1,569 non-member stores, 1,656 foodservice accounts, and its annual retail sales represent $33.5 billion.
NGA was incorporated on Oct. 1, 1982, when the Association of Cooperative Food Distributors of American and the National Association of Retail Grocers of the United States were consolidated into one trade association. Today, NGA represents over 1,500 independent supermarket companies and remains the only trade association exclusively focused on serving the independent sector of the food industry.