On March 25, Associated Food Stores (AFS) hosted the annual meeting for member retailers at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah.  

The meeting began with the national anthem performed by Annette Fullenwider, the floral supervisor at Macey’s Provo. 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 Tom Clark 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, the Khoury family (see accompanying story). A video commemorating their accomplishments brought a standing ovation for the Khoury’s 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, Roger White, Glen Keysaw, Jason Sokol, Justin Atwater, Steve Miner, Wade Judd, Chad Cameron, Eliseo Faz and Darin Peirce all provided updates on key projects and initiatives including: 

  • AFS’ financial performance 
  • Government affairs 
  • Enterprise risk management 
  • Cybersecurity 
  • Retail technology 
  • Project ROAR (warehouse modernization) 
  • AFS’ Go-to-Market strategy (MC²) 
  • The future of pharmacy 
  • Store development 
  • Retail operations modernization 

To conclude the meeting, Dave addressed the importance of retailers, AFS team members, partners, and national allies forming “the greatest team in the history of great teams” and that the company is well positioned to build now and continue building in the years to come. Dave also expressed gratitude for the company’s 85-year legacy and expressed optimism about the next generation of retailers and team members. 

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.