2017Issue6_Alabama_v9.indd

CHAIRMAN' S MESSAGE

a t i me t o b e t hank f u l

FRANK D'AMICO, III BTC WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTORS AGA CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD

want to implement and hope you will join us as we strive to make 2018 the best year yet for your Association. Please go ahead and mark the following dates on your calendar so you can be with us and support your Association.

During this time of year, we often find ourselves looking around at what we have and being thankful.

I would like to congratulate all of our Year Award winners; Mr. Delma Craft of Piggly Wiggly Alabama Distributing Company, Wholesaler of the Year; Mr. Eddy Quinley of Advantage Solutions, Vendor of the Year and Mr. Darwin Metcalf of Western Markets, Retailer of the Year. Each of these candidates were well deserving of their awards and do a great job at supporting the grocery industry and the consumers of Alabama. In November we were grateful to attend a luncheon to honor your Association President, Ellie Taylor as one of the Women Who Shape the State fromThis is Alabama. This award was given to 30 women of this state that invest their time and talents into making Alabama a better place and, in the process, encourage other leaders to step up and do the same. We certainly agree with their choice! Ellie has been an advocate for the healthy food financing, Alabama companies and the grocery industry as a whole. As we close in on 2017, we look to what great things we hope to accomplish in 2018. There are so many great ideas we

As your Association Chairman, I am not an exception to the rule. This year has been full of positive strides your Association has made in our state. We have many things in which to be thankful. The Fall Golf outing was a HUGE success this year. We netted over $34,000, the most of any Fall Golf Outing. This is great news to the Scholarship Foundation as they begin their Scholarship Process starting December 1. If you are a full-time AGA employee that has a child in college, or a part time AGA employee that is in college, be sure to go online to AlabamaGrocers.org before February 15th and fill out an application. A special thank you to all of you that came out to support this event, sponsored a hole, provided product for the breakfast or lunch, or volunteered your time. Without the support of our members, these events would not be possible. The Food Industry Finest Event was incredible this year. We raised over $30,000 for our SACK PAC, which will help us make contributions to influential candidates in the upcoming election that are pro-business.

Thursday, April 5 AGEF Spring Golf Outing Inverness Country Club Birmingham, Alabama. July 29 – August 1 AGA Annual Convention Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort Destin, Florida

Thursday, October 18 AGEF Fall Golf Outing Inverness Country Club Birmingham, Alabama November 1

Food Industry Finest Luncheon The Club Birmingham, Alabama I hope you and your families have a Happy Holiday Season!

| ALABAMA GROCER 8