Press Release
Affiliated Foods Midwest had humble beginnings, coming into the business world in 1931 in Plainview when several area grocers formed a “wholesale buying group.”
Today, the company boasts a 12-state coverage area with about 250 Affiliated grocers in Nebraska alone.
The Norfolk plant employs about 650 people who work in a range of jobs including retail development, order selectors, maintenance, drivers, retail accountants, advertising and plant employees, to name a few.
The cooperative is still owned entirely by independent grocers and takes pride in the specialized training that is a part of every department.
“We have health and wellness training, educational training with the college, negotiation and skill training and technology training,” said Martin Arter, president of Affiliated Foods Midwest, which is the ninth-largest grocery cooperative in the United States.
Arter said Affiliated which has a large number of retail counselors who call on stores in a 12-state area, is presently working on a tele-conferencing program with the University of Nebraska-Kearney and the University of South Dakota at Sioux Falls that will enable remote training to take place at Northeast Community College.
“Technology is changing how we can do business today,” Arter said. “The future looks bright.”
Some of the new technology Affiliated has incorporated into their business over the past year includes implementing Vocollect software in the warehouses at the Norfolk and Elmwood, Kan., locations.
The software essentially directs warehouse pickers to the correct area and prompts them with the number of cases that need to be “picked.” The employee then speaks a specific code to ensure that he is in the correct slot, significantly reducing the number of errors reported by customers.
Besides upgrading technology, Affiliated Foods has embarked on several other ventures recently.
A project called “rolling billboards” partners Affiliated with important vendors through innovative advertising.
The Nebraska Pork Producers Association, Hormel Foods and Affiliated Foods have begun placing advertisements and logos on four 9x30x53 foot Affiliated trailers.
This allows for dynamic advertising across all 12 states that Affiliated Foods Midwest serves.
Affiliated has also begun to make available a line of organic foods, Earthbound Farm Organic, to its customers.
Arter said that Affiliated continues to be focused on customer service and satisfaction and is going to be honored this year for their hard work.
“We were notified from IGA (Independent Grocers Alliance) that we’re receiving the IGA-licensed distributor of the year, what they call the ‘President’s Cup’.”
Last year, Affiliated created new jobs by building 13 new stores from the ground up, all across the 12-state territory, said Doug Burkink, project engineer and facility manager.
This year, Affiliated will continue to grow, working on the 33.5 acres recently purchased to the south of the existing property in Norfolk and putting in a new road to the south to improve traffic flow.
The cooperative will continue to support area organizations as well.
“We also do a lot for the community on behalf of our employees,” said Arter. “We donate to over 75 organizations altogether.”
Affiliated Foods is looking forward to its partnership with Divots Conference Center in hosting some special events in 2007. The cooperative also is a major sponsor of the Comstock Festivals and Country Stampede.
- Story Courtesy of the Norfolk Daily News
