National Grocers Association, ROFDA to merge

The National Grocers Association (NGA) and Retailer Owned Food Distributors & Associates (ROFDA) announced Friday that ROFDA will merge under NGA.

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 (left), 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.”

“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 and CEO of ROFDA. “The supermarket industry is undergoing change at a rapid pace. Similarly, as organizations serving independent retailers, we too must shift and align areas of interest and streamline efficiencies.”

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ROFDA’s current share groups and buying programs will continue to operate under this new alignment. The merger is set to take effect Jan. 1, 2020.

ROFDA currently represents eight cooperative wholesaler members, as well as a supplier associate member category. Its origins date back to 1962, when a group of retailer owned distributors founded what was then called the Southeastern Food Cooperative Association (SFCA).

NGA was incorporated in October 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 representing the independent sector of the food industry.