NGA Timeline: An Independent Voice

The National Grocers Association is celebrating 25 years of representing the independent sector. In that period of time, NGA has made the independent's voice heard among powerful congressional leaders in Washington and with legislators at the grass-roots level on issues that range from predatory pricing to death taxes.

1982: The National Association of Retail Grocers of the United States and the Cooperative Food Distributors of America consolidate to form the National Grocers Association.

1983: NGA holds its first Annual Convention and Food Industry Exposition in San Francisco. Marks the beginning of NGA's Grocers Care program.

1984: NGA and member retailers testify at five Federal Trade Commission hearings on predatory pricing issues.

1985: Vice President George H.W. Bush addresses the NGA Convention in New Orleans and conducts a tax reform forum with members of NGA's board of directors.

Congress passes the Federal Trade Commission Authorization Act, requiring the FTC to report to Congress on its enforcement activities regarding predatory pricing.

NGA wins an important victory for retailer-owned food cooperatives in the case of Cotter and Co. vs. the IRS, allowing interest income to be taken as deductions for patronage dividend treatment.

1986: NGA's convention, scheduled to be held in Philadelphia, is canceled due to a garbage strike by city workers. The convention is rescheduled for February in Dallas.

1988: NGA holds its first Annual National Best Bagger contest and Excellence in Merchandising contest.

NGA, in conjunction with the D'Agostino/Silverzweig Entrepreneurial Institute, holds its first program to “perpetuate the family-owned business.”

1989: NGA launches a campaign to repeal Section 20 36(c) of the Internal Revenue Code, which negatively impacted family-owned and -operated businesses' ability to avoid crippling estate taxes.

1990: NGA's president, Tom Zaucha, serving as chairman of the Small Business Legislative Council's Coalition on 20 36(c), leads the Coalition's successful efforts to eventually repeal the tax code measure.

1992: NGA enters into a marketing agreement with Concord EFS to provide independent retailers and wholesalers a program to accept credit and debit card transactions for costs comparable to large national retailers.

1994: NGA Chairman Charles B. Butson testifies in opposition to President Clinton's mandatory health insurance legislation, which is ultimately rejected by Congress.

1995: NGA wins a decade-long battle to repeal the Perishable Agriculture Commodities Act license fees paid by retail and wholesale grocers.

1996: An NGA study done in conjunction with the Center for Taxation illustrates that family-owned retailers and wholesalers must, on the death of a principal owner, either refinance the business to pay the death taxes or sell the business.

1997: NGA is invited to represent the grocery industry at Gen. Colin Powell's Presidents' Summit for America's Future, part of his America's Promise program.

1998: NGA supports the development of the Electronic Benefits Transfer System to provide interoperability across state lines.

1999: NGA redefines “independent retailer” to be more a question of ownership and philosophy of operation, rather than number of stores or type of format. An independent retailer is a privately owned or controlled company operating in a variety of formats. A few are publicly traded, but with controlling shares held by the family, and others are employee-owned. Most independent operators are serviced by wholesale distributors, while others may be partially or fully self-distributing.

NGA challenges the FTC's mergers and acquisitions policy and opposes Ahold's proposed acquisition of Pathmark, which is ultimately withdrawn.

2000: NGA's Industry and Trade Relations Executive Council, consisting of leading retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers, published the “Special Report: A New Vision for the Center Store.” The report developed four strategies to help supermarkets resolve the attrition of Center Store sales taking place in grocery and nonfood departments.

2001: Congress passes increases in death tax exemptions and rate decreases, with a scheduled one-year repeal in 2010.

NGA moves its headquarters from Reston, Va., to Arlington.

2002: NGA launches a new convention “concept show” format at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel to produce successful programs for independent retailers and wholesalers.

Steve Smith, NGA's former chairman and the president and chief executive officer of K-VA-T Food Stores, was the only food industry executive to meet with President George W. Bush and other corporate leaders in the White House to be a part of “Business Strengthening America.” As part of NGA's Grocers Care program, NGA joined in the president's call to promote volunteer service.

2004: The NGA board of directors ratifies a modified strategic plan that includes a mission statement, a statement of philosophy and values, and a working agenda.

NGA becomes a founding and executive committee member of Merchants Payment Coalition to combat increasing and discriminatory credit card interchange fees on behalf of independent retailers and wholesalers.

2005: NGA Chairman Jay Campbell testifies before the Antitrust Modernization Commission on the importance of the Robinson-Patman Act to the grocery industry and the need to preserve a diverse marketplace for the benefit of consumers.

NGA, along with Coborn's, D'Agostino Supermarkets and Affiliated Midwest, files a class-action lawsuit against Visa and MasterCard for alleged price-fixing of credit card interchange fees.

2006: NGA submits testimony to the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee urging an investigation of the collective and discriminatory price-fixing of credit card interchange fees by Visa, MasterCard and banks.

NGA retailers and wholesalers, as part of Grocers Care, join with the White House Commission on Remembrance to promote and observe a Moment of Remembrance at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day to honor and pay tribute to America's soldiers who have sacrificed and continue to sacrifice for America's freedom.

NGA submits testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee requesting congressional investigation of the collective and discriminatory price-fixing of credit card interchange fees charged by Visa, MasterCard and banks.