Associated Wholesale Grocers taps Derek Jones as EVP of division operations

Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. (AWG) named retail veteran Derek Jones as executive VP of division operations, the Kansas City-based distributor announced on Monday. Jones will assume the position effective July 10.

Jones, who will report to Dan Funk, AWG president elect, will lead all operations functions, including divisions, corporate distribution, sales, support and services. 

“We are blessed to have an accomplished leader such as Derek who will take on this critical leadership role at AWG,” said President and CEO David Smith, who will retire at the end of this year, in a statement. “He complements our high-performing culture, and we believe his reputation for remarkable execution and results as a retailer and supplier have prepared him to be a critical member of the future executive team that will further elevate our performance of AWG’s mission of providing our member retailers with all the tools, products, and services they need to compete favorably in all markets served, all at the lowest possible cost.”

Jones brings more than 30 years of diversified experience in retail and distribution businesses, most of which were in the food industry, to the role. He most recently served as CEO of Super Store Industries, overseeing the company’s distribution and manufacturing business. Before that position, he held senior leadership roles at US Foods CHEF’STORE, SpartanNash, Unisource Worldwide, Inc., and Office Depot.

Reporting to Jones will be Richard Kearns, executive VP of distribution and logistics; Emile Breaux, senior VP of chief sales and support officer; and regional senior vice presidents Danny Lane, James Vaughan and Troy Marshall.

Last Tuesday, AWG cut the ribbon on its massive, state-of-the-art distribution hub in Hernando, Mississippi. The hub occupies 124 acres, almost one million square feet of floor space and is over 80 feet tall throughout.

AWG is the nation's largest food distribution cooperative for independent grocers, serving more than 1,100 member companies and over 3,400 locations in 31 states from nine wholesale divisions. AWG’s most-recent consolidated sales were $12.3 billion. The company also operates subsidiaries that provide real estate and supermarket development services, health and beauty care, general merchandise, pharmaceutical products, specialty foods, and natural and organic products.