NGA Presents Its Great American Award to Associated Wholesale Grocers CEO David Smith

The National Grocers Association has honored David Smith, president and CEO of Kansas City, Kan.-based Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG), with the Clarence G. Adamy Great American Award, which is given to a company or an individual whose leadership in the food industry best embodies active and effective participation in government relations as a citizen and industry representative.

NGA presented the award to Smith on March 21 during AWG’s Excellence Awards, in conjunction with its Innovation Showcase and annual meeting at the Overland Park Convention Center in Overland Park, Kan.

“Over the years, David has always been one of the first to host an elected official at an AWG facility, and he’s always willing to come to Washington to meet with policymakers on issues impacting independent community grocers,” said NGA President and CEO Greg Ferrara in a statement. “For many years, he has been a leader in helping to advance critical public policy issues that impact independent supermarkets.”

As NGA continues its work on antitrust issues, Smith has regularly appeared before lawmakers in Washington, D.C., most recently arguing for the enforcement of the Robinson-Patman Act to level the playing field between independent grocers and large national chains.

In July 2021, Smith testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee, explaining to senators how power buyers use their dominance to take greater control of the market, demanding special treatment from suppliers without economic justification. In his testimony, Smith described the toll this behavior takes on the broader food supply chain, where suppliers, agriculture producers and consumers alike are all being squeezed by these retail giants.

“Explaining antitrust issues isn’t something that easily rolls off the tongue for most, which is why it was so important to have people like David participate in countless meetings with elected officials, federal regulators and administration officials, helping them understand how inequities in the marketplace, driven by the explosive growth of power buyers, directly impacts communities across America,” Ferrara said. “NGA and our industry have achieved enormous wins because of the passion and commitment of people like David Smith.”

In addition to his work with NGA, Smith began his extensive career in the food industry as an independent store owner, then rose through the ranks at wholesaler Fleming Cos. before joining AWG in 2003. As AWG’s SVP and general manager, he opened the company’s Gulf Coast division in Louisiana in 2013, and in 2015, he was appointed president and CEO.