Out-of-stocks, manufacturer consolidation, alternative channel purchasing, new item introduction and phase out,  promotional activity, and competitive channel activity were among the topics covered by representatives of AWMA’s Industry Affairs Committee in a day of meetings with four key manufacturers on July 15 in Chicago.

The committee held meetings with executives from Johnson & Johnson, General Mills, Kraft, and Mars.

“We had some extremely constructive dialog with all of the manufacturers.  These were great meetings – what the idea of the Industry Affairs Committee is all about,” said Scott Ramminger, president of AWMA.   “We owe a special thanks to the members who came in for the meetings, and particularly to Industry Affairs Committee Co-chair John Scardina of Eby-Brown Co. who arranged them.

Participating in the meeting from AWMA were:  Barry Margolis, Cooper-Booth Wholesale and John Scardina, Eby-Brown Co. (co-chairs of AWMA’s Industry Affairs Committee); Kaye Powell, S. Abraham & Sons; Tricia Williams, Pine State Trading; Pat Carrico of Richmond Master Distributors; Chad Gummer of Gummer Wholesale; and Scott Ramminger of AWMA.  AWMA Chairman Jon Burklund of Burklund Distributors; and Jode Bunce of Eby-Brown Co., a past chairman of AWMA, attended the Industry Affairs Committee dinner held the night prior to the day of meetings.

Johnson & Johnson  participants included John Gorman, national sales director; Mike Haddad, team leader for convenience; and Dona Di Caro, customer business manager for the convenience channel.

John Dalton, director of sales for the convenience channel, and Denise Holtz, director of marketing for the convenience channel represented General Mills at the meetings.

Kraft brought to the table Frank Hopfinger, vice president of growth channels, Patrick Worsham, customer vice president for Kraft C-store distribution, Dave Hansen, customer vice president for C-stores, and Andrew Capron, vice president of c-store sales for Cadbury; and Donn Marvin, director of customer development for Kraft North America.

Mars was represented by Larry Lupo, vice president of sales; Geoff Galant, national broker manager for convenience; and Susan Gwinnett-Smith, national sales manager.

The AWMA Industry Affairs Committee has a number of other meetings planned for the year, the next being an August meeting with Altria executives in Richmond.

 (L to R) Susan Gwinnett-Smith, national sales manager for Mars, Larry Lupo, vice president of sales, and Geoff Galant, national broker manager for convenience for Mars,  talk with Pat Carrico of Richmond Master Distributors, Tricia Williams of Pine State Trading, Barry Margolis of Cooper-Booth Wholesale;  Kaye Powell of S. Abraham & Sons, John Scardina of Eby-Brown Co; and  (not pictured) Chad Gummer of Gummer Wholesale at a recent AWMA Industry Affairs meeting in Chicago.