Bunzl Distribution USA, Inc. supplies a range of products including outsourced food packaging, disposable supplies, and cleaning and safety products to food processors, supermarkets, non-food retailers, convenience stores and other users. Bunzl has maintained a strong commitment to productivity, delivering both quality service and competitive pricing.
Bunzl also co-chairs WFIA's annual Best Bagger State finals and is the largest sponsor for the event. Larry Baker, General Manager of Bunzl Distributing in Seattle, also serves on the WFIA Board of Directors. We want to extend a heartfelt thank you for their commitment to making the independent grocery industry, WFIA, and the Best Bagger event so successful.
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Shortly after WFIA's newly elected Board of Directors' were installed, they elected your officers for the 2016-17 year. Please welcome them.
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Chair of the Board
Mike Erickson
Chair of the Board of Harbor Wholesale Foods, Inc.
Mike has spent over 50 years developing a career in the food distribution industry, working up the ranks of his four generation, family owned business. The business, founded in Aberdeen in 1923 by Mike's grandfather served the coastal communities of Washington. Today the business serves 2,000 customers throughout 5 states in the Pacific Northwest with distribution centers in Lacey, WA and Roseburg, OR. Mike enjoys time with his family, wife Janet (Rowe) married in 1973, two Sons, and grandchildren.
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Vice Chair of the Board
Todd Korman
CEO & President of Metropolitan Markets
Todd Korman is the CEO and President for Metropolitan Market, a regional chain of upscale grocery stores in greater Puget Sound. Todd started with Metropolitan Market in 2002 as the Company's Chief Financial Officer. He was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2007, then to President and Co-CEO in 2013 and finally CEO and President in 2016. Todd earned his MBA from the University of Washington and a Bachelors of Science in Business at the University of Virginia. Todd takes an active role in coaching youth sports and enjoys golf, skiing, basketball, and travel. As the First Vice Chair of the WFIA it is anticipated that Todd will transition to Chair of the Board in 2017-18.
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Other members of the 2016-17 leadership team include:
- Vice Chair of Finance: Dave Willis
- Co-President, Willis Marketing
- Vice Chair of Government Affairs: Phil Blackburn, Owner, PND Mercato LLC
- Vice Chair of Education/Chair of the WFIA Educational Foundation: Tyler Myers, Owner/Operator, The Myers Group.
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THANK YOU MIKE TRASK FOR A GREAT YEAR!
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Immediate Past Chair
Mike Trask
President of Stanlar Foods, Inc.
It is our very great pleasure on behalf of the Washington Food Industry Association and the membership of WFIA as a whole to thank you for your dedication and the great job you have accomplished during this past year as Chair of WFIA. You were an inspiration to the whole Board and staff and your never ending energy took us to great new heights this past year. We look forward to your ongoing involvement in WFIA. Thank you, Mike.
There was a lot accomplished this past year!
Read Mike's Annual Report by clicking
here...
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Candice Lastimado, 2016 WA Best Bagger and 2017 National Best Bagger (Metropolitan Markets at West Seattle), Glen Hasstedt (Store Director for Metropolitan Markets at Magnolia), Talia Randle (Metropolitan Markets at Magnolia), and Todd Korman (CEO & President of Metropolitan Markets).
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Seattle's Talia Randle (Metropolitan Markets of Magnolia) has it in the bag - literally. Talia proved on Wednesday, October 12th that she is the state's top grocery bagger, out-pacing eight other competitors for the state title in the Best Bagger Battle. Roman Agne, representing Central Market/Poulsbo Town & Country Markets, placed second; Luke Netjes of Rosauers Supermarkets in Spokane placed third.
We had 9 baggers compete this year and everyone went home a winner!
Special thank you to all our sponsors and volunteers, we couldn't have done this without you! We raised $32,000 in scholarship funds for the Washington Food Industry Educational Foundation. If you're interested in finding out more about our scholarships or educational programs, click here!
We'll be cheering for her at Nationals in February!
Weren't able to attend the event, that's fine! Watch our highlights video here.
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 UPCOMING EVENTS
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Save the date for WFIA's annual "Day at the State Capitol" on February 15th! We visit with key leadership on business and food industry issues
and this event is open to all members. This is an excellent opportunity to hear from leadership speakers, learn more about your government and the legislative process, and to represent our industry.
We make appointments with your local legislators, team you up with other members, brief you on current issues, and send you off to have a great time lending your voice to the advocacy of the well-being of the independent grocery industry.
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Please vote, it's important!
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If you'd like to see the official WFIA PAC endorsement list, please download it
here.
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Learn more about No on I-732,
here.
Learn more about No on I-1433,
here.
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Many thanks to our national partners, the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), the National Grocers Association (NGA) and the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) for providing information for this federal update.
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Congress in Recess Until After the Elections
Congress left their work in Washington and headed home until after the elections. Both the House and Senate are scheduled to return to Washington the week after the elections on November 14.
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Congress Fails to Delay Overtime Rule
Although Congress will return two weeks before the December 1st effective date of the new U.S. Department of Labor's rule on overtime, employers should not be hopeful for any changes or delays. Despite the flurry of activity before Congress adjourned, the President has already indicated his intention to veto any proposal that seeks to compromise the new overtime regulation. With little prospect of gaining the bipartisan support required to overcome a veto, the DOL overtime regulation is likely to go into effect as currently constituted on December 1, 2016.
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2019 National Grocers Association (NGA) Show
The National Grocers Association (NGA) announced that the 2019 NGA Show will be held in San Diego, California on February 24 - 27, 2019 and February 23 - 26, 2020. This move in location is directly in response to the need for a larger convention space to meet the growth in exhibitor and participant attendance and reflects the continued growth of NGA, which has doubled its membership in the past five years.
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| L&I Announces Minimum Wage Increase January 1st
The WA State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) announced that the state's minimum wage will increase 6 cents in 2017. The wage will rise to $9.53
an hour, up from $9.47 in 2016, on January 1. L&I is responsible for calculating the state's minimum wage each year in September as required under Initiative 688, which voters approved in 1998.
Some jurisdictions have approved local minimum wages that are higher than the state's, including Seattle, Sea-Tac, and Tacoma. The change reflects a 0.7 percent increase in the federal Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) over the last 12 months ending August 31.
Bigger changes could be in store for the minimum wage, however. In November, voters will weigh in on
Initiative 1433, which would increase the statewide minimum wage to $11 per hour on January 1 and boost it to $13.50 by 2020. Employers would also be mandated to provide one hour of paid sick leave for each 40 hours an employee works.
To find out more about how I-1433 will effect Washington, click
here.
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Business Coalition Sues to Stop Governor's "Clean Air" Rule
A coalition of employer groups led by the Association of Washington Business (AWB) filed a lawsuit last week challenging the Clean Air Rule recently adopted by the state Department of Ecology.
After failing to win support in the Legislature for a bipartisan solution, Governor Jay Inslee side-stepped the legislative process by implementing this rule through the Department of Ecology.
The AWB lawsuit challenges the department's authority to implement the rule without approval by the Legislature. The carbon rule will require certain manufacturers, natural gas providers, and fuel distributors to comply with emission reduction limits. Covered industries will be forced to comply by either reducing overall emissions or purchasing credits to cover emissions.
The trickle down costs to the food distribution industry has a significant impacting on food processing, transportation, and energy costs. WFIA is financially supporting this legal action, click
here to learn more.
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State DOA Proposes Federal Consistency
The Department of Agriculture's (DOA) Food Safety Program is proposing state rulemaking to cover the Preventive Controls Rule for Human Food and ALL other new federal rules associated with FSMA: Produce Safety, Animal Feed Preventive Controls, etc. We support the DOA's timely efforts to reduce the conflicts between state and federal rules and provide our food industry with clear guidance on food safety.
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Washington State Economic and Revenue Forecast Updated
Following is the summary released last week on the new forecast for the state's economic and revenue. It is a mixed bag of good and not-so-good news".
- U.S. labor markets added 156,000 net new jobs in September, below the average of 192,000 over the last three months.
- U.S. real GDP growth for the second quarter of 2016 was revised up from 1.1% to 1.4% (SAAR).
- U.S. residential home sales and construction activity slowed in August.
- Washington personal income has been revised higher and growth remains strong.
- Washington housing construction appears to be slowing and manufacturing is struggling.
- Major General Fund-State revenue collections for the September 11 - October 10, 2016 collection period came in at $30.4 million (2.3%) above the September forecast.
- Revenue Act collections came in at $22.5 million (1.9%) higher than forecasted and other collections came in at $7.9 million (5.0%) higher than forecasted.
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Nation's Best Grocery Bagger Defends Her Title Against Congressman
The National Grocers Association (NGA) held its fifth annual Congressional Best Bagger Showdown last week at the Library of Congress on Capitol Hill. NGA's 2016 Best Bagger National Champion, Candice Lastimado of Metropolitan Markets in Seattle, competed against Congressman Dan Newhouse. Lastimado was able to fend off a good effort by Newhouse to keep her Best Bagger Champion title.
To continue reading, click
here...
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Seattle Plastic Bag Coloring Now Regulated
The Seattle City Council passed first-in-the-nation legislation to address the growing problem of non-compostable bags being mistaken for compostable bags. The legislation passed unanimously and does the following:
- Non-compostable plastic bags provided to customers must not be tinted green or brown, such as produce bags.
- Compostable bags provided to customers must be tinted green or brown and must be labeled compostable.
- Bags provided to customers cannot be labeled biodegradable, degradable, decomposable, or similar terms.
- Establishes definition for compostable.
- Makes a mandatory minimum charge of $.05 for large paper carryout bags permanent.
Find the ordinance by clicking here.
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Town & Country Receives 'Excellence on Main' Entrepreneurial Award
The Washington State Main Street Program, recognizes communities, organizations, and individuals who are helping to achieve economic vitality and build sustainable communities through downtown revitalization and preservation. Town & Country (T&C) was chosen specifically for this award because of their decision to not relocate the store and a recent remodeling effort, during which it remained open.
"The company's decision is the highest example of leading by example, living up to the company's slogan of 'Enhancing the quality of life,' and fostering a healthy, vibrant and diverse community," said BIDA executive director Jerri Lane.
To read more, click here ... |
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BumbleBar CEO Completes SBA Emerging Leaders Program
BumbleBar, Inc. announced today that the Company's CEO, Liz Ward, has completed the U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) 2016 Emerging Leaders Initiative, as of Tuesday, October 11, 2016. Ms. Ward began the intensive seven-month program in April of this year.
"I was totally blown away when I stumbled on the program and saw that the job creation rate was eight times faster than the private sector. I also saw that 49% of graduates ended up doing business with the government which has been a long time goal of mine."
Since the SBA started offering the Emerging Leaders program in various locations across the country, graduates have created more than 2,400 new full-time jobs, accessed more than $73 million in new financing, and secured federal, state, local and tribal contracts worth more than $1 billion.
About
BumbleBar, Inc: BumbleBar is a woman-owned company that makes gluten free, healthy, delicious nutrition bars and cookies.We maintain gluten-free, Non-GMO, organic, kosher, and SQF level 2 certifications. The beautiful Pacific Northwest is home to our 36,000 square foot production facility. Our products are sold throughout North America.
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EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
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Power Outage Webinar - November 8th
The time to plan for an emergency is before one happens. It's important as a retail food business to know what to do before, during, and after a power outage so that you can protect your customers from foodborne disease and minimize product losses. More information to follow.
November 8th
9-9:30AM
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Presenter: Michael Latham
- 19 years as the Director of Food Safety - Town & Country Markets, Inc.
- NRA, State, HACCP RFSE
- Code Revision Core Work Group - WSDH
- Stakeholders Committee - KCHD
- Food Safety Advisor - WFIA
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Free Workplace Safety Training
10/26 - Fundamentals of Claims Management
10/26 - What Is Retro
11/3 - Using Kept on Salary and Modified Duty Effectively
11/10 - Understanding Industrial Insurance Rates
11/23 - Fundamentals of Claims Management
11/23 - What is Retro
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The Washington Food Industry Association promotes and protects the independent, community-focused grocery industry and its suppliers.
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Mike Trask, WFIA Board Chair President, Stanlar Foods, Inc.
Jan Gee, President/CEO WFIA
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
First Vice Chair: Mike Erickson, Chair of the Board, Harbor Wholesale Foods, Inc., Lacey
Vice Chair, Finance: Todd Korman, President & COO of Metropolitan Markets, Seattle
Vice Chair, Government Affairs: David Willis, Co-President of Willis Marketing, Inc, Gig Harbor
Vice Chair, Educational Foundation: Tyler Myers, Owner of The Myers Group LLC., Seattle
Immediate Past Chair: Chris Brown, President, Wray's Food and Drug, Yakima
DIRECTORS
Larry Baker, General Manager, Bunzl Distributing, Sumner
Phil Blackburn, Owner, PND Mercado, LLC, Cashmere
John Bole, President, Yoke's Fresh Market, Spokane
Larry Bourland, West Region Sales Director, Supervalu, Tacoma
Roger Croshaw, Owner, Bert's Red Apple, Seattle
Craig Gaylord, President, Fiesta Foods, Pasco
Stuart Holmes, Sr. Vice President, Charlie's Produce, Seattle
Paul Kapioski, Owner, West Seattle Thriftway, Seattle
Mike Koens, Executive Director of Sales, Unified Grocers, Seattle
Nolan Lockwood, President & COO, Walla Walla's Harvest Foods, Walla Walla
Jeff Philipps, President, Rosauers Supermarkets, Inc., Spokane
Brian Renney, Senior VP Planning & Analysis, Young's Market Company of WA, Kent
Greg Saar, President, Saar's Markets, Inc., Oak Harbor
Ray Sprinkle, President, URM Stores, Spokane
Don Stolz, President, Stolz Northwest, Inc., Wauna
Kevin Stormans, President, Stormans, Inc, Olympia
Kevin Weatherill, President/CEO, The Markets, LLC, Bellingham
Bill Weymer, CEO, Town & Country Markets, Inc., Edmonds
Roger Williams, President, Williams Inland Distributors, Spokane
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