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From the CHAIRMAN What WGA offers Lee Guenther, WGA President Save the Date for these 2009 Events Next year, the WGA Golf Outing will be June 2nd at Trappers Turn in Wisconsin Dells, WI. We look forward to experiencing the beauty and service of Trappers Turn in 2009. The 2009 Innovation Expo will be held at the Wyndham Hotel & Convention Center in Milwaukee on September 29 & 30, 2009. We hope you will choose to join us in 2009 to re-live and make new memories. It is traditional at this time of year for the chairman of the Wisconsin Grocers Association to take a look back at our accomplishments in the preceding year, and to look ahead to the challenges of the new year. This particular new year is very interesting because we have a new presidential administration taking office in Washington. We can certainly anticipate some developments in the coming year that will affect the economy; our membership will continue to adjust, adapt, and succeed. We can certainly anticipate some developments in the coming year that will affect the economy; our membership will continue adjust, adapt, and succeed. The economic situation is a challenge, and there is a lot of uncertainty out there. But I feel that well-run independent retailers, with support from the WGA, will continue to thrive. Independent grocers can be very strong in a weak economy and will adjust to continue to perform and succeed as we have in the past. Of course, while independent retailers are very resilient, our margins have always been thin. When the competition is as fierce as it is, our margins will continue to get thinner. But we know that providing value to our customers is always a winning strategy. ...we know that providing value to our customers is always a winning strategy. The WGA is in a solid financial position, probably the strongest it has been in quite some time. We will continue to watch expenses, look for new sources of revenue, and continue to grow the WGA Restricted Reserve Fund for a rainy day. Brandon Scholz, our president and chief executive officer, has provided fiscally responsible leadership, and I salute the WGA staff as well: Michelle Kussow, Vice President, Government Affairs and Communications, Cheryl Lytle, Events Director, Sarah Decorah, Operations Director, and Debra Schneider, Membership Services. Looking back at the past year, I see a great many accomplishments that benefited our industry in Wisconsin, and I will mention a few. To start with, we initiated the Government Affairs Conference Call and had great participation by WGA members. We monitored bills being introduced in the legislature, and communicated our position and what action we may take on them. Here are some highlights: • The Organized Retail Crime Bill was introduced and passed in the Assembly. • We opposed the DATCP retail food establishment license fee increase, and received a 25% reduction through negotiations. • We helped defeat the credit unions’ legislation that would have shifted the cost of identity theft and fraud to retailers. • We also blocked a move— for a third time—to remove service fees and expiration dates from gift cards. • And finally, we supported the bill that allows beer sampling to customers of legal drinking age. We also broadened the Friend of Grocers Award, which was presented to state legislators in 22 home districts at the store of a WGA member. The WGA Lobby Day in January was also a big success. It included a health care forum to which members came in large numbers to meet with legislators. The WGA opposes all state-mandated health benefit coverages, and we will keep a sharp eye on the Democrats’ universal healthcare plan dubbed “Healthy Wisconsin,” which included a new payroll tax to fund it. Position papers on all these topics and more are on our web site, www.wisconsingrocers.com. 6 WISCONSIN GROCER www.wisconsingrocers.com
Event Highlights The WGA Golf Outing was postponed in June due to wet weather. The July outing at Fire Ridge Golf Course in Grafton, Wisc., was a warm, beautiful day loaded with interactive activities where funds raised benefited the WGA Education & Scholarship Foundation. Despite the rain delay, 130 golfers plus an additional 15 volunteers attended the event. Next year, the WGA Golf Outing will be June 2nd at Trappers Turn in Wisconsin Dells, Wisc. If you haven’t participated in the past and are interested in a fun day networking with your peers and vendor friends, please contact Cheryl at the WGA (golf skills are optional). We look forward to experiencing the beauty and service of Trappers Turn in 2009. If you haven’t participated in the past and are interested in a fun day networking with your peers and vendor friends, please contact Cheryl at the WGA (golf skills are optional). The WGA Innovation Expo was held on September 30 and October 1st at the Monona Terrace Convention Center in Madison. WGA increased the number of educational seminars, and retailers responded that the additional information was a huge value, which made this event a mustattend. WGA Chairman Lee Guenther attended seminars at the 2008 Innovation Expo. The WGA Board of Directors also added new honors, including a Vendor of the Year award (received by David Hervey, MillerCoors) and Community Service award (given to David Hegenbarth and Dale and Gary Hanke, and Sherry Hersant). These are in addition to our already prestigious Grocer of the Year award (Leo and Rosemary Hansen) and Excellence in Operations (Dennis and Karen Wautlet, Nate Pederson, Glenn Palmquist, and Mike Geidel). The additional honors highlight the different kinds of service experience in the grocery industry. Congratulations to all those who were honored. The 2009 Innovation Expo will be held at the Wyndham Hotel and Convention Center in Milwaukee on September 29 and 30, 2009. Many of you remember and hold dear memories of WGA conventions past in Milwaukee. We hope you will choose to join us in 2009 to relive and make new memories. The WGA realizes the need to continue to serve WGA members—as members serve their customers—has never been greater. WGA will continue to serve our membership to strengthen the grocery industry overall. PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER 2008 Year End Review WISCONSIN GROCER 7
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Page 10 and 11: GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS For more informa
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