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LOOKING AHEADA Conversation with Peter Larkin and Joe SheridanQA+A NEW ERA BEGINS NOW FOR NGA, with a leadership team of demonstrated experience and abilities, in building our membership, and instrengthening recognition of our unique role in serving the needs and ambitions of the independent retailer.Following the trail of Tom Zaucha and 25 chairmen since NGA’s inception in 1982, are Joseph Sheridan, Chairman, and Peter Larkin, President & CEO.Their comments here, taken from a joint interview in August, not only highlight the sharp professional capability each brings to his NGA responsibility, butalso reflect the respect and cordiality that each holds for the other. Together, the two offer the promise of creating a new environment of accomplishment,stimulating a new growth of NGA.BY OSCAR KATOVNGA Does the phrase “entrepreneurial spirit”have the same impact today as it did whenNARGUS and CFDA joined together to createNGA, 30 years ago? Joe, that phrase hasstrength and significance for you, because 30years later, you used that line in your openingremarks at the 2012 NGA Show: “It’s theentrepreneurial spirit of its members that makesNGA different from all other food industrytrade associations. There’s energy there, thatcan’t be replicated.”JOE As an independent operator and anentrepreneur, as opposed to a chain operatoror manufacturer where you have more of acorporate perspective, but as an entrepreneur- everything that you do is personal. It’s aboutyour family, your family’s prosperity and everythingthat you’ve accomplished as a family.There’s a premise that goes with entrepreneurism,that entrepreneurs love to win. But thetruth is they hate to lose even more. I thinkthis is very important because it touches onthat personal aspect of business.You know, in a lot of ways Wakefern is likeNGA; there are so many parallels. We’re madeup of 47 families, some big, some small, justlike NGA – some big and some small. We havefirst-generation, second-generation, thirdgeneration,fourth-generation just like NGA.You have different levels of family intimacyinvolved in the business. Each entrepreneur is asoloist at Wakefern in their own right but whenWakefern under the trademark of Shoprite getstogether, we call it a symphony of soloists. Sowhen we’re playing, we’re playing as a groupand we make great music.But it’s based upon a buildup – a very granularbuildup – from excellence and the communityintimacy that occurs at the local levelwith the family and the entrepreneurial spiritright where the customer is; aggregated up intoa larger entity called Wakefern. This parallel toNGA is almost uncanny. Here you have a seriesof entrepreneurs that run an association calledNGA, in that the association should be able toprovide détente against some of the macro forcesthat are always impacting family businesses.NGA So there still is the need to pay attentionto the basics, such as attracting new members?How do you see that happening in next thirtyyears?PETER It is important for us to listen to ourcurrent members to learn what they want fromtheir association. Once you listen, you needto respond to stay relevant. It is a changingindustry as we all know, and we always must besure to clearly articulate the value propositionand what return members can expect for theirinvestment in dues dollars and time commitmentsto NGA. Then we can convey thatvalue proposition, to potential members andour association will grow.I think there is no one better positioned torecruit new members than those who have beenthe loyal members of this organization for thepast 30 years. We need to equip our memberswith the materials they need to go out andspread the word – to carry that value propositionmessage forward.NGA Joe, during your time as chairman, whathas been the most important issue or initiativethat NGA has undertaken?JOE I would say we’re in a period now wherealmost all trade associations are questioningtheir purpose, because the reason they werecreated may or may not still be a core valueto its members. I think NGA has an abilityto engage members for governmental actionbecause of its members across all the states.Independents have more access than the largechains often do in getting in front of theirrepresentatives. NGA is uniquely positionedto represent, in a very cogent and influentialfashion, the issues of the entrepreneur and thefamily business to government.I think what’s important is this; it’s themembers of NGA, not NGA itself, making thecontacts. This is a member-driven organization.This is what makes NGA unique fromthe others. It’s the members of NGA that havethe intimacy with the decision makers andregulators, backed by a professional staff atNGA that can put the message out there in avery clear and cogent fashion. So I would saythe most important thing we’re working onnow is identifying those issues – and they’reperpetually changing – and moving those issueson behalf of family businesses in front of thegovernment and dealing with the impact. Thereare some big moving targets out there thatoften fall on the back of family businesses. Thepurpose of NGA is great because that is one ofthe macro-forces impacting all small businessesthat we’re able to go out and represent it in avery personal fashion.PETER Just to put a finer point on that; today,as we speak, the tax issues that are pending inCongress are incredibly impactful to small businessesand independent grocers and our memberswant to have a voice in that debate. That’s exactlywhat NGA is doing. We are following the taxissues, we are actively engaged in the tax issues.20 | NATIONAL GROCERS ASSOCIATION WWW.NATIONALGROCERS.ORG
INTERVIEWThe tax issues impact members in differentways depending on their corporate structure.But regardless of the differences you put allour members together – we speak with onevoice. We know exactly the direction we wantto head; we know what’s important whetherits estate taxes, taxes for pass-through entities,or various tax credits used by small business.In addition to tax issues, we are operating in alegislative environment where labor issues areof the utmost importance. Our members wantto have a voice and we give it to them.Where it really becomes important is ourability to generate grassroots support. It’s obviousthat members of Congress would rather hearfrom their constituents than from paid lobbyistsin Washington, DC. We demonstrate this on amonthly, sometimes weekly, basis when we sendout action alerts. And I’ll tell you, people respond.We get hundreds and hundreds, sometimes thousandsof letters generated to Capitol Hill on anygiven issue and it’s coming from all 50 states.NGA That speaks very well for the foundationof NGA, with grassroots as a key factor in thesuccess. Moving forward, what do you think isthe most important issue facing the association?JOE I think that NGA, like all trade associations,has to make sure that they’re – there’s aterm in the book Servant Leadership, “primusinter pares” – “first amongst equals”. I don’tthink NGA should be the lead on every issue.I think it should choose where it’s going to bethe lead and where it should be in support, orin collaboration with other trade associations.Then in turn, you establish your priorities andgo after them. But that means you can’t leadon every issue. It’s that some things are betteroff in collaboration, so you’re a voice of theindustry, large and small.PETER That is a great point Joe; we use a veryactive and broad-based government relationscommittee to help us focus on which issues aremost important to the independent retailer.While there may be 100 issues that we have todeal with here in Washington, we’ve used thegovernment relations committee to go throughthe list and prioritize every single issue. So foreach issue, we know which one we’re takingthe lead on, which one we’re collaborating andworking with others on. We only have a certainbandwidth here in terms of number of staff andexpertise, and we don’t have the luxury of havingspecific industry experts on staff like someorganizations do. So we’re working togetherwith other industry association on a variety ofissues, but taking the lead on those that are mostimportant to the independents and wholesalers.There is such a powerfuland inherent pride tobe part of a familybusiness, and to be partof a bigger fam ily calledNGA. It’s something thatyou have to believe in.NGA One of the highlights for NGA membersis the annual NGA Show and the chance forthem all to gather together. With such a diversegroup to provide for, how do you address theneeds of members when formulating the contentof the NGA Show? How do you continueto make it must-attend event year after year?PETER Well, we’ve used the words “stayingrelevant” a couple of times and I believe thereason that our trade show is still relevant isbecause for many of our members, this is theonly trade show they attend. The NGA Showfocuses on them, and addresses their educationalneeds, and provides an opportunity tosee new products and services.JOE I’d like to give you one more, and Peter’stouching it a little bit on the Show. The NGAShow is emotional.PETER Yes.JOE It’s emotional. I mean, whether it’s fromthe Pledge of Allegiance or the Star-SpangledBanner, to the nature of the speakers, I thinkit’s powerful how NGA connects emotion tobusiness context.Because there’s a hidden pride that just layslatent. An entrepreneur never wants to tiptheir hand as to how well they’re doing becauseyou never know; they always have this fear oftax or a locust storm or the next thing thatcould happen to the business. So you neverget too big for your britches. But there is sucha powerful and inherent pride to be part of afamily business, and to be part of a bigger familycalled NGA. It’s something that you have tobelieve in. That comes from the nature of themembers themselves. I think that when you’reat the Show, you feel an immense pride aboutbeing part of NGA. I think NGA is as hot andas in-tune now as it was when it started. Likeall organizations, it goes through the cycle ofups and downs, it is relevant, it is on target,and it is focused on its growth.NGA Any final thoughts or memories youwant to share with the membership on 30 yearsof representing independent grocers?JOE I’ll give you a rather unique one. Everynow and then you get a chance to go deep ona specific project and you learn a lot about theother people working on the project with you,and about the organization itself. For me, itwas the search to replace a founding leader likeTom Zaucha. And how do you do that? Howdo you have a succession plan for the leaderof the organization that allows you to honorall that was accomplished in the past, and yetmake the moves in order to go forward inthe future? You have to identify what are thecharacteristics that you want, who are the bestpeople to do that and then do that as a sharedexperience between other people on the searchcommittee, backed up by Board feedback.I found that the search that resulted in thehiring of Peter to be almost like a renewal ofvows for NGA. When we wound up with atalented person like Peter, it reflected what themembers were looking for in such a way thatthere’s a level of perpetual engagement – andit’s increasing. It was a singular experienceduring my time at NGA and it allows meto have faith that the energy and time that Iwill commit as Chairman will in fact, pay off.Because there will be a staff that will be ableto do it, facilitate it, lead it, and make surethat there’s total engagement by the rest of theNGA membership.PETER Now you see why he’s ourChairman.30TH ANNIVERSARY THE COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE | 21
Page 1: THE2012COMMEMORATIVEISSUENGACelebra
Page 4 and 5: THANK YOUTO OUR SPONSORSRED LEVELBL
Page 7 and 8: A toast to theNational Grocers Asso
Page 9 and 10: “Working Together With Our Suppli
Page 11 and 12: “All NGA Policies Help Our Member
Page 13 and 14: 1982NGA Timeline:An Independent Voi
Page 15 and 16: 1985• Congress passes the Federal
Page 17 and 18: 1994• Photo: NGAChairman CharlesB
Page 19 and 20: 2004• NGA becomes a founding and
Page 21: Happy 30thOur mission is the same a
Page 25 and 26: NGA’s Bagger Championship Hall of
Page 27: RECOGNIZING 30 YEARS OF INDUSTRY LE
Page 30 and 31: 020101 Tom Zaucha presents Jim Olin
Page 32: NATIONAL GROCERS ASSOCIATION1005 No

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