Glidewell Distributing joins grocery supplier

Glidewell Distributing of Fort Smith AR has received final approval for membership with national grocery supplier Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG). A regional distributor of products primarily to convenience stores, Glidewell Distributing was notified by AWG recently that its membership application and review process were complete.

“It’s very exciting for us, because the majority of AWG members are large chain grocery stores, not regional distributors,” said Nick Glidewell, sales director for Glidewell Distributing. “By gaining this membership, we’ve just massively increased our buying power and given our customers access to five or six times as many products as they had before.”

AWG has nine distribution hubs throughout the United States. Glidewell Distributing will receive shipment from a 700,000-square-foot AWG warehouse in Oklahoma City OK.

“We’ll still continue on with our current suppliers,” said Glidewell, “but this (association with AWG) will open up entirely new lines and product categories that our customers will find very attractive.”

According to an AWG brochure, the cooperative’s offerings include 12,534 grocery items, 2,143 meat products, 1,000 produce selections, as well as hundreds of items in the deli, floral, and bakery categories.

AWG, founded in 1926 and based in Kansas City KS, is the second-largest grocery cooperative and fourth-largest grocery wholesaler in the United States. With 2,700 member stores in 24 states, its 2010 sales were $7.25 billion. Its website can be accessed at www.awginc.com.

Family-owned and -operated, Glidewell Distributing began doing business in 1946 and now has more than 1,000 accounts throughout Arkansas and Oklahoma. To learn more, visit the company’s website at www.glidewelldistributing.com.