WHOLESALER HIGHLIGHT: Q&A WITH COREY COOPER, STEPHENSON WHOLESALE SOUTHERN: Is there anyone who has been a mentor for you in the industry? There have been many, namely, Sherwin Herring, Steve Douglas and Steve Shing, and many others throughout the SAWD. But these 3 specifically offered support to me personally when I entered this position, and they genuinely meant it. And I can’t leave out Scott and Donda McPherson, who graciously welcomed Stephanie and I from day 1. SOUTHERN: Could you give me a brief history of your company and how you got started in the business? Started in 1953, by Raphen and Naomi Cross. Raphen was out of a job and started this business in their garage with just a truck and small inventory. Their son Ron, joined the company in 1973 and grew the business to the 12th largest in the nation at our highest point. We are currently in the top 25. My sister, Tammy married Ron in 1985 and that’s how I was introduced to this industry. SOUTHERN: Number of years personally in the business? I have been in and around the grocery, c-store industry since 1986, and was hired by Stephenson (Indian Nation Wholesale) in 1998 as a sales rep. I have been in my current role as president since 2010. SOUTHERN: How many years has company been in business and how many employees are there? The company was established in 1953, and we currently employ 260 employees. SOUTHERN: What is necessary to succeed in this business? A willingness to adapt QUICKLY to many different situations!
SOUTHERN: How long have you been a Southern member? I personally began attending meetings in 2010, however we began attending as a company in 2006. We were referred by Paula Glidewell. SOUTHERN: What keeps you coming back to the meetings? Mainly the networking and the relationships that we have been able to establish over the years. SOUTHERN: What is the best part of the meetings? For me it has always been the Distributors Forum. And the opportunity to network and find solutions to issues we all face. SOUTHERN: What are your words of wisdom to someone getting started in the business? Be willing to engage with all the threats that are against our industry! Or find a more profitable industry!! SOUTHERN: What is the main reason someone should be a member of the Southern? Networking and the solutions that are readily available through this great organization. We are fortunate to have this great group of companies/people.
“This industry has given me a lot of challenges through the years, but it has given me the opportunity to grow really great relationships and experiences.”
SOUTHERN: What is the biggest issue facing this industry today? Over legislation, taxation, regulation, and the consolidation of not only big distributors, but also manufacturers. There is no shortage of challenges that stand in front of us all, our organization and companies must be willing to engage on all fronts and be involved with the decisions being made on our local, state, and federal levels, as well as the decisions made by our manufacturers that transfer more burden to us as distributors, with less and less representation and support of our industry! SOUTHERN: If someone were interested in coming to the Annual meeting for the first time, what would you advise them? Relax, bring the family, and be willing to engage in some serious discussion about how we navigate issues as an association/ industry. SOUTHERN: Tell us about yourself and your family? I grew up in southern Oklahoma working on our family farm. I entered the retail environment as a teenager and have been in it ever since. I have 3 sisters and big family who mostly live locally, so I am very fortunate for that. I met my beautiful wife Stephanie in 93’ and we married in 96’. We have a son and 2 awesome grandchildren!! My nephew, Greg Cross is entering our business in a very impactful way and will assume my role in the not too distant future. That’s very exciting! This industry has given me a lot of challenges through the years, but it also has given me the opportunity to grow really great relationships, and experiences. n
THE SOUTHERN 98TH ANNUAL MEETING • 2021 | 29
