Meetings with a Mission

Proud Supporter K9s For Warriors

K9s For Warriors’ mission is to end veteran suicide and return our Warriors to a life of dignity and independence. They rescue and train shelter dogs to be paired as Service Dogs for Warriors with service-connected post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury, and/or military sexual trauma.

Serving Veterans The Right Way

K9s For Warriors serves our veterans as honorably as they served their country. Their lifelong program is provided to Warriors at no cost and is designed to deliver maximum benefit with minimum administrative costs. They are proud that generous supporters trust them to do the right thing with their contributions, and they have received widespread recognition for our stewardship. “Impacting the lives of veterans will always be our greatest reward. Their continued participation in the program is the only validation we need.”

Shari Duval founded K9s For Warriors in 2011. Her vision was to train shelter dogs as Service Dogs and pair them with veterans afflicted with militaryconnected traumas. When her son, Brett, a civilian K9 police bomb dog handler who served in Iraq, came home with PTSD, she realized he was only himself when with his dog. Doctors couldn’t help her son, but she found that a Service Dog could. Shari found a new mission in life: to put her time and resources into helping restore the life of her son, and the lives of returning combat veterans through the use of Service Dogs. For Shari, it wasn’t only about assisting those who had sacrificed for our freedom, it was about fighting to save their lives. She started the organization with her own money and watched it grow into the largest Service Dog program for veterans in the U.S.

K9s For Warriors boasts an experienced executive team with backgrounds ranging from the U.S. Army to the White House. Every member oversees a different aspect of our organization, but each is focused on our mission of ending veteran suicide and returning Warriors to a life of dignity and independence. n

Merchants Grocery Company

“A CompanyYou Can Count On ”

P r o u d l y s u p p o r t s t h e S o u t h e r n A s s o c i a t i o n o f W h o l e s a l e D i s t r i b u t o r s

Wholesale Grocery Distributor for Convenience Store Retail & Foodservice

The perfect combination of REFRESHING INNOVATION & SATISFYING SERVICE

Two leaders in convenience are stronger together.

Together as one, Core-Mark and Eby-Brown are delivering a best-in-class experience and innovation at scale to over 50,000 locations across the U.S. and Canada.

Eby-Brown

Matthew Dierson matthew.dierson@pfgc.com (770) 403-5610

To learn more, visit www.core-mark.com and www.eby-brown.com or contact your representative today.

Atlanta

Eric Meyer 4820 North Church Ln. Smyrna, GA 30080 (404) 792-2000

Carolina

Michael Davenport 1144 Broadway Rd. Sanford, NC 27332 (919) 774-9444

Forrest City

Chris Enrique 3400 Commerce Rd. Forrest City, AR 72335 (870) 633-2044

Ft.Worth

Matt Firlit 6401 Will Rogers Blvd. Fort Worth, TX 76134 (817) 293-5558

Kentucky

Scott Clark 1055 Salt River Rd.

(270) 259-9341

Tampa

Jason Nevin 9020 King Palm Dr. Tampa, FL 33619 (813) 664-0474

WHOLESALER HIGHLIGHT: Q&A WITH

CHRIS D’AMICO, BTC WHOLESALE

SOUTHERN: Could you give a brief history of your company and how you got started in the business?

My great grandfather Frank D’Amico started the business in 1927. He was an Italian immigrant that started as a coal miner. He opened a few grocery stores and then started a distribution company in 1927 that sold candy and tobacco to local markets around Birmingham, AL. The story goes that when the great depression hit, product was short, much like today, and he was able to service his current customers without gouging the prices and he earned a good reputation and was able to stay in business. As we moved through the years, we began serving more grocery stores and pharmacies mostly in Alabama. Today, most of our revenue comes from convenience stores, and we are distributing over 8,000 different products to customers in six states.

SOUTHERN: Number of years personally in the business?

I graduated college in 2008 and then came to BTC. Prior to college I spent summers working in the warehouse or in merchandising.

SOUTHERN: How many years has company been in business and how many employees are there?

We have been in business 95 years, and we have 215 employees.

SOUTHERN: What is necessary to succeed in this business?

To have the capacity for existential flexibility or the will to leave your organization in better shape than you found it. This will direct your decisions. Work with people who love you and trust you because there’s going to be short-term pain, and you’re going to have to have people who are going to go along with you because they believe that it’s worth it.

SOUTHERN: Is there anyone who has been a mentor for you in the industry?

Mainly by dad, Frank D’Amico III. He has been in this industry for over 40 years and possesses a wealth of wisdom that he has been willing to share with me and others over the years. He has been extremely disciplined on how he has operated the business for many years and hopefully some of that will rub off on me and my brothers.

SOUTHERN: How long have you been a Southern member?

I have been coming to the shows and meeting on and off for about 10 years.

SOUTHERN: What keeps you coming back to the meetings?

Growing up in a family business the meetings initially kind of validated this industry for me, as a 23–25-year-old. This is a big industry with lots to learn and the meetings really got me interested to try to push to learn more and grow the business.

SOUTHERN: What is the best part of the meetings?

Learning from others is by far the most valuable part of the meetings for me.

SOUTHERN: What are your words of wisdom to someone getting started in the business?

Have patience in your career and if you are willing to do more than you are paid to do, eventually you will be paid more than you do.

SOUTHERN: What is the main reason someone should be a member of the Southern?

You may meet many new people who you share common interests with. These contacts can be important for new ideas and can give your mind a re-set. By going, you will be given the advantage of knowing about trends quickly and then will have the resources to act on them.

SOUTHERN: What is the biggest issue facing this industry today?

My first response would be regulation on tobacco and what could be coming with EV. Long term, I think that the upcoming workforce expects something different than the reality of what many companies can provide. The business we are in is always going to take a lot of people to get the job complete and most of those jobs are not sitting in front of laptop from home.

SOUTHERN: If someone were interested in coming to the Annual meeting for the first time …what would you advise them?

The more preparation you put into any event before you go, the more you will get out of it. There is a lot packed into the annual meetings, so use the tools provided to get a lay of the land before attending.

SOUTHERN: Tell us about yourself

and your family? I grew up in Vestavia Hills, AL and still live there today. I attended the University of Alabama and later got married to my beautiful wife Meredith in 2010. We have two daughters named Mary Rose (6) and Anna Lacey (3). I have done several jobs at BTC Wholesale, but currently I am the VP of Sales.