Connect, Grow & Serve in 2018

By Dagmar Farr, Chief Member Relations Officer and Senior Vice President, Membership and Education, Food Marketing Institute

Over the course of 2018, FMI’s CEO and staff made personal visits to more than 150 members, providing resources and information to help grow their businesses by serving their needs. This year we expanded our reach even further. New for 2018, FMI created a new membership category for product suppliers. By welcoming product suppliers into a new membership structure, FMI brings together CEOs, senior executives and future leaders to create a fully integrated organization driven by retail, wholesale and product supplier members.

In the Universities & Colleges membership category, we are pleased to report for 2018 that two schools joined – Collin College in Texas and Portland State University in Oregon. Be sure to follow the FMI Blog for a profile of  each University & College member’s program to learn more about how these programs benefit food retailers, wholesalers and suppliers.

FMI share groups continue to be a top benefit of membership. They provide a confidential forum for noncompeting members to network, share best practices, and discuss wins and losses. FMI operates 10 share groups, and this year we are pleased to add four new members to the groups.

Keeping members abreast of the vast array of benefits, resources and services FMI has to offer is a constant challenge. We continue to address this challenge by providing useful and relevant information in customized newsletters for Independent Operators and our International members. Also in 2018, wholesalers received a quarterly newsletter focused on FMI programs, resources and initiatives that provide value to wholesaler members and their customers.

For more information about the various membership benefits available to FMI members, visit www.fmi.org.