Dennis Kinser

The father of AWG brands

Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) has been in business since 1924, but it wasn’t until 30 years ago that the Kansas City, Kan.-headquartered cooperative wholesale distributor began offering its independent retailer-members private brands of their own to sell. That was the year AWG named Dennis Kinser, who had held several roles at the company since joining it in 1969, director of private label.

“I have known Dennis since [I joined] AWG in 1980,” says Mike Rand, chief operating officer, AWG. “He was instrumental in the startup and growth of our private label offering. Under his leadership, AWG has developed the premier program in the country, from both a value and quality perspective.”

A father figure

When it comes to AWG’s brands, Kinser is seen as a father figure around the company — literally.

“At AWG, Dennis is referred to as the ‘father of AWG brands,’” says Steve Arnold, senior vice president of grocery products, AWG. “Under his guidance, our opening-price-point label, Always Save, was established in 1984. In addition, our national-brand-equivalent label, Best Choice, was developed and deployed in 1985,” he explains, adding that overall SKU count for AWG brands has grown from a little more than 100 to 4,700-plus since the inauguration of Always Save.

In addition, Kinser was instrumental in establishing AWG’s centralized traffic department and gaining supplier support for backhauling products, Arnold states. He also established AWG’s category management department and streamlined many functions within the company. By doing so, he created a “culture of expense savings,” in which money saved from streamlining functions is invested back into product development.

“Dennis built the foundation of one of the core competencies of Associated Wholesale Grocers: AWG Brands,” he explains. “That humble beginning back in 1984 has grown to over $1 billion in annual sales and is equal to over 22.5 percent of all cases shipped from the AWG distribution centers.”

And to benefit schools and non-profit organizations, Kinser helped create AWG’s Best Choice Save-A-Label program, which gives organizations 3 cents for each Best Choice UPC symbol redeemed (with a minimum of 1,000 labels required for redemption). Today, the program boasts more than 13,000 registered organizations in AWG’s trade area.

Leaving a legacy

Kinser moved up AWG’s corporate ladder twice more — to vice president of private label in 1990, and senior vice president of grocery products in 2003 — before retiring in December 2006. Since then, he has enjoyed spending time with his wife, Jahala, as well as his six children and six grandchildren. When he’s not spending quality time with them, he’s bass fishing, golfing or working on and driving his classic car. He also attends various car shows throughout the year.

And while Kinser enjoys his well-deserved retirement, those at AWG who worked with him during his tenure there continue to build on the foundation he laid, fondly remembering him as they continue to develop the program he created.

“Dennis Kinser is personally responsible for building the foundation for any success AWG has ever had in private label,” says Jerry Garland, president and CEO, AWG. “I cannot think of anyone more deserving of such an honor.”

Rand agrees.

“I could not think of anyone more deserving than Dennis,” he says. “Congratulations on picking a great candidate; he is truly deserving.”

“At AWG, Dennis is referred to as the ‘father of AWG brands,’”
— Steve Arnold, senior vice president of grocery products, AWG