Affiliated Foods Prez Gets NGA’s Spirit of America Award
The National Grocers Association (NGA), the trade association representing the independent grocery industry, has given Randy Arceneaux, president and CEO of Amarillo, Texas-based wholesaler Affiliated Foods, the Spirit of America Award in recognition of his commitment to community service and government relations on behalf of independent grocers. Arceneaux received the award during the March 23 Affiliated Foods annual shareholder meeting in Amarillo.
“Randy has been a steadfast advocate for independent grocers throughout his career, but especially during the COVID-19 pandemic as he helped guide grocers through these trying times,” said Greg Ferrara, president and CEO of Washington, D.C.-based NGA. “Additionally, Randy has been active in Washington, D.C., helping to advance antitrust reform by meeting with FTC and Congress, calling on them to enforce the Robinson-Patman Act.”
Arceneaux met with senators and administration officials in Washington in 2021 to discuss critical issues affecting the independent grocery industry, among them the truck driver shortage across the United States, added Chris Jones, NGA’s SVP of government relations and counsel. “He helped persuade the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to provide flexibility so that wholesalers could more easily supply grocers with essential items,” said Jones.
Arceneaux is currently helping to start Soup for the Soul, an outreach program to feed the homeless in Amarillo, and is a supporter of Life Challenge of Amarillo, a local faith-based adult and teen addiction treatment center. He has worked on several benevolent projects at the Faith City Mission of Amarillo and raises funds for The Turn Center, a nonprofit organization providing therapy services to special-needs kids. Arceneaux also started a charity golf tournament that has generated more than $250,000 for several nonprofit organizations throughout the Texas Panhandle.
Established in 1982, the NGA Spirit of America Award honors key industry and community leaders in the areas of community service and government relations on behalf of the independent supermarket industry. Past winners include Presidents George H.W. Bush and Gerald Ford.
