UW Grocers - Retailer-owned grocery
distributor in the Western United States. Formed as a result
of the merger of Certified Grocers of California, Ltd. and United
Grocers, Inc. Visit: http://www.uwgrocers.com
Unified Western Grocers, Inc. is the grocery company that resulted
from the merger of United Grocers, Inc. Portland, Oregon and
Certified Grocers of California, Ltd., Los Angeles in September
of 1999. Unified Western Grocers is now, less than a decade
after its creation, among the twenty largest grocery wholesalers
in the United States of America. Before merging, both United
Grocers, Inc. as well as Certified Grocers of California, Ltd.
shared similar histories and showed progress and steady growth.
United Grocers, Inc. was formed in 1922 and seven decades later
it had several different distribution centers. 1992 finds them
expanding their most important one, the Portland Distribution
Center. In 1995 United Grocers, Inc. acquire the Market Wholesale
Company in Modesto, California and establish a part of their
offices there as well as some warehouse spaces. The growing
expansion forces United Grocers, Inc. to centralize their purchasing
functions at the Portland facilities therefore giving the company
added buying power in the marketplace and by the end of the
twentieth century they had completed their strategic repositioning
plan meant to strengthen the company.
Certified Grocers of California, Ltd. was created in 1915.
In 1981 they find it necessary to create a subsidiary that would
become an economical and convenient source of grocery for the
small order buyers and thus the Grocers Specialty Company (GSC)
subsidiary is formed. The Grocers Specialty Company also became
a convenient and high quality supplier of health foods, ethnic
foods, gourmet items and other special products that were previously
available only through individual suppliers. The steady growth
of Certified Grocers of California is continued in the late
1980s with the construction of the Stockton dry grocery distribution
center, the opening of the Stockton refrigerated and frozen
products warehouse and the opening of the Fresno general merchandise
warehouse. 1996 marks the creation of the Single Point of Contact
Customer Service Center (also known as SPOC) as well as the
launch of the Apple Markets market program. By 1999 both United
Grocers, Inc. as well as Certified Grocers of California, Ltd.
were ready to merge and United Western Grocers, Inc. was created.
After the national growth of Unified western Grocers there was
a global growth to follow and now the company can pride itself
with Unified International one of the largest providers of customer
service and quality products in the grocery world.
Certified Grocers
Main Office
(800) 724-7762
customercare@unifiedgrocers.com
