This article was filed under Employment
IOWA CITY, Iowa (January 9, 2009) —National Cooperative Grocers Association (NCGA), a business services co-op with 111 members nationwide, today announced the hiring of Ben Nauman in the position of Category Management Lead.
Nauman currently serves on NCGA’s management team as a development director for NCGA’s central corridor. Over the last few years he has spearheaded efforts to create the organization’s systematic store improvement program and establish a “Development Team” to better serve members' needs.
Nauman will transition to his new role effective February 9, 2009. As Category Management Lead, Nauman will head a team developing programs and tools that support NCGA members’ product selection and merchandising efforts, and help to differentiate co-ops in the marketplace.
“Food co-ops continue to grow and prosper when many other retailers are struggling by staying focused on member and shopper needs, and offering consumers both choices and the opportunity to create community. I’m excited to have the opportunity to join our Purchasing team and lead a talented group of individuals dedicated to strengthening our members' stores,” Nauman said. “Our category management program will provide our retailers with better tools and resources to serve their shoppers and members, allow us to strengthen our partnerships with manufacturers and vendors, and increase the impact food co-op shoppers have on the larger natural products marketplace.”
Nauman will report to Dave Blackburn, NCGA's Director of Purchasing, and will be based in NCGA’s St. Paul, Minn. office.
National Cooperative Grocers Association (NCGA), founded in 1999, is a business services cooperative for consumer-owned food co-ops located throughout the United States. NCGA is owned by 111 food co-ops operating more than 130 stores in 32 states with combined annual sales of over $1 billion. NCGA helps unify natural food co-ops in order to optimize operational and marketing resources, strengthen purchasing power, and ultimately offer more value to natural food co-op shoppers everywhere. For a map of co-op member locations, visit www.ncga.coop/member-stores. To learn more about NCGA, click here. To learn more about co-ops visit www.go.coop.
