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At #Topco, we value the ideas, opinions and beliefs of all of our associates, regardless of background. Earlier this month, we highlighted Diversity, Equity and Inclusion as a part of our People Strategy as a way to reinforce this notion and further ensure associates a comfortable place to make their voices heard. We’re excited to celebrate UN World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development and continue to enhance the culture at Topco.
Our intranet page, Team Topco, is Topco’s hub when it comes to organizational news, updates, (virtual) events and a bevy of resources for associates. Additionally, as a way to celebrate successes, Topco recently offered a link for associates to submit their own news or story ideas. Whether it’s a professional win or an exciting personal life update, this is one way Topco keeps associates engaged with one another, while also reinforcing the value we place on associate ideas and victories.
April 21 is National Administrative Professionals Day, and we want to acknowledge the hard work of those #Topco associates who demonstrate organization, consistency and an acute attention to detail as a way to benefit those around them. We know that the daily tasks of an administrative professional varies day to day, hour to hour, moment to moment. It’s your perpetual flexibility and dexterity that keeps your respective departments running smoothly, serving as the teams’ gatekeepers—and doing so in a friendly and approachable manner. To all the Topco administrative professionals, thank you!
While our organization is still operating in a remote setting, Topco continues to find ways to maintain regular interaction for our associates. We recently expanded Topco Groups, collaborative pages on our intranet dedicated to associates who share a common interest such as exercise, cooking, an internal book club and more. This is just one the many efforts we’ve comprised to help promote associate engagement and reinforce a healthy work-life balance.
This week, Topco’s Director of Health & Wellness and Business Development Dr. Jay Nadas penned a column in Progressive Grocer highlighting the Topco membership’s involvement with the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. It articulates the members’ non-stopped efforts to prioritize the safety of their customers and associates while also demonstrating the organization’s aggregation capabilities.
In a recent story in the Shelby Report, the publication highlighted the recent rise in private label consumption among customers across the country, with #Topco member-owners providing insight on the trend and explaining how this could become the new norm. As an organization that works so closely with private label products to ensure the membership is offering its customers top-quality products at an affordable price, it’s exciting to see the positive impact it has on consumers’ purchasing decisions.
In lieu of gatherings, #Topco has found other avenues for honoring Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In addition to an exercise challenge in which we asked associates to dedicate a workout to raising awareness, associates all wore pink last Friday to commemorate the month. Even though we can’t be together, we’ll continue to find ways to ensure awareness is raised as we help fight the cause.
Even though Katie Waeltz would joke that she has taken a somewhat windy path to get where she is today, there was always a linear element throughout her journey: teaching. This month, the Topco VP of Category Management & Market Insights was featured in the Shelby Report’s People To Watch section, which afforded readers the opportunity to learn a little about her new role at #Topco, how she became interested in the industry and importance she puts on development within a team.
Working remotely for a prolonged period of time isn’t only new for many of us, it’s also an adjustment for some of our pets as well. As #Topco continues to work from our individual homes, we’ve also been finding new ways to bring all of us together. Last week, Team Topco, our intranet page, asked associates to show off how our four-legged friends are “helping” us get work done. Needless to say, some provide more assistance than others.
Like many companies across the nation, #Topco is balancing being a critical part of the national grocery supply chain with ensuring the safety and security of its associates. As we continue to support our members – regional grocery retailers and wholesalers – we are proud of how we are all rising to the challenge and supporting our internal teams, our members and their store operators and communities at large. Topco’s Chairman of the Board and Stater Bros. Markets CEO Pete Van Helden pitched in at a Stater Bros. location, providing assistance to both his in-store associates as well as their loyal customers.
