Merchants Distributors, LLC
John Gray has a diverse work experience in the retail industry. John started their career at Kroger, where they worked in store management and produce merchandising for nearly a decade. John then joined Scrivner, where they held various roles including retail counselor and director of sales. During their time at Scrivner, they were responsible for managing the sales team and improving retail sales and profitability. Most recently, they worked at Merchants Distributors, where they held positions such as retail counselor, B2B sales manager, and director of commercial accounts. In these roles, they focused on developing and implementing sales strategies, managing customer relationships, and driving sales growth.
John Gray attended the following educational institutions and programs:
1. Cornell University (2010): John participated in the NGA Executive Leadership Program at Cornell University.
2. Catawba Valley Community College (2008): John studied Spanish Language and Literature at Catawba Valley Community College.
3. Chattanooga State Community College (1991-1992): John focused on Advanced Lotus, Excel 1, and Advanced Excel at Chattanooga State Community College.
4. Scrivner Retail Counselor Academy (1988): John completed a program at the Scrivner Retail Counselor Academy, concentrating on Retailing and Retail Operations for Independent Operators.
5. Kroger KEC - (Kroger Education Center) (1985): John underwent Kroger Store Management Training at the Kroger Education Center.
Merchants Distributors, LLC
Merchants Distributors (MDI) is a privately-owned wholesale grocery store distributor headquartered in Hickory, NC. MDI supplies over 600 retail food stores with food and non-food items in NC, SC, GA, TN, VA, AL, WV, OH, FL, PA, MD, and KY. MDI celebrated its 85th anniversary on September 21, 2016. MDI's 85 year history is an interesting story of sacrifice, growth and success. It began as a small family business in the small town of Hickory, North Carolina, and as one local newspaper described it, "With little more than a bag of peanuts, an apple, and a stick of candy." What Lebanese immigrant Moses George and his sons purchased in 1931 for $17,000 has since grown to become a multimillion-dollar wholesale grocery company. Merchants Distributors is a great American success story but it is a company that has never forgotten its roots. Its success is based on: - Its values, its facilities, its variety, its Advertising programs, its cost of goods, and its innovations - The one thing that distinguishes MDI as superior to other distribution companies - leadership. MDI's owners have created a leadership style that supports the organization as one family working together for one common goal and a culture in its people that is impossible to duplicate.