Topco
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Group purchasing organization, Retail food |
| Predecessor | Food Cooperatives, Inc., Top Frost Foods |
| Founded | September 28, 1944 in Wisconsin, United States |
| Fate | Merged with Shurfine International in 2001; acquired Western Family Foods in 2016; purchased BrainTree Sourcing in 2006 |
Area served | United States |
| Products | Group purchasing services for retail food sector |
Topco Associates LLC stands as the leading group purchasing organization (GPO) in the American retail food sector and ranks as the sixth largest privately held company within the state of Illinois.
History
The origins of Topco trace back to September 28, 1944, when Wisconsin-based food retailers established Food Cooperatives, Inc. to provide members with private label dairy products and paper goods marketed under the Food Club and Elna brands. At that time, a number of these members were also affiliated with another cooperative known as Top Frost Foods.
In December 1950, these two cooperatives united to create Topco Associates, Inc. Over the following decades, the company broadened its portfolio by introducing a fresh produce division in 1958, launching health and beauty as well as not-for-resale programs in 1960, initiating fresh beef procurement in 1967, developing bakery sourcing capabilities in 1979, and establishing its inaugural pharmacy program in 1999.
The year 2001 marked a significant milestone when Topco merged with Shurfine International, resulting in the formation of Topco Associates LLC. Further growth occurred in June 2016 through the acquisition of competitor Western Family Foods. Additionally, on February 1, 2006, Topco expanded its operations by purchasing BrainTree Sourcing from Ahold USA, leading to the creation of TopSource LLC—currently recognized as Topco's Indirect Spend program—which operates from Quincy, Massachusetts.