The Cohen Family C&S Wholesale Grocers was founded in 1918 by Israel Cohen and Abraham Siegel. Israel Cohen assumed sole ownership early on, and worked to grow the business, which was then based in Worcester, Massachusetts. The company continued to grow, staying focused on meeting and exceeding customer expectation. Israel’s son Lester joined C&S upon returning from service in the Pacific during World War II. Lester shared his father’s passion for the business and fostered the development of C&S’ military commissary business, a segment of the business that is strong decades later. Lester became C&S’ second-ever CEO, and by the mid-fifties, the company was a successful mid-sized wholesaler. C&S grew steadily, outgrowing warehouse after warehouse. In 1974, Rick Cohen joined the company. Sales had grown to $14 million and C&S had once again outgrown its location. The difficult decision was made to move to Brattleboro, Vermont to build a new, larger location with better access to interstate highways, a good workforce and new markets. There were growing pains, but the strategic move paid off. New customers partnered with C&S, believing in the new building and strategic focus. During the first 10 years in Vermont, C&S surpassed the $300 million goal and grew to over one billion dollars in annual sales. Rick Cohen became C&S’ third CEO in 1989, and C&S has become an industry leader. The family of facilities now includes over 60 distribution centers in 13 states. |
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C&S Wholesale www.cswg.com
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