Saint Paul, MN — National Co+op Grocers (NCG), a business services cooperative for retail food co-ops across the United States, has appointed Dave Schermerhorn as its new Chief Commercial Officer (CCO). Schermerhorn, a longtime leader within the cooperative grocery sector, assumes the role following the promotion of Ben Nauman to Chief Operating Officer earlier this year.
Schermerhorn brings more than 30 years of experience in cooperative retail and supply chain leadership, with most of his career spent developing NCG’s supplier programs and partnerships. He has been serving as interim CCO since June 2025.
Since joining the co-op sector in the 1990s, Schermerhorn has held leadership roles at several cooperatives, including Seward Co-op in Minneapolis, before joining NCG in 2001. During his tenure, he has played a pivotal role in expanding supplier partnerships — from establishing NCG’s controlled brand partnership with United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) around its Field Day brand, to growing complementary supply relationships with KeHE and regional distributors. His efforts have significantly increased member purchasing power, enhanced affordability, and improved access to natural and organic products in communities nationwide.
“Dave has dedicated his career to strengthening cooperative collaboration, and he has a proven track record of building resilient supply chains and mutually beneficial partnerships that deliver real value to our members,” said C.E. Pugh, CEO, NCG. “We are thrilled to have his leadership and vision guiding NCG’s purchasing team at this critical moment in our evolution.”
In his new role as CCO, Schermerhorn will oversee NCG’s purchasing strategy, supplier relations, and commercial partnerships. He will be responsible for ensuring that member co-ops can efficiently and economically access products and services, while also driving innovation, resilience, and growth across NCG’s commercial operations.
“Since early on in my career in co-ops, I’ve been driven by the belief that food co-ops need one another to thrive,” said Schermerhorn. “Over twenty-five years later, that commitment to collaboration still motivates me. I’m honored to take on this role and look forward to advancing NCG’s mission by ensuring our members can access the goods and services they need to succeed, while continuing to strengthen and diversify NCG’s partnerships.”
Schermerhorn is widely respected across the cooperative and supplier community for his systems-oriented approach, ability to build high-performing teams, and focus on creating win-win solutions for members and partners alike.
About National Co+op Grocers
National Co+op Grocers (NCG), founded in 1999, is a purchasing and business services cooperative for retail food co-ops located throughout the United States. NCG helps unify food co-ops to optimize operational and marketing resources, strengthen purchasing power and ultimately offer more value to food co-op owners and shoppers everywhere. Our 167 member co-ops operate more than 241 storefronts in 39 states with combined annual sales of $2.8 billion. NCG is a winner of the dotCoop Global Awards for Cooperative Excellence and a certified B Corp. Find a map of NCG member co-ops. To learn more about co-ops, visit grocery.coop.
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