| AFT Associates was founded as a group in the 1960's by M.W. Stone,
Henry Mills, Clarence Holden and Mr. Thompson. The name of
the organization was derived from the first letter of their individual
company names. All had originally been members of Mid States
Distributing, a cooperative buying group. The original purpose was to
pool their buying power to obtain better pricing. That purpose
continues today. With this type of cooperation our group will grow and
become stronger.
AFT Associates is a non-profit cooperative of farm & home stores. At
present we have approximately 40 members. Each store does their own
buying, drop ships to their store location and the billing is done
through the home office in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.
After joining, the only cost to you is the monthly dues which are
very minimal. The dues remain the same for each store and is not
based on the amount of purchases. We do not have any up-charges on our
invoices. The stores have the opportunity to take all discounts if
they so desire. Any rebates earned by a store will be returned to that
store in its entirety.
Being a non-profit cooperative, patronage dividends are paid
yearly. The amount the store receives is based on their yearly
purchases through AFT Associates.
We receive excellent programs through many, many Vendors. The
programs are similar to what other buying organizations receive. At
present, we have two buying shows a year where you will receive
additional excellent buys, terms, etc.
The Home Office rents a small place in Minnesota and employs two full
time and one part-time employee. Therefore, the expenses for the
organization are very minimal.
If interested in learning more about AFT Associates or in joining,
contact the Coordinator, JoAnne Lillis, at Ph. # 218-847-0342.
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