FROM THE
COSTCO
Food
EXPERTS
Meet the
Costco
food team
IN 1987, COSTCO OPENED its first fresh
meat, seafood, deli and bakery departments
at the Tukwila, Washington, warehouse. It
was a bold step, because until then, no other
warehouse club had successfully sold fresh
food. But the skeptics have been silenced,
as today Fresh Foods is a major category
copied by others in the industry.
Its success is a measure of not just
the quantities sold ( 150 million pounds of
ground beef annually, 125 million muffins
and 130 million pounds of bananas), but
also the confidence of members and food
professionals in the outstanding product
quality. This recognition reflects well on
the expertise and diligence of the Fresh
Foods teams who source, buy and merchandise perishable products in warehouses
from Hawaii to New England. Their
mantra, as expressed by Tim Rose, senior
vice president, is: “We constantly look at
every item to see what we can do to make
it a better value for our member.”
Under Tim’s leadership Costco’s Foods
and Fresh Foods departments have added
numerous innovations in product development, buying and distribution. The key to
these successes is the close working relationships with suppliers.
Costco’s meat department, under the
direction of Charlie Winters, has become
legendary for its consistent high quality
and great prices. Professional meat cutters
on-site closely trim off extra fat and gristle.
No summer barbecue is complete without
T-bones or rib-eyes from Costco.
The hard work of the meat department,
including buyers Doug Holbrook and
Chris Ostrander, has paid off. Costco is
one of the largest buyers of USDA Choice
beef in the United States. “The impact we
have made on the industry and the volume
Tim Rose
Senior vice president
foods, general
merchandise,
Foods, Sundries,
Fresh Foods
Charlie Winters
Vice president/
director of meat
operations
Sue
McConnaha
Vice president
of bakery
operations
