100 Years of Educating Supermarket Associates

Promoting and Advancing Petroleum Marketing, Retail Grocery, and Convenience Stores in West Virginia

Driving Local Business and Community Growth Across West Virginia

Our Purpose and Commitment

OMEGA is a West Virginia-based organization dedicated to supporting and advancing the business interests of the state’s petroleum marketing, retail grocery, and convenience store industries.

As a network of over 225 locally owned businesses, OMEGA actively promotes cooperation, advocates for favorable legislation, and provides education and resources to its members. With over 50,000 employees, OMEGA members significantly contribute to the state’s economy, generating more than 10% of all state taxes and supporting local communities through scholarships, charitable donations, and civic involvement.

OMEGA is committed to fostering industry growth while serving West Virginians with essential services like fuel, food, and convenience.

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Join a Community that Champions, Connects, and Elevates!

Your Essential Connection in West Virginia

OMEGA offers three types of membership: Convenience Store Members, Petroleum Marketer Members, and Grocer Members, all of which play a vital role in providing fuel, food, and essentials across West Virginia. As a liaison with state and national agencies, OMEGA works closely with organizations like NACS, PMAA, FMI, and the N.G.A. to advocate on behalf of its members.

We keep members informed through newsletters, legislative updates, an online resource hub, and educational seminars. Additional member benefits include access to the Encova Workers’ Compensation Discount Program and participation in our annual Trade Expo and fundraising efforts for children’s charities. OMEGA is here to support, advocate, and enhance the success of our industry members.

It’s not often you get to celebrate a 100-year anniversary, but this past weekend I had the opportunity to salute my colleagues at the Western Association of Food Chains (WAFC) who are marking their Centennial year.

By Leslie Sarasin, President and CEO, FMI<img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/blog-image-350x200-top-women-in-grocery.tmb-large-350-.png?sfvrsn=ea8686bd_1" data-displaymode="Thumbnail" alt="Top Women in Grocery" title="Blog Image 350x200 Top Women in Grocery" style="float: right; margin: 10px;" /> It’s not often you get to celebrate a 100-year anniversary, but this past weekend I had the opportunity to salute my colleagues at the <a href="http://www.wafc.com/">Western Association of Food Chains</a> (WAFC) who are marking their Centennial year. Back in 1921, (on the heels of the Spanish Flu global pandemic, I might mention) a group of forward-thinking Los Angeles grocers gathered and saw the value of helping their grocery workers obtain education to be more successful in their businesses. The group formed WAFC, which throughout the years has advocated and innovated to provide education opportunities that enable food industry associates to become effective leaders in the industry. Today, that original band of Los Angeles grocers spans 14 states across the Western United States, all focused on a mission to attract, retain, and provide a path forward for high-potential food industry associates through education and leadership programs. At the invitation of Chief Operations Officer Carole Christianson, I (virtually) addressed the WAFC Board of Directors and was happy to see many colleagues and FMI members who are making a difference in educating and preparing our workforce. Today’s food industry workforce faces some unique challenges and we at FMI are working to provide solutions, including by developing research insights on the COVID-19-induced shift to at-home meals; establishing a partnership with the Center for Food Integrity to address Racial Justice, Inclusion and Diversity in the food industry; and addressing the challenge of crisis management and de-escalation initiatives in the retail environment since grocery stores sit front and center in their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. FMI and WAFC both identify workforce development as critical to ensuring the industry maintains thriving and prepared employees. For that reason, we work together to promote talent development initiatives vis-à-vis the community college-based <a href="https://retailmanagementcertificate.com/">Retail Management Certificate Program</a> (RMCP). FMI has partnered with WAFC to expand the program nationally and collaborates with WAFC to facilitate a national advisory group of retailers who participate in the RMCP program. Retention of employees is key, and the Retail Management Certificate Program offers a pathway and the critical skills for advancement of grocery workers. For more information on RMCP, please contact <a href="mailto:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">Cynthia Brazzel</a>, FMI’s Director of Member Relations and Advocacy. FMI salutes WAFC and its commitment to an exceptional grocery workforce. Congratulations on your Centennial!

Read full article on FMI

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Supporting West Virginia Communities

OMEGA members play a vital role in West Virginia, supporting communities through substantial tax contributions and a wide-reaching presence across the state. With over 55% of the population living in border counties, our members are dedicated to serving both local and regional needs. Beyond business, we’re proud to give back, having contributed over $3.1 million to children’s charities since 2003, reflecting our commitment to making a positive difference.