MADISON – State Rep. Rob Kreibich (R-New Richmond) has been recognized by the Wisconsin Grocers Association (WGA) with its “Friend of Grocers” award. The award was presented to Rep. Kreibich in Madison on June 19.

The “Friend of Grocers” award is given to legislators who earn a five-star rating on the WGA Legislative Report Card - an extensive study of all legislators’ performance in the 2025-26 Legislative Session. Lawmakers are scored according to their actions on certain issues that are especially important to the grocery industry, including: personal property tax repeal, alcohol reforms, state retail theft legislation, child labor rules to allow for use of modern equipment, State FoodShare access, and several other key business issues. Key elements of the award:

• Advocacy for Legislative Items: Efforts in authoring, co-sponsoring, and voting for key legislative items that significantly impact the grocery industry.
• Engagement with the WGA Community: Participation in WGA advocacy days, meetings with our members, public statements about retail food issues, and store tours underscore the commitment to understanding and addressing the challenges faced by grocery retailers.
• Leadership and Strategy: Strategic leadership through research, speaking with other legislators, drafting and promoting legislation, coupled with an active role in discussions both on the floor and in committees.

“Representative Kreibich has been an advocate for Wisconsin grocers,” said Mike Semmann, president/CEO of the Wisconsin Grocers Association. “He authored legislation to modernize child labor regulations in the food service industry by allowing minors to operate pizza dough rollers and worked with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to advance the legislation. These efforts are important to the association, and we appreciate Rep. Kreibich’s leadership.”

The Wisconsin Grocers Association (WGA) is a non-profit trade association established in 1900 to represent independent grocers and grocery chains, warehouses and brokers, vendors, suppliers, and manufacturers before all levels of government. The WGA provides educational and networking opportunities, leadership training, public affairs, and compliance information for its membership.

WGA and its membership have significant economic impact in the state of Wisconsin. The WGA represents nearly 350 independent grocers with multiple locations across the state, more than 200 retail grocery chain stores, warehouses and distributors, convenience stores, food brokers and suppliers. Wisconsin grocers employ over 30,000 people with over $1 billion in payroll and generate more than $12 billion in annual sales in Wisconsin resulting in approximately $800 million in state sales tax revenue (data provided by The Food Institute).

Submitted by Wisconsin Grocers Association