New CEO at UDF

For the first time since its launch in 1940, United Dairy Farmers (Norwood, Ohio) is being run by someone from outside the founding Lindner family. The Midwest c-store retailer announced that it has hired Michael Ahmed, most recently COO at Gorilla Glue Co., as CEO. He replaces Brad Lindner, who has worked for 47 years at the company co-founded by his father and now includes 173 convenience stores in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.

Brad Lindner announced his pending retirement earlier this spring, which initiated an external search for a new CEO. The naming of Ahmed marks “a significant shift for us as we transition from being a family led organization to one operated by non-owners with continued involvement and oversight from the Lindner family via our board of directors,” said Lindner, who will lead the onboarding process for Ahmed before transitioning into board chairman.

Prior to his stint at Gorilla Glue, Ahmed served in senior-level roles with Tyson Foods /Advanced Pierre Foods, Kik Custom Products and Procter & Gamble.

“Michael has a strong background in food manufacturing, supply chain, distribution/warehousing and logistics which were key criteria when we began our search,” said Lindner.

In its coverage of the news, C-Store Dive noted that Ahmed’s hiring comes as UDF faces new competition in its home market from several fast-growing national chains. QuikTrip and RaceTrac both opened their first c-stores in Ohio in 2024, while East Coast c-store favorite Wawa debuted in the state this past April. (Editor’s note: Lake Jackson, Texas-based Buc-ee’s, another fast-growing chain, will open its first locale in southwest Ohio next spring in Huber Heights, a northeast suburb of Dayton).