Tom Koch

Founder 

Tom’s career in the grocery industry began as a twelve-year-old sack boy for Kroger stores in Houston, Texas.  He worked through high school as a stock clerk and a checker.  College was financed as an assistant manager and later as a set-up specialist for Rice Food Markets.  At twenty years of age, he purchased a Lucky 7 Supermarket.  A few years later, Tom sold his store and began his selling career at Armour-Dial Company as a retail salesman where he was promoted six times in his eight-year stay.  At twenty-six years of age he became the company's youngest district manager.  He left them to pioneer two start-up operations as a broker manager.  In 1980, he joined Norcliff Thayer, a division of Revlon, as a District Manager.  One year later he was promoted to Region Manager.  Over the next four years he doubled their sales from $8 to $17 million.  After leaving Revlon, as a result of the company's hostile takeover, Koch held Regional Manager positions at Capri Sun and Thompson Medical Company, where he distinguished himself by increasing distribution and sales.  He founded Koch & Associates in November 1989 and merged with Roy DeVore in January 1992 to form DeVore-Koch & Associates.  Tom bought out Roy DeVore when Roy retired in June 1993.

Koch graduated with honors with a BBA in Marketing from the University of Texas at Arlington and obtained an MBA in Management from Georgia State University. For years Koch kept his skills sharp by teaching one quarter a year as a Professor of Marketing at Kennesaw State College.

Tom has personally called on every customer in the market. Over the years, he has developed meaningful friendships with most of them. Tom retired in March 2022 but is still able and willing to help- Not to mention handles all of the golf tournaments on Koch & Associates behalf.

Tom is also very proud and humbled to serve as Chairman of the Board of the Friendship Center of Atlanta.  This is a nonprofit organization that caters to the learning disabled and those living with mental illness. The center provides tens of thousands of meals, clothing, and part-time jobs to those that suffer from mental illness and poverty.  Formerly unemployable people get paid to work in the garden, sell plants and create original & saleable artwork (Carter Center Christmas card was created by one of our artists).   The Friendship Center gives the participants a feeling of love and belonging in what would otherwise be a very hard world for them.  On a personal note, these are the funniest and sweetest people you will ever meet.  For more information on the Friendship center please visit www.friendshipcenter-atlanta.org.

When Tom isn’t volunteering, he can be found rooting the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on for both football and basketball as well as having his hopes and dreams squashed by the Atlanta Falcons every Sunday.