On September 28, 1944 a small cooperative was formed to supply its members with dairy products and paper goods, allowing them to operate in spite of wartime shortages. Called Food Cooperatives, Inc., the products procured by this organization were sold under the Food Club and Elna labels. Some of the members of Food Cooperatives were also members of another cooperative called Top Frost Foods. By early 1950, it was obvious that the two cooperatives were clearly well matched, which resulted in a merger of the two companies in December of that year. This was the beginning of Topco Associates, Inc., as it is known today. Folklore has it that the name "Topco" came from the "top" of Top Frost and the "co" of Food Cooperatives. Some people claim it's an acronym for "top companies."