Food City named Mitch Cochran as its 2025 Jack C. Smith Store Manager of the Year during a meeting Feb. 27 in Knoxville, Tennessee.
The award is named in memory of the company’s founder and former chairman of the board.
Cochran, who manages Food City No. 743 in Cleveland, Tennessee, achieved outstanding performance across a broad spectrum of categories and epitomizes the company’s mission to “run the best store in town.”
Cochran, who plans to retire this year, began his career in 1972 as a courtesy clerk with Red Food Store and held a variety of positions with the company.
“Mitch has been an outstanding store manager,” said Steven C. Smith, Food City president and CEO. “He has served his community, his associates and his company for more than 50 years. While we are certainly sad to see him go, we would like to thank him for his dedicated service and wish him all the best.”
According to Food City, Cochran is a role model and mentor to his employees and devoted to his customers, most of whom he knows by name. He also is involved in the community, visiting schools and reading to area students, conducting student store tours and sharing life application lessons, store best practices and safety standards.
Cochran has served on a number of charitable boards and volunteered with many organizations and community events throughout the years.
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