Two community colleges in Illinois, the College of Lake County and Moraine Valley Community College, recently accepted the Western Association of Food Chains’ (WAFC) invitation to become a participating partner in the Retail Management Certificate (RMC) program. RMC is a nationally recognized, accredited college program developed by retail industry experts and community college leaders to […]
Category: Midwest
The Shelby Report of the Midwest covers grocery retailers, wholesalers and suppliers in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Follow the latest store openings, remodels, leadership changes and market news from the region.
Walt Churchill’s Market Marking 100th Anniversary As It Eyes Ohio Expansion
Walt Churchill’s Market (WCM) will celebrate 100 years of serving the Toledo, Ohio, community on Saturday, April 15. This year also may mark another milestone, as the two-store operator looks to perhaps open a third store and fill “a gourmet food niche once occupied by The Andersons,” according to The Toledo Blade. The Churchill family […]
Fresh Thyme Farmers Market Confirms 18 New Stores
Fresh Thyme Farmers Market plans to open a number of new stores over the coming months. The Illinois-based chain currently operates more than 50 stores in Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio and Wisconsin. Fresh Thyme will open stores on: • April 26 at 2130 E. Kimberly Road in Davenport, Iowa; • […]
Festival Foods Recognizes Business Partner Of The Year
Festival Foods annually recognizes a key business partner who had a significant impact on its ability to provide outstanding service to customers over the past year. The grocer’s 2016 Business Partner of the Year is dairy product supplier Kemps. Festival Foods says it and Kemps share the philosophy of providing quality products at an exceptional value […]
First Day Of Business For Indianapolis-Area Meijer Supercenters Is May 2
Meijer stores in McCordsville and Franklin, Indiana, will open May 2. Maureen Mitchell, regional VP at Meijer, says company leadership and local dignitaries will dedicate the store’s first day of business with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The Indianapolis-area supercenters are two of seven new stores the retailer is opening in Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin this year. […]
Martin’s Opens South Bend, Indiana, Replacement Store
Martin’s Super Markets opened its newest store Thursday at 525 S. Mayflower Road in South Bend, Indiana—replacing the unit at 4401 Western Avenue, which opened in 1979. “This store is a celebration of, and renewed dedication to, Martin’s long history of serving South Bend’s west side community,” said Martin’s President and CEO Rob Bartels. “The […]
SpartanNash Promotes Pahud To COO Of Caito Foods
SpartanNash has promoted Mike Pahud to COO of Caito Foods, effective immediately. Pahud has been serving as Caito’s CFO since joining the company in February 2013. In addition to his current responsibilities of managing finance and information technology for Caito, Pahud will assume responsibility for sales, procurement and operations. He will report directly to Bob Kirch, […]
The 78 Brand Co. Launches All Natural Mustard Products
The 78 Brand Co. is celebrating its fourth year of business with the launch of two new products. Known for its all-natural tomato ketchup—78 Red Ketchup and 78 Red Spicy Ketchup—the company now offers 78 Yellow Mustard and 78 Yellow Spicy Mustard. All of company’s products are non-GMO, gluten free and contain no high fructose corn syrup. […]
Kroger’s Michigan Division Ratifies Agreement With UFCW Local 876
The Kroger Co. associates working at 103 stores in the company’s Michigan division have ratified a new labor agreement with United Food and Commercial Workers Local 876. “We are pleased to reach an agreement that is good for our associates. This new contract provides wage increases, affordable healthcare and ongoing investment in our associates’ pension […]
Brewers Association Releases Top 50 Breweries List
The Brewers Association (BA)—the not-for-profit trade group representing small and independent craft brewers—has released its annual lists of the top 50 craft and overall brewing companies in the U.S., based on beer sales volume. Of the top 50 overall brewing companies, 40 were craft brewing companies. “With such a broad range of brewers in today’s beer landscape, the […]
SpartanNash Expands Opioid Safety Project To 61 Michigan Pharmacies
In a continued effort to educate store guests and prevent accidental prescription opioid overdoses, SpartanNash says it is expanding its Opioid Safety Project to each of its 61 Michigan pharmacies. SpartanNash was the first major grocery retailer in Michigan to offer this kind of program and expand it throughout the state, with participating pharmacies located […]
Schnucks Sets Opening Date For Ferguson, Missouri, Store
Schnucks will open its doors in Ferguson, Missouri, and North St. Louis County on Wednesday, March 29, as it completes the move from its nearby Cool Valley location. A short ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 9 a.m. and feature St. Louis vocalist Charles Glenn singing the National Anthem. Leading operations at the Ferguson location […]
Strack & Van Til To Close Five Stores In April
Strack & Van Til will close five stores, including its longtime store in Merrillville, Indiana, reports nwi.com. In addition to the Merrillville store at 7201 Taft Street, the Highland, Indiana-based supermarket chain will shutter four Illinois stores, including a Strack & Van Til and an Ultra Foods in Chicago on April 30. A company spokesman told […]
Remke Markets Sold, Fresh Encounter To Manage
Fresh Encounter will take over management of Remke Markets Inc., which is being acquired by Generative Growth. Both Fresh Encounter and Generative Growth are based in Findlay, Ohio. Generative Growth is a wholly owned corporation whose members include third-generation grocers Michael S. Needler Jr. and Julie Needler Anderson. Headquartered in Erlanger, Kentucky, Remke operates stores in […]
Cub Foods President Departs, Interim Leader Named
Cub Foods President Eric Hymas, who has served in the role since January 2016, will leave the grocery chain Feb. 25, according to Cub parent company Supervalu. The announcement was made to Supervalu employees on Feb. 20. Supervalu VP of Marketing and Consumer Insights Chad Ferguson has assumed the role of interim president. Ferguson joined […]
SpartanNash Sales Increases Benefit From Holiday Shift
SpartanNash said Wednesday that business gains and the timing of the New Year holiday resulted in fourth quarter sales growing to $1.83 billion from $1.77 billion a year ago. Net sales for the food distribution segment increased to $838.6 million from $773.7 million in the same quarter a year ago. The Grand Rapids, Michigan-based company said the gains […]
KeHE’s Summer Selling Show Marks Record Attendance, ‘Best Of’ Awards Presented
The 2017 KeHE Summer Selling Show, held earlier this month in New Orleans, hosted more than 3,700 industry professionals—a nearly 35 percent increase from the year prior. Retailers, vendors and brokers were able to get a look at the latest natural and organic, specialty and fresh products for the summer season. “This increased attendance is […]
Asian Retailer One World Market Eyes Opportunities For Expansion
by Alissa Marchat/staff writer Ethnic retailing is a bright spot in the supermarket industry, and One World Market believes that the Asian demographic is emerging as one of the brightest. The Asian population in the U.S. has grown by 43 percent in the last decade, recently replacing Hispanics as the country’s largest immigrant group, the […]
Fareway Stores Promotes Eight
Fareway Stores on Tuesday announced eight promotions during the Boone,-Iowa-based company’s quarterly managers meeting. The company did not provide the employees’ previous roles. • SVP-procurement: Aaron J. Irlbeck • SVP-merchandising: Michael J. McCormick • VP-engineering: Matthew J. Sherwood • VP-direct store delivery: Thomas J. Laven • VP-warehouse and trucking operations: Wesley D. Bass • VP-produce […]
Mackenthun’s Fine Foods Honored By Minnesota State House
Mackenthun’s Fine Foods in Waconia was honored by the Minnesota House of Representatives Feb. 6. Rep. Jim Nash presented the Mackenthun family with a House Resolution to commemorate 100 years in the grocery business. Jaime Mackenthun and Jessa Mackenthun Theis, fifth generation co-owners, were present for the reading and to accept the resolution. Rep. Nash […]
