Gordy and Donna Schafer today announced the retirement of their sons Jeff Schafer, president of Gordy’s Market, and Rick Schafer, VP of facilities. Jeff and Rick have worked for the Wisconsin-based, family-owned and -operated business for more than 80 years combined. Gordy’s Market CFO David Schafer, son of Gordy and Donna, will assume the role […]
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.
SpartanNash Grows Produce Capabilities With Caito Buy
SpartanNash is acquiring Caito Foods Service and Blue Ribbon Transport (BRT) for approximately $217.5 million in cash. SpartanNash will acquire Caito’s produce distribution business, fresh cut fruits and vegetables business, its newly constructed Fresh Kitchen facility and the logistics business of BRT. SpartanNash said the acquisitions will enhance its product offerings by expanding into the fast-growing freshly prepared […]
AWG Wraps Merger With Affiliated Foods Midwest
Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) has completed its merger with Affiliated Foods Midwest (AFM). With its first shipments to stores out of its newest divisions in Norfolk, Nebraska, and Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Oct. 23, the combined cooperative will operate singularly as AWG with more than 1,000 independent members. This combination of retailers makes AWG the largest […]
Minnesota Grocers Association Kicks Off Bag Hunger Campaign
The Minnesota Grocers Association (MGA) is encouraging consumers statewide to bag hunger in their neighborhoods by shopping at participating retailers during the 2016 Bag Hunger Campaign. All food and monetary contributions collected in-store will go to local food banks and shelves to benefit hungry Minnesota families. Bag Hunger is a three-way partnership with grocers, vendors […]
Schnucks To Open New Peoria, Illinois, Store On Nov. 9
The new Schnucks at Knoxville Crossing in Peoria, Illinois, will open to customers at 7 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9 a.m. Located at 10405 North Centerway Drive (61615), Schnucks Knoxville Crossing marks the company’s second location in Peoria. The new store is a 70,000-s.f., full-service supermarket with an emphasis on fresh, […]
AWG’s Pickerill Retiring, Gates To Manage Kansas City Division
Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) says that Division Manager Bob Pickerill is retiring from the Kansas City division at the end of the year. Pickerill joined AWG in 1997 at the Springfield, Missouri, division. Over the course of his career, he has served in a variety of progressive positions. In 2015, he returned to Kansas City as […]
Coborn’s Completes ‘Next-Generation’ Store Remodel In Sartell, Minnesota
Coborn’s Inc. has completed a major remodel of its Coborn’s Superstore in Sartell, Minnesota. The store, located in the Pine Cone Road Market Place, has remained open over the last several months as it underwent renovations to introduce the company’s “next-generation” store format—the first of its kind in the company’s home market. The remodeled store […]
Metcalfe’s Markets Launches Stop Waste Together Initiative
Metcalfe’s Market, with stores in Madison and Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, has become the first official partner of Stop Waste Together in an effort to prevent food waste created by expired products from grocery shelves. Through this partnership with Stop Waste Together, Metcalfe’s is taking aim at doing its part to reduce the $165 billion worth of […]
Harvest Market Designed To Cultivate Shopper And Producer Connections
When Niemann Foods Inc. (NFI) President and CEO Rich Niemann spoke about the company’s new Harvest Market as it opened to the public on Oct. 6 at 2029 South Neil Street in Champaign, Illinois, he shared the store’s mission: to connect food producers and makers with its customers. He talked about food and he talked […]
Velvet Ice Cream Completes Ohio Plant Expansion
Velvet Ice Cream has opened the largest expansion capital improvement in the company’s 102-year history. Velvet broke ground on the new 23,000-s.f. expansion, with a price tag of more than $3 million, last August. The expansion adds a new state-of-the-art warehouse freezer distribution facility to Velvet’s central Ohio plant at Ye Olde Mill in Utica, more […]
A Family Tradition: Staying True To Roots Keeps Metcalfe’s Ahead Of The Competition
Metcalfe’s Market may be nearing the century mark, but this is a family-owned business that always seems to be a step ahead of what’s next. A hot topic of late has been grocery delivery. Metcalfe’s Market has been doing that for 15 years. Grocers these days are putting a strong focus on perishables, including beautiful […]
SpartanNash Foundation, Customers Raise Nearly $300K To Help End Hunger
The SpartanNash Foundation’s scan campaign to end hunger was its most successful companywide retail fundraising effort to date—raising nearly $300,000 on behalf of more than 100 local food pantries and food banks in the communities it serves. Between Aug. 31 and Sept. 11, the SpartanNash Foundation hosted the companywide scan in each of SpartanNash’s […]
Food Retailers Week In Michigan Runs Through Sept. 30
Michigan’s food industry directly supports 198,000 full- and part-time jobs, along with an additional 75,000 indirect jobs. The food industry also contributes a gross total of $24.8 billion to the state’s economy through its direct sales, indirect economic impact on other industries and employment. These are among the reasons Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has declared […]
Emery Jensen Addition Means More Options For Grocers
Nearly 16,000 peopled attended the recent Ace Hardware fall show in Chicago, including retailers from across the country. The Oakbrook, Illinois-based company hosted more than 1,300 exhibitors offering springtime products like outdoor living and garden items, outdoor furniture, barbecue grills and plants and flowers. Among the Ace storeowners were several grocery retailers looking to differentiate […]
Fareway Golf Event Raises $78K-Plus For MDA
Fareway Stores recently partnered with the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) to host the 6th Annual Fareway Stores MDA Golf Classic at the Tournament Club of Iowa in Polk City. The event raised more than $78,000 for MDA of Iowa, making it the best year for the golf tournament. Funds raised at this event will fund […]
SuperFair Foods’ Collier Appointed MGA Chairman
Mark Collier of Collier’s Supermarkets in St. James, Minnesota, has been named chairman of the Minnesota Grocers Association (MGA). He takes over the position from Patrick Miner of Miner’s Inc. in Hermantown. Miner was honored for his two-year term as chair at the MGA’s recent convention in Brainerd, which was attended by more than 300 members […]
Wisconsin Lawmakers Will Again Take Up Minimum Markup Law
by Terrie Ellerbee/editor-Midwest It is a fight that has gone on for two decades now, according to Wisconsin Grocers Association (WGA) President and CEO Brandon Scholz. The debate over whether to repeal the Unfair Sales Act is hotter in some years than others. This looks to be a hot one. Wisconsin’s Unfair Sales Act or […]
Coborn’s Opens ‘Next-Generation’ Supermarket Focused On Fresh
Coborn’s Inc. recently opened a “next-generation” supermarket in Isanti, Minnesota. It is a first-of-its-kind store format with a significant focus on fresh selections and an updated modern industrial design. “We are a company that is constantly striving to appeal to the changing needs of our guests,” said Chris Coborn, chairman, president and CEO of Coborn’s […]
SpartanNash Promotes Staples To President
Dave Staples, COO of SpartanNash, has added the role of president to his duties. Dennis Eidson, who held the president’s title, will continue to serve as the company’s chairman and CEO; the move enables Eidson to continue to focus on long-term strategic growth opportunities, according to the company. As president and COO, Staples will lead […]
Chris’ Food Center Bagger Is Minnesota’s Best
Seth Allen of Chris’ Food Center in Sandstone, Minnesota, is the state’s best grocery bagger. He bested the competition during the Minnesota Grocers Association’s (MGA) 28th annual statewide Best Bagger Contest, held earlier this month at the Mall of America. Allen won $500 cash, a trophy and a trip to Las Vegas next year to […]
