KeHE Distributors celebrated its 60th anniversary year in a big way at its annual holiday show, which was held June 10-12 in Chicago. Big, as in a truckload filled with products from Vigo & Alessi, including its premium la Molisana pasta imported from Italy. Retailers could bid on the truckload in a silent auction held […]
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.
Meijer Announces New Fuel Savings Program
Meijer has a new summertime fuel savings program providing customers with a 10 cent per gallon discount on fuel at all 179 Meijer gas stations. This new discount program became available to Meijer credit customers on June 8 and will continue through Sept. 3. “Meijer is always looking for ways to save our customers money,” […]
C.H. Robinson Continues Support of Bike Ride for Multiple Sclerosis
C.H. Robinson Worldwide, one of the world’s largest third party logistics companies, has announced that it is, for the third straight year, the title sponsor for the Bike MS: C.H. Robinson Worldwide MS 150 Ride. The ride takes place June 9-10. This two-day bike ride is the largest cycling event in Minnesota covering approximately 150 […]
Pearson Foods Workers Elect Union Representation
Workers at Pearson Foods in Grand Rapdis, Mich., voted for union representation Friday, authorizing the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 951 to represent them in contract negotiations with their employer, a fresh-cut food processing company. “Workers at Pearson Foods were looking for some help,” John Cakmakci, UFCW 951’s secretary-treasurer, said. “They wanted to […]
Jim Carroll To Deliver Keynote At Gilbarco’s Upcoming Summit
World-leading international futurist Jim Carroll will deliver the keynote address at Gilbarco Veeder-Root’s Digital Forecourt Marketing Summit on June 26-27 in Chicago. As a trends and innovation expert, Carroll helps growth-oriented organizations transform into high-velocity innovation heroes. His clients range from Northrop Grumman to Johnson & Johnson, the Swiss Innovation Forum to the National Australia […]
Salemville Blue-Veined Cheeses Unveils New Products, Packaging
DCI Cheese Co. has introduced three new items to its award-winning line of blue-veined cheeses: Salemville Smokehaus Blue® wedges (4 oz.), Salemville Reserve wedges (4 oz.) and Salemville Reserve crumble cups (4 oz.). Additionally, all of the brand’s 4-oz., exact-weight wedges have received appealing new packaging. These additions and updates are being launched in tandem […]
General Mills Buying Brazilian Food Maker For Nearly $1B
General Mills Inc. said Thursday it is buying privately-held Brazilian packaged-food maker Yoki Alimentos for $958 million, reports the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. The price includes the assumption of $98 million in debt, Golden Valley, Minn.-based General Mills said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The company said it expects the […]
Randy Edeker Elected New Chairman, CEO of Hy-Vee
For only the fourth time in the company’s 82-year history, Hy-Vee Inc. has a new chairman and CEO. Today, Hy-Vee’s board of directors elected Randy Edeker, 49, to succeed Ric Jurgens, whose retirement on June 1 caps a 43-year career with the West Des Moines, Iowa-based supermarket chain. Edeker most recently served as president and […]
LiveAisle Signage Can Give Small Grocers Big-Store Sales Appeal
Avery Dennison Designed and Engineered Solutions has introduced low-cost shelf signage that enables grocers and small supermarket chains to advertise sales at the shelf-level with the same degree of professionalism as retailing giants. Avery Dennison LiveAisle™ shelf solutions consist of shelf talkers, markers, end cap talkers, violators and wobblers. The signage has a unique product […]
General Mills Cutting 850 Jobs
General Mills said today that it is eliminating 850 jobs worldwide in an effort to cut costs. Golden Valley, Minn.-based General Mills said in a news release the move would cost $109 million, with most of that being recorded in the fourth quarter, which ends May 27. General Mills said the move is “designed to […]
7-Eleven In Negotiations To Buy Open Pantry Stores In Wisconsin
7-Eleven Inc., the convenience store chain that serves up Slurpees and the super-sized Big Gulp sodas, is working to acquire most of the Open Pantry chain. Milwaukee’s Journal Sentinel reports that the purchase would again give 7-Eleven a foothold in Wisconsin. The Dallas-based chain has 6,800 stores across the United States, but none in Wisconsin. […]
Caddell: NARMS/IFBA Readies for a New Beginning
By Terrie Ellerbee/associate editor The National Association for Retail Merchandising Services (NARMS) is moving its base of operations from Wisconsin to Colorado, making changes to headquarters staff, assessing the services it offers and looking ahead to its own future as sales move into alternative channels. Tom Caddell, NARMS International executive director, spoke to The Shelby […]
Nash Finch Buying Omaha’s No Frills Supermarkets
Nash Finch Co., Minneapolis-based food distributor, announced today that U Save Foods Inc., a Nash Finch wholly owned subsidiary, has entered into an agreement to purchase the No Frills Supermarkets. Fourteen stores are located in Nebraska, 12 of which are in the Greater Omaha market; four stores are located in western Iowa. No Frills is […]
Kroger CEO Bags 66 Percent Pay Increase for 2011
Kroger Co. CEO David Dillon was paid $8.9 million in 2011, a 66 percent markup over what the Cincinnati-based grocer paid him the previous year, the Associated Press reports. Dillon’s pay improved along with Kroger’s bottom line. His cash performance bonus increased from $808,020 to $2.7 million, and Dillon also was paid a $619,000 long-term […]
Mark Coborn Announces Retirement
Mark Coborn, an EVP and board member with the grocery retail company that bears his family name, has announced his retirement. The St. Cloud Times reports that Coborn is stepping down from his executive role in the next few weeks but will continue to serve on the board of directors for Coborn’s Inc. “It has […]
Supervalu Closing Ohio Distribution Center
Supervalu announced today that it would close its Xenia, Ohio, distribution center by October. The shutter will cost 120 people their jobs. The Ohio center will consolidate into a larger center based in Fort Wayne, Ind. “Supervalu regularly reviews its business operations and made the decision to consolidate these distribution centers to improve operating efficiency […]
Former Meijer Exec Holt Replacing Van Helden at Supervalu
Pete Van Helden, EVP of retail operations, will leave Supervalu this spring. The Eden Prairie, Minn.-based company said in a new release that the decision was “mutually beneficial” and that it “comes at the right time … as the company continues to implement its business transformation strategy. “Pete has been a passionate leader of our […]
Wisconsin Potatoes Looking for Best Camping Recipes
Potatoes are a no-fuss veggie: packed with nutrition and easy to prepare in advance or on the spot. The Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) is looking for your favorite easy-to-make Wisconsin potato camping recipes; recipes that can be prepared in advance or at the campground. Hot or cold dish, it doesn’t matter. WPVGA […]
Jurgens: FMI 2012 ‘Phenomenal’
Ric Jurgens, CEO of Iowa-based Hy-Vee until he retires June 1, spoke to The Shelby Report’s Geoff Welch at FMI 2012 The Food Retail Show on May 2. Jurgens, who is past chair of the FMI board of directors, said response to the show has been phenomenal. “As a board member, I’m extremely proud of […]
New Functional Brews Set To Roll Out For Bean & Body Coffee
Good just got better with the introduction of three new flavors from Bean & Body Coffee, an ultra-premium RTD functional coffee blend. The flavors joining the current line-up are Vegan, Horchata and Coconut. “We are really excited about the new flavors and what they will bring to the category,” said Erin Kelly, VP of marketing […]
