MW ROY Fareway Stores

The Shelby Report of the Midwest salutes

2023 Midwest Retailer of the Year

Exceptional customer service, top-notch employees, pioneering sustainability initiatives, supply chain prowess and strong community partnerships are among the many reasons why The Shelby Report of the Midwest has named Fareway its 2023 Retailer of the Year.

Learn more inside this section.

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2023 Midwest Retailer of the Year

Rooted in Iowa, family-owned grocer expanding across Midwest

by Carol Radice Fareway opened its first grocery store in 1938 in Boone, Iowa. While much has changed at this Midwest chain over the past 85 years, many things have remained the same.

The leadership team – headed by CEO Reynolds Cramer, who is the fourth generation in his family to run the company – has diligently worked to ensure Fareway stayed the course his great-grandfather set many years ago and that the principles the company was founded on remain true today.

At the same time, Cramer and his team have also made sure Fareway continues to evolve, believing that being open to trying new concepts and ideas are important for growth. It is that blend of past and present for which The Shelby Report of the Midwest has selected Fareway as its 2023 Midwest Retailer of the Year.

Today, Fareway operates in seven states across the Midwest, including Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and South Dakota – and soon to be Wisconsin. Store sizes – modest by most definitions– vary from 8,000 to 36,000 square feet. They operate under several banners – Fareway Meat and Grocery, Fareway Meat Market and its online business, FarewayMeatMarket.com.

Not an operator to follow the trends for the sake of simply following them, under his leadership Cramer has made sure that if Fareway signs off on doing something new it is because the idea is worthy of doing. And then once committed, the company puts 150 percent effort behind the idea to make it happen.

It is this ability to pivot when needed and an unwavering set of principles that has helped Fareway not only succeed but thrive in today’s retail market.

Staying focused “Two of the most crucial areas of our business are our employees and our customers,” Cramer said. “Our employees are our lifeblood and what enable us to open our doors every day – from the people in maintenance and the warehouse to our truck drivers and the folks working in our stores.

“And our customers …we know how important it is that our customers feel seen and heard. We only have a short window of opportunity when a customer enters our store and our goal is to make sure we are always on point so that every experience with us is a good one.”

On top of this, the leaders at Fareway want to be good stewards of the land and buildings. “We want to be good community citizens and be part of growing neighborhoods, but you cannot do any of this unless you focus on employees and customers,” Cramer added.

Reynolds Cramer

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Nearly every market in which Fareway operates is heavily represented by a variety of retail competitors and formats. For Garrett Piklapp, president, Fareway represents many things to many people.

“We are your neighborhood grocer with an unbeatable meat counter experience,” he said. “We are committed to quality products, fair prices with unmatched service, which still includes carrying out groceries to customers’ vehicles and being closed on Sunday.”

It is this focus on how to offer customers value that has helped Fareway stand apart.

Since value means different things to different customers, the company strives to offer value in a wide array of ways.

“We are continually evaluating price, selection, service, convenience, cleanliness and our community outreach as part of how we provide value to our customers, employees and communities,” Piklapp explained.

FAREWAY AT A GLANCE ◆ Founded: 1938 ◆ Founders: Paul S. Beckwith and Fred E. Vitt ◆ Store count: 139 ◆ Banners: Fareway Meat and Grocery, Fareway Meat Market and FarewayMeatMarket.com ◆ Markets: Operates across seven states including Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri (and soon to be Wisconsin) ◆ Store size: Varies from 8,000 square feet (Ogden) to 36,000 square feet (South Ankeny). ◆ Employees: 12,000-13,000

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As a self-distributed operator, Fareway gains many competitive advantages, chief among them is the ability to offer level pricing throughout all its stores, regardless of where they are located.

The company’s top priority is quality and another way to communicate that is through a quality stamp on products. “The quality stamp is our promise to offer products made from the highest standards,” Piklapp said. “It symbolizes our commitment to achieving the highest quality within every Fareway product.”

Expanding on this, Cramer said the company’s meat department is a key part of that quality mission. The company’s partnerships with local farmers help to support the local economy and enable it to offer quality meat throughout its stores. Only USDA choice and above, along with some specialty items, can be found in a Fareway meat case.

“Each meat order is prepared for the individual customer,” Cramer said. “We are all about fresh and offering a variety of selections daily. Customers come to us because of this and enjoy knowing they can pick their thickness and we will cut it to order.”

Fareway’s meat program has become so renowned that to meet demand the company developed an online program.

The company’s missives frequently mention the significant role family values play at Fareway, something Piklapp said will never waiver.

“Family signifies a strong bond, rooted in loyalty, commitment, love and kindness.

We hope our customers and our employees feel this accurately represents what Fareway stands for,” he said.

Willingness to change For the leaders at Fareway, surviving in today’s retail environment means a readiness to change when needed. One way this can be seen is in the alterations Fareway recently made to its store design and size.

The mindset used to be that retailers needed to build stores larger than 25,000 square feet to compete, but as Cramer said, “The reality is you need to have the right size stores for what you sell.”

He noted the thought process 50 years ago was customers will come to you because you sell quality products at a fair price.

“Well, since then the landscape has changed,” Cramer said. “Given that there are

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many retailers selling quality products at fair prices the idea that price is a lead factor in the customer’s choice of where to shop is not as accurate as it used to be.

“We know what we do well and realized we do not need a big store format to do that.

Today, it is all about the total customer experience.”

With this as the backdrop, Fareway made some adjustments to the overall appearance of its stores. Subtle changes were made with flooring, lighting and general store ambience to create a more inviting environment to shop.

“Trust is important, yes, but we also need to create a comfortable experience for shoppers. I think we have done a good job of finding the sweet spot with this,” Cramer said. “We found ways to enhance the customer experience without going overboard.”

Beyond aesthetics, Fareway has also developed a range of store formats and sizes that gives it the dexterity to serve a variety of areas, including rural communities and food deserts.

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LEADERSHIP TEAM ◆ Reynolds Cramer, CEO ◆ Garrett Piklapp, President ◆ Mike McCormick, Chief Retail Officer ◆ Jake Moran, Chief Financial Officer ◆ Mike Mazour, EVP of Human Resources, Non-Retail Operations ◆ Jeff Borrill, SVP of Retail Operations ◆ Aaron Irlbeck, SVP of Campus Operations ◆ Bret Wiltse, SVP of Direct Store Delivery ◆ Nathan Kerns, SVP of Information Technology ◆ Jeff Stearns, SVP of Marketing and Advertising

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2023 Midwest Retailer of the Year

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“Many communities in the Midwest have lost their grocery stores and they have approached us about partnering with them,” Cramer said. “We view the opportunity to enter new areas such Ogden, Iowa, as a catalyst for helping communities grow whether it be with housing or attracting new business to the neighborhood.”

In the past, the company had two models of stores it worked with and the size of the store built was largely based on the community’s size.

“Today, instead of us coming in and dictating size based on what would work solely for us, we are looking at what the right fit is for that community,” Cramer said. “Whether a neighborhood has no stores or just one, we have an A, B, C, D and E model now to pull from, which puts us in an ideal position to determine what the perfect fit is for all of us.”

Fareway has plans to open its first store with solar panels in 2024, something Cramer called “a learning experience.” If this proves effective, he said more planned store builds will incorporate solar.

“For us, there is not a one-size-fits-all approach or a set-in-stone way of doing business,” Cramer said. “We understand we need to be open to trying things that make sense for us and adjusting as needed.”

Future forward In spring 2024, the company will be moving its headquarters from Boone about 35 miles south to Johnson, a move Cramer said will help the company become more efficient. However, Fareway has no plans to leave Boone – the soon-to-be-former headquarters will become the new home for about 45 wholesale office employees.

“Our commitment to Boone is stronger than ever,” Cramer said. “It really does not matter where our headquarters is. What matters is that we take care of the communities that we work and live in.

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“Today, when so many are struggling to get employees back to the office, I can tell you we have more than 140 employees who are excited to go to this new office building.”

Fareway has a goal for continued expansion, striving to exceed to 200 stores. The formats will be a blend of larger stores, smaller markets and those that address needs in rural areas.

The company also is looking to expand its market reach into Wisconsin. According to Cramer, officials are exploring sites and options.

“There are a lot of opportunities out there. Some of the independent operators in the Wisconsin area are without a succession option and so they may be one expansion possibility for us,” he said.

“After 85 years, you would think we would change the way we go to market and be tempted to deviate from our founders’ mission,” Cramer said. “But after all this time, we have not only stuck to our principles, we have actually gotten better at doing what we do.”

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DECEMBER 2023 • THE SHELBY REPORT OF THE MIDWEST

2023 Midwest Retailer of the Year

Train and retain – employer of choice investing ‘in our people’

by Carol Radice Throughout its many years in business, Fareway has worked hard to establish a culture that encourages and motivates employees to do well.

One could say, in fact, that being an employee-focused company is a central part of Fareway’s overall store mission. According to Garrett Piklapp, president, Fareway’s people, extensive training programs and outstanding customer service are all part of its “secret sauce.”

At the same time, the customer-focused company is not shy about letting prospective employees know it is looking for team members who truly enjoy serving others.

“One of our core goals is treating customers like family and offering the best customer experience possible,” Piklapp said. “To ensure we accomplish this, we continuously invest in our people, and we will continue to do so.”

With so many retailers struggling to attract and retain employees today, the leadership team at Fareway understands attracting talent starts with offering a strong comprehensive benefit package and building from there.

The base attractors are competitive wages and rounded benefits, but it is also important to company leaders that lifestyle benefits and training options are widely available. For instance, Fareway was among the first companies to offer a student loan repayment program to employees who pursue additional development opportunities through secondary education.

Likewise, the company frequently analyzes its approach to scheduling to see how best to accommodate employee needs. In addition, it offers a 401k match and awards numerous scholarships every year. It also created a discount program, The Gold Card, which gives employees weekly store discounts.

“We live by five tenants when it comes to our employees – recruit, invest, engage, train, listen. Repeat,” Piklapp said.

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Retention strategy With five generations in its workplace, Fareway uses a variety of tactics in its retention strategy to be viewed as an employer of choice. Theresa McLaughlin, VP of human resources, said the strategy is continually evolving. Rather than be the responsibility of one person or department, it is an ongoing partnership and focus among multiple areas of the business.

“We strive to create a positive work environment by having a culture that values and facilitates employee satisfaction and engagement through teamwork, career and personal development, as well as open communication,” McLaughlin said.

She added that, by creating an environment of belonging, employees feel more connected to their co-workers, customers, community and the organization.

In addition, compensation and benefits are continually reviewed to ensure they are competitive in the industry and in the geographical areas Fareway operates. As McLaughlin expressed, providing a variety of benefit offerings and perks allows employees to choose which offerings align with their needs and expectations.

“Having a work-life balance has become critical in today’s world,” she said.

“Providing flexible work arrangements, especially in regard to scheduling, is important to our employees because it allows them to better manage their personal and work responsibilities.”

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Investing in staff Among the many growth and development opportunities for employees are on-the-job training, internships, mentorships and the company’s own management training program.

“Fareway values our dedicated employees beyond measure and firmly believes they are the reason for our success,” said Rob Stevenson, director of corporate outreach and employee engagement. “We make it a priority to invest in our employees in many ways beyond the basic compensation package.”

Among the extras the company offers are the Fareway Family Scholarships (more than 50 of them), a comprehensive Employee Assistance Program, plus numerous recognition programs.

“During the past year, we began offering milestone service awards that honor continued service to Fareway, invited our employees to tailgate at local college football games, enhanced our employee discount program during peak times such as holidays and recognized stellar contributors at our Supermarket Employee Day events,” Stevenson said.

The focus on recognition, engagement and motivation is evident in all Fareway does, but its employees have also earned a reputation for being an asset to the communities in which they live, helping their neighbors and businesses through volunteerism.

“Fareway and its employees are proud to support local, charitable organizations through direct involvement and donated resources. This commitment to the communities we live and work is what incentivizes our employees every day,” Stevenson said.

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DECEMBER 2023 • THE SHELBY REPORT OF THE MIDWEST

2023 Midwest Retailer of the Year From

Fareway Market University helps develop future leaders

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To recruit and retain the specialized talent required to support its growing market business and to ensure it consistently provides outstanding full service within the meat departments, Fareway’s leadership team realized it needed to focus on and develop its training model to “grow” talent.

“Our core business is grocery and meat.

Just like every other company, our most important resource is our team of employees,” said Roxanne Kanne-Roush, VP of training and development. “To support our growth – and to thrive – it was clear we must have a way to properly train people on our team.”

With that in mind, the company established Fareway Market University, a two-part training program that features a three-week formal component plus ongoing individualized development.

The program is structured to provide an intensive, off-site classroom-based curriculum focusing on foundational skills, partnered with on-the-job training in a remote location under the direct supervision of Fareway’s market retail sales team.

The fully compensated, multi-week training opportunity is based on retail management recommendations and an employee’s skill set.

“We identified the foundational competencies required to be successful in our market environment and built a tiered program, focusing training on specific demographics and corresponding levels of training,” Kanne-Roush said.

The three tiers of the program are: ◆ Less experienced employees, most likely promotable to an assistant manager in a timeframe greater than 12 months. ◆ More tenured employees, most likely to be promotable to an assistant manager in a timeframe less than 12 months. ◆ Assistant managers who may be eligible for specialized market-related training opportunities that they did not have the opportunity to practice/learn prior to becoming an assistant manager.

Training begins with an intensive classroom component that covers foundational skills, policies and procedures, as well as specialized proprietary training unique to Fareway’s operating environment. FMU’s “on the job” training also includes one-on-one mentoring with a member of the retail sales team.

Following the conclusion of the formal training period, accomplishments are documented, along with a detailed objective plan to ensure continued future development in the participant’s home location. The information is stored, allowing the participant, home store management team and corporate management to track and update progress at defined intervals.

There are more than 100 candidates registered for Fareway Market University in the coming months.

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Building longevity One of the secrets to attracting employees at Fareway, according to CEO Reynolds Cramer, is welcoming 14- to 17-year-olds.

“We are open to hiring younger workers with no experience, training them and helping them establish a good work ethic,” he said.

This stable foundation and positive work experience, he added, results in many workers staying on beyond high school. In fact, Cramer noted more than 70 percent of Fareway’s store managers joined the company as teenagers.

“One of our biggest strengths is to hire young people and teach them what it is like to be an employee,” Cramer said. “Taking the time to set a good foundation with our employees pays off in the long run.”

He added that the effort is a two-way street. “When someone joins the Fareway family, they will have a place in our company for as long as they want.”

Having open conversations about what employees need to thrive in their work and home environment is another key to keeping good workers. Gone, Cramer said, are the rigid terms of how to manage employees. The win comes when Fareway works with each employee to determine what will be best for the individual.

Calling it an evolving process, Cramer said it has taken seeing what does and does not work and adjusting its hiring and retention approach accordingly.

“Over time, we realized it is more valuable for all of us to work together to determine what the best path is for individual employees, whether that is a manager who needs the ability to leave at a certain time each day to pick up their child from daycare or someone who needs time off to go to a medical appointment,” he said.

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2023 Midwest Retailer of the Year

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In addition, the staff knows Cramer’s door is always open as he believes keeping the lines of communication open is critical. “Anyone at the company has access to me to have a conversation any time of the day or night,” he said.

Training, development Promoting from within is one of the best ways to identify talent and Fareway offers several in-house opportunities to help employees hone their skills.

The company’s internship and mentorship programs are two great examples.

Roxanne Kanne-Roush, VP of training and development, pointed out that more than 40 people in 2023 participated in the company’s corporate internship program within a variety of departments, including accounting, purchasing, category management/ analytics, engineering, human resources and marketing.

Fareway also offers a unique type of internship for retail employees seeking to enhance and develop their management skills. In-Location Internships are a 30-to-90-

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day objective based, structured learning opportunity for qualified part-time and fulltime employees. The program lets them dive into the back-end management side of a store. Nearly 200 employees participated last year.

In addition, Fareway partners with several high schools to offer qualified 16- and 17-year-old students an opportunity to participate in a registered meat-cutting apprenticeship program where they can gain experience in a market environment typically not available due to age restrictions.

Recognizing the best learning often comes from peers, Fareway’s Retail Mentorship program is open to full-time employees who are considering participating in its Management Training Program.

“Our mentorships provide an opportunity for an employee to focus on specific learning objectives in a location other than their home store,” Kanne-Roush said.

As she explained, the mentee is assigned to a mentor for six to eight weeks, allowing the employee to experience a new store environment and management team, different volume and customer demographics, as well as other nuances.

Lastly, the company’s Fast Forward Program is designed to assist full-time employees with qualified student loan debt. Those eligible can receive $100 per month toward their student loans, up to a lifetime maximum benefit of $5,000.

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2023 Midwest Retailer of the Year

Customer experience, in-store interactions key to building trust

by Carol Radice A reputation of offering top-notch customer service is important for most retailers, but for Fareway this the heart of what makes it stand apart.

From its famous meat counter with packaged and cutto-order meats to car carryout service and everything in between, Fareway focuses on making the customer experience a special one.

“If I had to pick one word that summarizes Fareway – it is trust,” said CEO Reynolds Cramer. “We work hard to build trust with our customers and make a difference every single day in their lives. Having trust is vital to building customer relationships, and it absolutely plays a role in where people choose to shop today.”

As Cramer pointed out, while the average customer spends less than 30 minutes in one of Fareway’s stores, the opportunity for employees to interact with that customer may add up to a mere five minutes.

“We understand the importance of being on point and making sure that every interaction equals a great customer experience,” he said. “We cannot have even one moment where we get lax, because that one moment will end up being the key takeaway in that customer’s mind.”

Personal touch Walking down the aisle of a Fareway store, employees greet customers by name and ask how their day is going.

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And that is exactly how the leadership team wants the experience to begin – having every customer feel welcomed back.

“I love the fact that I hear from so many customers that such and such a store is ‘their Fareway.’ That is such an awesome feeling because it tells me they feel a sense of ownership with us,” Cramer said.

While many companies espouse similar philosophies and boast about being the best, customers often see through the facade, which is why Fareway takes things to the next level.

Rather than just putting words on a page, Fareway’s employees – from store clerks to management – demonstrate to customers each day why they should shop at a Fareway store.

For example, should something go wrong at any point during a visit, Fareway will do everything it can to make things right, even if that means the CEO personally drives to the shopper’s house with a replacement for a left-behind item or one that did not meet expectations.

Customers also know that every letter they send will be personally answered by the leadership team.

Fareway shoppers, Cramer added, know the staff will do whatever it takes to ensure they are satisfied.

“From the moment that customer steps into our store until the time they get home, we want to do everything in our power to make sure that entire customer experience is a positive one,” Cramer said.

“If there is a breakdown at any point along that

timeline, we want to make it right – even if that means hand delivering a replacement item to them.”

Cramer recalled the time a shopper messaged him to say a steak she cooked was tough.

“Maybe the steak was fine and maybe the person made a mistake cooking it, but you know what? We want that customer to be happy, so we will bring that person another steak or invite them to come back to the store and let us make it right,” he said.

“It is important that our customers feel they are heard and appreciated. This is what shopping locally means to us.”

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Labor-saving, cost-cutting measures allow supply chain to shine

by Carol Radice As a company that competes against some formidable grocery chains, many of which are much larger, making every penny count is critical at Fareway. The company’s finely-tuned supply chain plays a critical role in helping accomplish this.

From its labor-saving and cost-cutting measures to its impressive, modern warehouse, logistics operation and self-distribution model, the company leaves no stone unturned when it comes to driving efficiency and saving money.

Mike McCormick, chief retail officer at Fareway, explained that the company’s distribution operation is structured in a way that allows it to serve retail locations more regularly than other operators. Frequent service, he noted, minimizes out of stocks and greatly contributes to efficient handling of inventory by taking items directly from the truck to the shelf.

“This service also allows us to maintain quality in perishables, with frequent deliveries of those critical items,” McCormick said.

In fact, many of the investments Fareway has made to its distribution center were designed around doing more with less resources.

“Our partnerships with our vendors and handling product shipments to our DC allow us to find cost savings and efficiencies in places other retailers cannot,” McCormick said.

Undoubtedly, investing in technology has helped the company achieve this goal.

“Technology and automation will always play critical roles in our ability to compete,” McCormick said. “These investments allow us to continually improve upon our processes to find the perfect balance and harmony with our store needs and logistics challenges with our vendor partners.”

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THE SHELBY REPORT OF THE MIDWEST • DECEMBER 2023

Unique approach Transportation weaknesses and inefficiencies can impact a company significantly.

As a result, Fareway has created a series of measures to ensure the transportation arm of the company is operating as cost-effectively as possible.

There is something to be said for the adage, “If you want something done right, do it yourself.” This is a message the leadership team at Fareway knows all too well.

To ensure it remained nimble and efficient, Fareway created a logistics company a few years ago.

“We have taken control of our own destiny when it comes to logistics,” said Garrett Piklapp, Fareway president. “We own our own fleet of trucks and trailers and have an in-house truck broker to coordinate delivery of products from vendors across the country.”

On top of those measures, Fareway has an in-house truck shop that handles the ongoing regular maintenance, as well as full overhauls as needed. This allows the company to better maintain and limit the down time on equipment.

“In addition, we are continually evaluating our delivery schedules to our stores to balance efficiency at the warehouse, at the store and maximize backhaul opportunities,” Piklapp said.

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themselves was, “How can we make this work as a team and not just for Fareway?”

The company decided the best way to do this was by creating an advanced backhauling program. To date, Fareway has built relationships with multiple vendors to create mutually beneficial opportunities to haul and backhaul for each other.

“We might take a load of groceries from our DC in Boone, Iowa, to Burlington, Iowa, and from there our truck might go to Illinois and pick up product from one of our vendors to bring back to Des Moines,” he said. “We are always looking at ways to make the entire run more efficient and ultimately pay for itself. Where we used to count on others, we are now being very proactive in this storyline.”

This approach is paying dividends. According to Cramer, bottom line savings from backhauling is probably in the range of $1 million a year. “This has created an opportunity for us to pass these savings along to our customers in the form of continued great pricing,” he said.

Efficiency key Officials at Fareway realized the best way to maximize transportation efforts and reduce costs was to partner with other companies and vendors.

In analyzing the situation, CEO Reynolds Cramer said the question they asked

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2023 Midwest Retailer of the Year

Company committed to community, giving back in many ways

by Carol Radice As a Midwest grocery company, being a partner in the community is important to the leadership team at Fareway. From supporting volunteerism to environmental stewardship, the grocer is heavily devoted to the neighborhoods in which it operates.

Some companies simply donate money to community causes, but at Fareway giving back and community outreach are part of the corporate culture.

The Lead with Love philanthropic platform, for example, embodies Fareway’s commitment to community. The company is entrenched in supporting organizations involved with addressing diversity and inclusion; food security; health and research; service members and first responders; and youth organizations, to name a few.

“It is important to us as a company that we take care of the communities that we work and live in,” said CEO Reynolds Cramer.

Garrett Piklapp, president of Fareway, expanded on this sentiment by explaining that investing in communities is a part of the company’s DNA. “Our Fareway Family is full of exceptional people who believe in the importance of

Iowa Food Bank Donation

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community outreach,” he said. “As an organization we stand behind and encourage these individuals to give back in their local communities to groups that make a meaningful difference.”

Community involvement also extends to partnering with local farmers to provide meat and produce sold at Fareway stores.

“Our footprint spreads throughout the heartland of America,” Piklapp said. “Many local farmers are our neighbors, customers and business partners. Supporting them and their efforts is very important to us.”

Green up Beyond helping communities, it is important to the leadership team at Fareway that the company is also a good steward of the environment. From its massive recycling program to heat reclamation efforts, the company has never been one to just sit back.

It actively promotes sustainable business practices wherever possible.

Among Fareway’s more recent efforts is installing car charging stations at key store locations. And in early 2024, the company will be opening its first store featuring solar

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Variety Telethon panels in Norwalk, Iowa. The anticipation is that the panels will help generate enough electricity to offset the store’s utility costs.

Fareway also broke ground in June on a 1-megawatt solar field in the Boone Industrial Park, adjacent to its distribution center. Spanning six acres, the field will include about 2,000 solar panels.

Under an agreement with Alliant Energy, Fareway will receive lease payments for the next two decades, as well as renewable energy credits. The solar field is expected to be operational by year-end.

According to Fareway officials, once up and running the solar field will generate enough electricity to power more than 150 homes.

But to think Fareway is a relative newcomer to being green would be a mistake.

Before it was hip to do so, the company was quietly working behind the scenes to be a good steward of the environment.

In fact, as far back as 1955, it was focusing on reducing its carbon footprint. The company began heating its stores by reclaiming heat generated by refrigeration compressors. By finding ways to conserve, the company uses less fossil fuel. And keeping heating costs down can help hold food prices in check.

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This got the company thinking about other ways to save money through recycling.

In doing so, Fareway discovered new uses for materials such as wood pallets, batteries, waste oil, tires, aluminum, scrap iron, plastic grocery bags and others.

Taking it a step further, Fareway has partnered with a company that takes the recycled material from plastic grocery bags and turns it into park furniture. Each year the company recycles: ◆ 850,000 pallets ◆ 12,500 tons of cardboard ◆ 400 tons of plastic shrink wrap ◆ 5,000 gallons of waste oil ◆ 4.5 million plastic grocery bags To minimize its carbon footprint and drive efficiency, Fareway also works with various manufacturers and shipping companies to coordinate backhauls. When possible, the grocer schedules it so that delivery trucks do not have to return home empty.

“Being a good steward of our resources has been important to our company since our inception,” Piklapp said. “We want to be smart about how we run our operation and the

Naming of Rockwell City scholarship

impact we make on the environment.

Being ecologically conscious has always been important to Fareway.”

Cramer pointed out sustainability will always be at the forefront of how the company operates.

“Whether it is 1955 or 2024, we will never shy away from taking a closer look at what we are doing and how we are operating as a company to see if things can be done more efficiently,” Cramer said. “Times are tough. And anything we can do that keeps the cost of doing business down and helps the environment, we are behind that.”

Sioux Center food bag donation

Boone EDGE Program

Specialized bike presentation

Now accepting nominations for The Shelby Report’s 2nd Annual Exceptional Independents in the Grocery Industry Award.

SCAN HERE

to submit your nominees

Deadline: January 15, 2024

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