2023 EIA Midwest Recipients

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Introducing a salute to ‘backbone of our industry’ On the following pages, Shelby Publishing is proud to present its inaugural Exceptional Independents Awards. Nominations were open to independent retailers, wholesalers, technology and other service providers.

“Independents are the backbone of our industry, and this new awards program is an opportunity to recognize them for their contributions,” said Stephanie Reid, Shelby president.

“Independents are a vital part of their communities and lead the way in caring for their customers. Our Exceptional Independents Awards shine a light on these businesses that continue to help feed our communities.”

Coverage of the award winners will appear by region in the March 2023 editions of The Shelby Report of the Midwest, The Shelby Report of the Southeast, The Shelby Report of the Southwest, The Shelby Report of the West and The Griffin Report of the Northeast. Awards winners also will be featured on theshelbyreport.com.

Balls Food Stores Balls recognizes that a grocery store is only as good as the people who work there.

The company understands that having teammates who are trained, educated and cared for will outweigh any trend that pops up in the grocery industry.

The vision is to be the best run, friendliest supermarket in town, where teammates are passionate about providing excellent customer service and where customers view grocery shopping as a pleasure, not a chore.

The Ball's team places high value on taking care of employees through competitive compensation, quality benefits and additional educational opportunities.

In addition to investment in employees, the team also is committed to creating a cleaner environment. The team recently focused on four locations for an innovative project that included the use of high-efficiency refrigeration and LED lighting, which is 40 percent more energy efficient than traditional lighting.

Balls also is continuing its conscientious recycling program and zero waste policy for excess food to aid in its mission to support health, wellness, family and community.

In addition to building and updating its locations, Ball’s Foods also contributed to the KVC Health Systems with the addition of the Ball’s Event Center, which is available to rent for several types of events.

All proceeds from the center bookings benefit KVC’s mission and commitment to enriching and enhancing the lives of children and families by providing medical and behavioral healthcare, social services and education.

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Coborn’s Coborn’s, based in St. Cloud, Minnesota, is a 102-year-old employee-owned grocery retailer with nearly 10,000 employees. It now operates 66 grocery stores across Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Wisconsin and Michigan under the Coborn’s, Cash Wise Foods, Marketplace Foods, Hornbacher’s and Tadych’s Marketplace Foods banners.

The company also operates fuel, liquor and pharmacy locations. And to support its 200 various retail business units, Coborn’s also operates its own central bakery, dry cleaning facility and a limited assortment grocery distribution center.

In the 1970s, the company was one of the first in the U.S. to install digital scanning equipment and has continued to be recognized as an innovative retailer on many fronts. It launched its customer loyalty program, MORE Rewards, in 2016 and has been at the forefront of leveraging customer data intelligence to drive its go-to-market strategy.

Coborn’s has been honored over the years by industry trade groups for excellence in grocery retailing, as well as annually by the National Grocers Association for excellence in merchandising and marketing in the NGA’s annual Creative Choice Awards.

In 2021, Coborn’s was named The Shelby Report’s Midwest Retailer of the Year.

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MARCH 2023 • THE SHELBY REPORT OF THE MIDWEST

Cosentino’s Food Stores Celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, Cosentino’s Food Stores has been in business since 1948 and is a staple in the Kansas City community.

With more than 30 stores across the metro Kansas City area, it’s hard to find a community that has not been positively impacted by the presence of Cosentino’s. The heart of the company has always been to serve others and give back to the community that has embraced a young, local, family business from its inception.

When it comes to serving communities, the company’s stores focus on supporting groups whose primary mission is feeding the hungry. It regularly gives to local food banks and donation groups. In the past year, Cosentino’s donated more than $1 million worth of food to Harvesters Food Network, along with other local food pantries.

With the help of Harvesters, Cosentino’s was able to provide 200 families a Thanksgiving meal in 2022. The idea of building relationships with customers, community and organization is an idea that is woven tightly into the fabric of the company.

Within Cosentino’s, employees are taught the importance of personal service and commitment to the community.

Dierbergs

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Based in Chesterfield, Missouri, Dierbergs has shared the St. Louis market primarily with Schnucks, although Dierbergs has much fewer locations than Schnucks, with 26 total stores.

Privately-owned with its fourth generation of leadership, Dierbergs is an upscale supermarket chain. It was the first store in the United States to establish an in-store cooking school, offer video rentals, a full-service FTD florist outlet and in-store banking.

Dierbergs is well known for its quality of meat, seafood, produce and deli. During COVID19, it changed the salad bar (banned due to safety to customers) to an alcohol bar (display) and made the claim to “creative” fame on the Jimmy Fallon Show. Most recently, one of the family heirs, Roger Dierberg, died at age 88. It is an exceptional independent, as an innovator in the industry and also ranks high in customer satisfaction.

  Dorothy Lane Market As we at Dorothy Lane Market enter our 75th year, people often ask what the secret sauce is.

Sure, there’s that touch of gourmet in addition to the everyday infused throughout every department. There are the multiple generations of associates who work here and customer families who continue to shop here. There’s the friendly carryout who never hesitates to offer the protection of an umbrella on a rainy day. There’s also the robust network of gourmands from faraway lands and local farmers whose bounty can be found at DLM. But at the core of everything we do, there’s our history, which we hold near and dear. But there’s also one more aspect that has been at our core all these years, and it is best exemplified

by Chairman and CEO Norman Mayne, whose father, Calvin D. Mayne, and a business partner opened the doors to Dorothy Lane Market in 1948 as a humble fruit stand.

Today, Dorothy Lane Market continues to be locally owned and operated by the Mayne family.

Fareway Fareway is a growing Midwest grocery company operating 133 stores in a seven-state region. Our mission is to provide the highest quality products while treating customers like family and valuing dedicated employees. We are known for our unmatched, full-service meat departments, farm-fresh produce and exceptional to-thecar customer service.

Fareway is a family-owned business, recognized as a top 10 employer in Iowa, and has more than 12,000 employees. Our employees are the reason for our success.

Beyond providing cutting-edge benefits, providing more than 13,900 hours in internship opportunities and launching the first statewide apprenticeship in meat cutting, Fareway has added a non-transfer track to the management program. In just three years, the program has grown exponentially, with 182 non-transfer assistants promoted.

At Fareway, we live by our motto, “At Fareway, You’re Family.” Our butcher counter experience offers experts who cut, prepare and package product to a customers’ specifications and provides tips on recipes and cooking best practices. Our grocery teams provide second-tonone customer service with a full-service checkout experience and to-the-car carryout.

  In 2020, Fareway was able to replicate its great customer service with the addition of an e-commerce platform. With no fees, same-day-orders can be placed and picked up, with the ability to make edits/additions up to a half hour before pick-up.

We are proud to serve our communities and make it our mission to “Lead with Love.” Inspired by our outstanding employees helping their neighbors and businesses, we support charitable giving through direct involvement and donated resources to a variety of organizations.

Fareway annually rescues and donates more than 1.1 million pounds of food and recycles more than 400 tons of plastic shrinkwrap, 12.5 tons of cardboard and 4.5 million plastic sacks. We also provided monetary support, with donations of more than $225,000 to Variety-the Children’s Charity, $415,000 to the Muscular Dystrophy Association, $300,000 to the U.S. Marines Corps Toys for Tots. We also provided more than $600,000 to community initiatives.

Our commitment to take care of our communities extends beyond where we have stores. Throughout our region, we have recognized a need to serve smaller communities with populations around 5,000. A grocery store and great local businesses make smaller communities vibrant

and provide a catalyst for economic growth.

In partnership with the Iowa Economic Development Authority and local municipalities, we have recently been successful in building small-store models in communities throughout the state, such as Colfax, Ogden, Rockwell City and (soon) Bondurant. In addition, there will be more announcements forthcoming.

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MARCH 2023 • THE SHELBY REPORT OF THE MIDWEST

Festival Foods From positively impacting communities to ensuring quality products to providing an exceptional experience, Festival Foods has fueled a culture of excellence for more than 75 years.

In 1946, Paul and Jane Skogen borrowed $500 to open a 3,000-squarefoot store attached to their home in Onalaska, Wisconsin. Between 194679, the Skogen family began to acquire several small stores. After Paul died in 1976, his son, Dave, along with his wife, Barb, and brothers, Gary and Tom, oversaw company operations.

In 1990, the family identified a shifting trend in consumer buying habits and decided to change the store format – this led to opening the first Festival Foods store. In 1992, Dave’s son, Mark, joined the company full time after college graduation. Together, Dave

Fox Bros. Piggly Wiggly Fox Bros. Piggly Wiggly, an independently-owned and -operated franchised conventional grocery store, was established by Pat and Bob Fox in Hartland, Wisconsin on June 16, 1988. Pat and Bob have been involved in the retail food industry most of their working lives and have brought knowledge, experience, energy, commitment and innovative vision to their operation, associates and the grocery industry.

By surrounding themselves with associates or team members dedicated to their vision – striving for constant improvement, superior customer service and community involvement – this commitment has resulted in the success and respect Fox Bros. Piggly Wiggly has earned within the industry and local communities.

In 2006, Fox Bros. Piggly Wiggly earned the distinguished Wisconsin Grocer of the Year Award from the Wisconsin Grocers Association. This association has about 1,000 members comprised of major grocery operators, including large chains as well as independents. In 2006, Fox Bros. was one of five grocers nominated statewide for this honor.

In 2007, Fox Bros. Piggly Wiggly developed its own

and Mark led Festival Foods to growth across the state.

Mark became CEO and president in 2006, carrying on the tradition of success built by his father and grandfather. Today, Festival Foods owns and operates 40 full-service, state-of-the-art supermarkets and employs more than 8,000 full- and part-time associates.

At Festival Foods, customers are guests. Associates go above and beyond to ensure they’re meeting expectations held by their guests. It all boils down to their boomerang principle – every business decision made is based on the question, “Will it bring the customer back?”

Festival Foods also is dedicated to making a positive impact in the communities it serves. The company contributes to food programs and sponsors many community events each year – Food for Neighbors, Paw Away Hunger, the Festival Foods Fireworks and the Festival Foods Turkey Trot, among others – to build communities and make them stronger.

  homemade bratwurst, summer sausage and snack stick products that were made fresh daily at the Oconomowoc location. Currently, Fox Bros. is producing about 8,000 pounds of brats per week during the summer months. This equates to about 35,000 individual brats per week.

In addition, Fox Bros. provides community groups the opportunity to sell brats, hamburgers and hot dogs in the Brat House at each of its stores. Groups can also hold a car wash in conjunction with the Brat House sales. In a day, a group can raise anywhere from $500-$1,000. Fox Bros. is also a member of local chambers of commerce and can often be seen participating in community events, parades and festivals.

Innovation with creating new flavors and types of sausages has lead the company to be a nine-time Grand Champion, Brats & Sausages, Wisconsin Association of Meat Processors and three-time first-place finisher, Top Choice Brats & Sausages, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

On April 22, 2017, Lori and Pat Fox sold the company to the Fox Bros. team members and Fox Bros. Piggly Wiggly became Wisconsin’s only 100-percent employee-owned grocery chain.

Fox Bros Piggly Wiggly is honored to have been named a Top Workplace in the Milwaukee Area from 2016-19, and also voted as The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Top Choice Grocery Store in 2017 and 2019 and the Top Choice Brats three years in a row. The company also has donated more than $1 million in cash and merchandise to various community groups.

  GreenAcres Market GreenAcres Market cares deeply about the health and wellness of its shoppers. Founder Barb Hoffmann opened the original GreenAcres because she saw a need in her community to make healthier foods more accessible. Her daughter, Shannon Hoffmann, is president/CFO today.

As a family-owned and -operated business, GreenAcres makes it a point to carry items in its stores that the Hoffmanns would use

Heinen’s

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In 1929, Joe Heinen opened the doors of a humble butcher shop in Shaker Heights, Ohio, aiming to establish himself as the city’s top purveyor of quality meats. As customers came into Heinen’s new shop for their meat purchases, they began asking him to carry groceries as well. He added homemade peanut butter, pickles and doughnuts. By 1933, the business had grown enough to include a line of produce and canned goods.

Joe Heinen operated on the belief that, “You have to find the best to sell the best.” From sourcing only the highest quality meats to partnering with local producers and growers for the freshest produce, Joe Heinen set standards that have stood the test of time.

Since then, Heinen’s Grocery Store has grown to 23 stores – 19 in Northeast Ohio and four in the suburbs of Chicago. Heinen’s is still family owned and operated today and employs about 3,400 associates. Joe Heinen’s twin grandsons, Jeff and Tom Heinen, carry on the family legacy of unrivalled high-quality food and world-class customer service.

in their own homes and share with their families.

GreenAcres is dedicated to training staff on ingredient education and product reviews in order to keep shoppers safe and healthy.

GreenAcres also works with shoppers to find the best products for natural remedies, nutritious food and building a healthy lifestyle.

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MARCH 2023 • THE SHELBY REPORT OF THE MIDWEST

Hometown IGA The Independent Grocers Alliance recently announced Jimmy Perkins, operator of Hometown IGA in Jasper, Indiana, as one of the nine recipients of the IGA USA Retailer of the Year.

The awards are the highest honors IGA bestows upon its retailer members. They are presented annually to grocers who have best provided leadership and excellence in their communities.

“Our success starts with the leadership that we have to support us,” Perkins said. “Whether it be maintenance, marketing, human resources or guidance from supervision, the whole team works toward the same goal of being the best of our market in every measurable area.

“The department managers and employee-owners who execute the game plan – day in and day out, presenting an unforgettable experience to our guests – play such an important role. The support from suppliers and vendors, and the support from IGA itself is the best of the best. We are truly grateful for the recognition, and humbly recognize the significance of this award.”

Perkins said the store’s community service efforts go deeper than sponsoring local teams and organizations.

Jerry’s Enterprises

Hometown IGA supports the animal shelter and local and regional food banks. It works with community corrections to provide positions and training to select people who are working to become productive members in society.

There are Hometown IGA team members who are volunteer coaches or sing and play music for their churches. Among many other instances of giving their

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Jerry’s Foods is owned by Bob Shadduck. Founded in 1947 as a single neighborhood market, the company today operates 23 stores with formats ranging from low-price leader to high-end neighborhood stores. Its banners include 16 Cub stores, three County Markets and four Jerry’s Food stores.

Jerry’s Foods has faced several challenges over the past couple years starting with the civil unrest that ensued following the death of George Floyd in downtown Minneapolis.

This resulted in the temporary closure of two high-volume Cub Foods stores in inner city Minneapolis.

And, more recently, there was the closure of the Jerry’s Food store on Sanibel Island, Florida, following the impact of Hurricane Ian. The hurricane and resulting storm surge devastated the island and the causeway, limiting access to the store for several days and resetting the customer market for months to come.

Despite these multiple business interruptions, Jerry’s Foods has remained committed to its communities and customers. Knowing that inner-city consumers had limited grocery store options available to them, the company erected temporary stores in the parking lots of the two closed Cub stores in Minneapolis until they could be built and reopen. Similarly, Jerry’s Foods found a way to reopen the Sanibel Island store, with limited offerings, to help provide food for the many workers brought in to help rebuild.

Bob Shadduck, Jerry’s Foods’ owner, is a true entrepreneur and deeply rooted in the Twin Cities market. In addition to his grocery stores, he also owns and operates five Do-it Best Hardware stores, five liquor stores, two print shops, Minnesota Meat Masters

Kowalski’s Markets

time, they also are in booster clubs or on local boards and committees and have participated in parades.

Perkins has been a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical responder in his community for more than 28 years, serving as an assistant chief for some 20 of those years. He recently joined the county’s emergency management agency water rescue team. Perkins likes to get involved at his church, cooking at events and socials, mowing the grounds and serving as an usher. He sits as president of his town’s zoning appeals board and has served on the county’s emergency communications improvement committee.

(smoked meat production facility), a bakery commissary serving the Minnesota-based stores and a 140-square-mile beef ranch in Montana, which raises 100 percent grassfed Angus beef. Shadduck also is part owner of a processing plant with local ranchers, enabling him to bring his grass-fed beef to market.

Shadduck is a growth retailer and is always looking for ways to expand his organization and provide new career opportunities for employees. He’s a strong believer in reinvesting in his operations and keeps his stores up to date.

Jerry’s Foods is a strong partner with UNFI, demonstrating an excellent working relationship across all levels and departments. UNFI supplies product across all categories, and Jerry’s Foods utilizes UNFI services to help optimize their stores.

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Kowalski’s Markets is a family-owned grocery store in Minneapolis and St. Paul that supports its people, partners, products and programs.

1. People. The Kowalski family of Jim (deceased), Mary Ann and Kris are actively involved in the business and their care for employees (people) is no different than how we all care for our families. Respect and recognition are apparent for anyone that shops or lives near their stores.

2. Partners. Since opening in 1983, Kowalski’s has placed a focus on supporting local growers, businesses and communities. The local connection means the freshest produce (when in season) and varieties that are important to customers. These include Revol Greens, R&R Cultivation, Untiedt’s Farms and Bushel Boy Tomatoes.

3. Products. So many of the products that we love to serve and enjoy are those that can only be found at Kowalski’s Markets. When we do our weekly shopping or shop for special occasions, there are always a few Signature (Kowalski’s Brand) items that are “must haves.” They include Aunt Nettie’s Potato Salad, Kalbi Sauces, Smoked Bacon or Whipped Cream Cheese Spreads. Some of these items help continue our family traditions while making new ones with new foods and meal celebrations.

4. Programs, specifically charitable giving programs. A lot can be said about a company by viewing how it behaves in the community. Kowalski’s develops and supports many charitable organizations, including Kowalski’s 4 Kids, Groceries for Good Causes, Second Harvest Heartland and Great River Greening.

Just ask anyone who lives close enough to a Kowalski’s Market and I’m certain you will hear the same sort of response. The Kowalskis are a great family who run a great store and put in great effort to exceed my expectations for a local grocery store.

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MARCH 2023 • THE SHELBY REPORT OF THE MIDWEST

L&J’s Hometown Markets & Catering Lynn Williams and Jeff Roman bought two rural grocery stores in December 1983 and spent 39 years partnering to give local rural communities the best stores they could possibly give.

Because of current economic conditions and financial restraints, they finally had to call it quits in 2022. The Williams family had been in the grocery business for 84 years, while Roman had 44 years in it.

They always made sure their customers came first. The stores were located in Anawan and Atkinson, two Illinois communities of about 1,000 people each.

  Metcalfe’s Market The “why” at Metcalfe’s Market is to connect and enrich people, their community and beyond.

It all started with Henry and Teresa Hess in 1917, when they opened a grocery co-op in Butler, Wisconsin. The family lived on the second story and rented the store areas to the Milwaukee Cooperative Association.

Today, co-owners and brothers Tim and Kevin Metcalfe lead the fourth-generation, family-owned and -operated neighborhood market with two Madison locations, another in Wauwatosa and Metcalfe’s On The Go at the Dane County Regional Airport.

The markets are known for an abundance of local and premium quality foods. Throughout the stores, shoppers can find “food miles” signs, indicating how many miles a product has traveled to reach the shelf.

Metcalfe’s Market is home to fresh baked breads and pastries from 20 local bakeries, more than 500 varieties of artisan cheeses, Boar's Head deli meats and cheeses, a variety of local and organic produce and a selection of wines, spirits and beers, a lot of which are local.

In 2008, Metcalfe’s Markets became 100 percent green powered, offsetting 100 percent of carbon dioxide emissions from electricity use by purchasing clean, renewable energy.

Over 100 years after their great-grandparents founded the company, Tim and Kevin keep the team focused on the company values of service, excellence, community, integrity and sustainability. The entire Metcalfe’s team strives to provide total customer satisfaction while offering only the best to their shoppers.

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Neighborhood Fresh Neighborhood Fresh is a store deeply rooted in its community.

With an increased push toward e-commerce following the COVID-19 pandemic, Neighborhood Fresh turned to AppCard to provide shoppers with the same perks they found in a weekly printed ad with the added ease of a customized digital platform.

Neighborhood Fresh cares about the day-to-day lives of its shoppers and wishes to ensure a positive experience for every shopper, every time.

Niemann Foods/County Market When it comes to technology and innovation, grocery retailers rarely want to be among the first to try something new as there is a lot of risk in changing time-honored business practices. It takes a brave retailer to put itself on the front lines of technology innovation, and Niemann Foods is one such business.

Amid the rising costs of printed marketing materials, the retailer decided to move its popular Penny Pincher coupon book, under the County Market banner, from print to digital in 2022. In partnership with Birdzi, an AI personalization SaaS solution provider, the retailer converted the paper-based Penny Pincher to 100-percent digital in a relatively short time.

The new version provides customers with digital offers ordered according to relevancy based on their shopping profiles and allows them to clip and activate offers in their myCountyMarket app. In addition to decreasing costs and operational man hours, the digitization of the popular coupon book allows the retailer to gather real-time analytics and derive actionable insights with the help of the Birdzi platform.

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A leap like this does not happen overnight and its success depends on organization-wide buy-in. Under the leadership of Avry Brown, consumer engagement manager at Niemann Foods, County Market began preparing customers for the switch in December 2021 by creating two to five hard-to-pass-up offers in the myCountyMarket app.

In addition to creating these digital-only offers, the retailer encouraged app downloads with in-store signage, bag stuffers, flyers and QR codes. One of the most important steps the company took was to fully train store associates on the app and in-lane coupon redemption, so they would be prepared to help customers with the digital transition.

The digital Penny Pincher went live in March 2022 for all County Market stores. This innovation resulted in an increase in digitally engaged customers, monthly app downloads and web registrations and coupon redemptions.

In addition to being an innovator, Niemann Foods is a company that sees the value in giving back to the

communities in which it does business. It has created multiple programs including Max Dollars for Education, Fall Harvest – a program to help stock local food pantries – and the Niemann Foods Foundation, which focuses on strengthening community, education and youth programs through charitable grants.

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Pete's Fresh Market Stephanie Dremonas is a second-generation Pete's Fresh Market owner, helping the company grow to 17 locations in the Chicagoland area.

Starting with fresh produce locations in the 1970's, Pete's was known for having the freshest products, which stands true today.

When Pete's looks at locations for new stores, it knows the community and the needs, understanding that no two locations can be the same.

What is best about Stephanie and the entire Pete's management team is how they hire within the community and grow employees within the business. It is common to walk through the stores and talk to employees who have been with the company since the 1980s.

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Pyramid Foods

Pyramid Foods is based in Rogersville, Missouri, and its banners include Price Cutter, Food Pyramid, Pyramid Express, Ramey, Summer Fresh Supermarkets, Country Mart, Cash Saver Cost Plus and Bistro Market, Escott's, Ponca City Discount Foods, Save-ALot and Smitty's.

The company was on Forbes’ list of America's Best Midsize Employers in 2021 and America's Best Employers by State in 2020.

Pyramid Foods is an employee-owned company that focuses on learning its competition’s strengths and weaknesses and keeping its presence known and valuable. It also keeps in mind the civic and local approach to doing business as a grocer.

Sendik’s

Pyramid Foods sponsors many local charities, community organizations, groups and schools. These include Big Brothers Big Sisters, Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, Springfield Cardinals, MSU Celebrity Golf Tournament benefiting the Missouri State University baseball program, Champion Athletes of the Ozarks and Making Strides for Breast Cancer.

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Sendik’s gives its shoppers reasons to keep coming back. Sendik’s puts shoppers first with its Red Bag Rewards program, powered by AppCard. Shoppers are able to earn rewards as they shop at Sendik’s in-store and online. Sendik’s also provides shoppers with recipes on its website, encouraging them to try out new things with friends and family. Sendik’s continues to build and foster community year after year.

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MARCH 2023 • THE SHELBY REPORT OF THE MIDWEST

Sky Plaza IGA The Independent Grocers Alliance recently announced Rich and Darlene Hoffman, owners of Sky Plaza IGA in Garrettsville, Ohio, as one of the nine recipients of the IGA USA Retailer of the Year. The awards are the highest honors IGA bestows upon its retailer members.

In 1987, Rich and Darlene bought their first grocery store in Garrettsville.

"Our employees' dedication to great customer service throughout the years has allowed us to continue serving our community for the past 36 years," Rich Hoffman said.

Sky Plaza IGA has forged community relationships that have contributed to a strong local brand and identity. For 36 years, it has been a staple in the community, supporting schools, the chamber of commerce, churches, festivals, clubs and organizations.

The grocer collects money at its registers for food and pantry items for the Nelson-Garrettsville Community Food Cupboard and the People Tree Charity year round. Serving the people in Garrettsville and surrounding communities remains of utmost importance.

Sobie Meats

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In the words of their nominator, Sobie Meats and Tim and Teresa Sobie are the type of local market America was built on. “It's unbelievable when you go in their store.” And a quick internet or social media search will confirm it.

“You won't believe it, but they literally know every customer by name. It’s the most insane thing I've ever seen from a retailer. ‘Hey Marv, how was the surgery?’ ‘Deb, how's Emily and the kids?’ At Sobie Meats, you feel at home. When Tim isn't busy, he will stand by the front door and greet every customer.

“Haven't tried one of his endless flavors of sticks, jerky, etc.? He’ll send you home with a stuffed sample bag.

“Sobie Meats is so extraordinary, I can't totally put it into words. I was a vendor here for a while and have been in hundreds of stores across the country. Sobie Meats is literally the best. It is an area institution and we are grateful to be living so close by.”

  White’s Foodliners Jordan White is an exceptional Independent. Along with his father, Pat, he runs White’s Foodliners’ six stores.

White’s has added three new stores in five years, almost immediately increasing the previous operator’s sales by 30 percent or more by implementing Jordan’s fresh strategies. (And these were good stores when Jordan bought them.)

Jordan is very adept at using his digital marketing app to drive sales in the newly acquired stores. This happens after he does the resets, adds all the new items and gets the fresh departments up to his standards.

His approach to merchandising can be summed up this way: “Just because our customers are in the country, doesn’t mean they don’t want what the folks in the cities want.”

The amount of specialty foods is helping drive and keep business in town. White’s also has a presence on Amazon and other online sites with its Swedish products, acquired when the company bought the store in Lindsborg, Kansas.

Some groups just have independent retailing figured out. Jordan and the White’s team is one of them.

Woodman’s

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Founded in 1919, Woodman’s is an employee-owned grocer based out of Janesville, Wisconsin.

Having grown from a local produce stand to a multi-state operator with 19 locations and over a half a million customers each week, Woodman’s prides itself on staying true to its goal of delivering amazing prices and tremendous selection through a mindset of technological innovation and an eye on costs.

Woodman’s has demonstrated its ability to adapt new technology. Starting in 1975, Woodman’s became the first grocer store in Wisconsin to begin using UPC scanners to improve the efficiency of checkout. In 2015, it created an online pickup and delivery service, which brought the selection and values of Woodman’s Food Markets directly to customers’ doorsteps.

Furthermore, Woodman’s attention to costs helps bolster the value proposition to customers while allowing a painless shopping experience devoid of the “on sale – off sale” model that many traditional grocers use.

This focus on maintaining efficiency is also a natural offshoot of the employee-owned structure introduced in 1979, which correlates profits directly back to employees.

With over a century of delivering service, savings and selection to the communities it serves, Woodman’s looks forward to the next century.