HELPING OTHERS
IS WHAT WE DO
WHETHER IT’S IN OUR STORES OR IN OUR COMMUNITIES
JEREMY GOSCH HY-VEE CHAIRMAN & CEO
Welcome to the Winter 2026 issue of Smile magazine! In this issue, you’ll get to see the many ways we’re helping our neighbors fight food insecurity. As food bank partners around our region are seeing increased demand month after month, we’re committed to helping make sure no family — especially no child — goes hungry.
From serving more than 90,000 veterans as part of our annual Veterans Day breakfasts to providing free and low-cost meals to nearly 1 million customers and children this past fall, you — our employees — h ave done incredible work helping feed our neighbors and providing help when it’s needed most.
That’s what we do at Hy-Vee. As our Chairman and CEO Jeremy Gosch has said, “Helping others is what we do, whether it’s in our stores or in our communities.” We take that responsibility seriously at Hy-Vee, which you’ll see from the stories in this edition of Smile.
We’re also taking a look at how one of our Hy-Vee subsidiaries, Florist Distributing, Inc. (FDI), helps make Valentine’s Day special for both our Hy-Vee stores and our customers. Plus, learn how Hy-Vee employees can find more ways to save with special offers from Midwest Heritage, as well as other savings tools available exclusively to our employees. Thank you for all you do and enjoy this issue of Smile!
Here’s a quick look back at all the incredible ways you helped spread smiles throughout our communities this past year.
A LOOK BACK ON 2025
We recognized 74 EMPLOYEES on semitrailers in honor of their 40+ years of service to Hy-Vee.
We helped Hy-Vee PERKS members SAVE $59.2M on fuel.
We gave more than $78M to local food banks, charities and communities across our nine-state region.
We celebrated 95 YEARS of helping customers.
We planted nearly 200 TREES in local communities that were impacted by devastating tornados.
We proudly employ 70,000 employees across nine states.
We were recognized for having ONE OF THE BEST disaster response teams in the nation by Engage for Good.
BEHIND THE
blooms
February is filled with hearts, flowers and thoughtful gestures — and behind almost every Valentine’s Day bouquet sold at Hy-Vee is the team at Florist Distributing, Inc. (FDI).
Acquired by Hy-Vee in 1992, FDI is a subsidiary of Hy-Vee that serves as a key player during one of Hy-Vee’s busiest floral seasons. With more than 200 employees and four facilities in Ankeny and Davenport, Iowa; Omaha, Nebraska; and Kansas City, Missouri, FDI supplies Hy-Vee stores with flowers, plants, floral supplies, gift baskets and balloons. FDI’s expertise ensures stores are stocked, displays are stunning, and customers can choose from an abundant selection of floral products to purchase for their loved ones.
100,000
More than 100,000 stems of roses will be imported to FDI and then distributed to Hy-Vee stores for the 2026 Valentine’s Day holiday.
3 WEEKS
The intense production time for Valentine’s Day starts three weeks prior to February 14
200+
At FDI, 200 full-time employees, plus 30-40 temporary employees work together to fulfill Valentine’s Day arrangements for stores.
MOMS
While Valentine’s Day is always a high-volume time for FDI and Hy-Vee’s floral departments – Mother’s Day is actually the busiest holiday for floral.
Tonia Courtney pulls and prepares a fresh flower order for one of the many beautiful Hy-Vee arrangements (as shown above).
What’s your favorite arrangement?
NOW & FOREVER
“My favorite arrangement is Now & Forever — it combines the timeless beauty of rich red roses, which symbolize deep love and passion, with the graceful elegance of lilies that add softness, purity and a touch of sophistication.”
Lori Reynolds, Floral Supervisor, Southern Region
SUNSET GARDEN
“The Sunset Garden arrangement is my favorite from our 2026 Signature Collection. Lush greens and layered texture always draw me in, and this arrangement checks all the boxes!”
Jodi Evans, Floral Supervisor, Central Region
CLASSIC DOZEN
“Throughout my 40-year career with Hy-Vee, the Classic Dozen has always been a staple item that draws customers to our floral departments. It’s a true classic.”
Cheryl Overland, Floral Supervisor, Northern Region
Preparing for Valentine’s Day
When it comes to Valentine’s Day bouquets, roses are the top seller. But getting them to stores is a global effort. Approximately 90% of FDI’s flowers are sourced internationally with roses coming from Colombia and Ecuador. FDI uses a system to track all its floral orders throughout the supply chain to identify where flowers were grown, inspected and handled along the way.
Planning for Valentine’s Day begins early. Each Hy-Vee store places their Valentine’s Day order with FDI in November. The FDI team goes to work from there, ordering flowers and supplies while expertly navigating many challenges such as changing growing conditions, transportation logistics and last-minute orders to ensure stores are stocked and ready.
In mid-January, full arrangement production begins. This is when the FDI team will complete a week’s worth of work in a single day — and a month’s worth in a single week. The FDI team and store floral teams make it all come together through dedication and teamwork.
As FDI’s Chief Operating Officer, Kay Hughes says, “We don’t win unless the retail stores win.”
This February, we thank the FDI team for helping our customers — as well as our stores — make Valentine’s Day special.
QUESTION & ANSWER
We sat down with Elisa Sloss, Hy-Vee’s assistant vice president of HealthMarkets and dietitians, to learn about her career path at Hy-Vee, as well as some of her latest projects.
Q: What’s your “Hy-Vee story?” How did you get to where you are today?
A: My dream job in school was to become a Hy-Vee dietitian. However, I knew finding an open position in my hometown (Omaha) would be difficult. So, when a HealthMarket manager position opened at one of the Council Bluffs, Iowa, stores, I applied to get my foot into the door while I completed my dietetic internship. Even though I’d never worked in grocery before, the store director took a chance on me. I learned so much about retail, merchandising and wellness products. After I became a fully licensed registered dietitian, a dietitian role opened at the Midtown Hy-Vee in Omaha, Nebraska, and I worked there for several years. Since then, I’ve served in several roles across Hy-Vee’s dietitian and HealthMarket departments, helping grow both of these areas.
Q: In your current position, what does an ordinary day look like for you?
A: I have a mix of responsibilities between leading our HealthMarket departments and other health and wellness initiatives. On the HealthMarket side, I focus mainly on merchandising sets and ad plans, as well as looking for new products to add to the department. I also work closely with our private brands team to expand our product lines for Good Graces, Nothing But The Truth and our new medically tailored meals, Dietitian Dishes.
In the health and wellness space, I’m working closely with our pharmacy and dietitian teams on our Food is Medicine program, which uses nutrition education to help individuals manage health conditions. In the dietitian space, we recently launched dietitian insurance billing, so we can serve even more customers.
Q: What’s the most exciting project you’ve worked on this past year?
A: One of the most exciting has been Nothing But The Truth, our exclusive line of organic, better-for-you foods. We developed the product line around clean, highquality ingredients that taste great and are affordable. We’ve already launched a variety of items including snacks, condiments and breakfast items with more on the way.
Q: Tell us about the new FoodHealth Scores that you recently helped launch. What is it and how does it help customers?
A: Finding healthy food isn’t always easy, especially if you don’t have time to read labels and ingredients. As part of our Food is Medicine program, we recently launched FoodHealth Scores in the Hy-Vee app to help customers quickly identify healthier options. Each food is scored on a scale of 1 to 100 based on the product’s ingredient quality and nutrient density. The higher the score, the more nutritious the product is. It’s just another way we can help make our customers’ lives easier and healthier.
Q: What’s your advice to anyone who is interested in a health-related career with Hy-Vee?
A: Hy-Vee is one the best places to work as a health professional because you can truly make a difference in people’s lives. This is especially true for our in-store dietitians as they work with customers in the store where in-the-moment food decisions are being made. So many times, individuals managing health conditions get a lengthy list of all the foods they can’t have. At Hy-Vee, we take customers directly to the aisles to show them all the products they can have that will support a healthy, balanced lifestyle.
BUMP, SET STATE CHAMPS
Hy-Vee Pharmacy manager coaches team to state title
When he’s not at the Vermillion Hy-Vee Pharmacy, chances are you’ll find pharmacy manager Tristan Wieseler coaching on the sidelines of a volleyball court.
In his first year coaching volleyball at Wynot High School, Tristan led the Blue Devils to their first-ever state championship. Tristan took over the team in August 2025, won his first match and went on to a 30-4 record, winning the title over Cambridge High School.
“Tristan is very passionate about his work as our pharmacy manager, and he is very passionate about his work as a coach,” said
Sarah Wood, store director at the Vermillion Hy-Vee.
According to Tristan, there are many similarities between his role at the pharmacy and his role as a coach.
“I love my job at the pharmacy,” Tristan said. “I’m the manager at work, and I feel comfortable being in charge. Volleyball is no different, just younger people.”
Let’s celebrate life’s big moments together.
If you’ve recently tied the knot or welcomed a new baby and you’d like to share the news in Smile magazine, let us know! Send your news to smilemag@hy-vee.com, and we’ll feature it in an upcoming issue of Smile.
Strikes, spares and a standout finish for Waukee courtesy clerk
Congratulations to Waukee courtesy clerk Tayler Olson for winning 5th place at the Special Olympics Iowa state bowling tournament in Cedar Rapids! Tayler and her teammates beat out the 2,000+ athletes who participate annually in Iowa’s Special Olympics bowling competition.
Tayler is also celebrating 10 years of service at Hy-Vee and is known throughout the store for her outstanding customer service — always greeting customers, bagging carefully and saying, “Thank you for shopping at Hy-Vee.” She brings a positive attitude and a contagious smile to every shift.
Helpful smile in training
Paula Blount, retail product and pricing manager at the Lantern Park Plaza Hy-Vee in Coralville, Iowa, is recruiting the next generation of Hy-Vee talent! Her grandson Abram is clearly on the fast track — sporting the signature helpful smile and rocking his very own name tag!
COMMUNITIES
COMMUNITIES AT THE HEART OF OUR
In the words of our former Chairman, CEO and President Ric Jurgens, we believe that “if we have the ability to do good, then we have the responsibility to do good.” And nowhere is our ability to do good stronger than in making sure people in our communities have access to the food they need. With the help of our Hy-Vee and Strack & Van Til employees, we’ve been able to support a number of communities this fall and winter in the fight against food insecurity.
Hams for the Holidays
For our eighth annual Hams for the Holidays campaign, we held 20 community events across our nine-state region to give away more than 5,000 Hormel Cure 81 hams. Employees from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to Merrillville, Indiana, hosted giveaways at churches, fairgrounds, schools and stores to help share some holiday joy with our customers and neighbors.
Community support meals
Our employees stepped up in a big way to serve nearly 900,000 meals to families across the Midwest in November. Approximately half of those meals were served to children 12 and under for free, and the same meals were made available to everyone else for $3. All that food was served in less than two weeks as families faced unprecedented uncertainty during the government shutdown, which led to a temporary pause of food assistance payments. As a grocer, we felt the anxiety across our communities, and worked quickly to create this initiative. This successful effort is just the latest example of our legacy of service when help is needed the most.
School pantries
Hy-Vee has made it easier than ever to access essential nutrition for students at Olmsted Elementary School in Urbandale, Iowa. A new food pantry recently opened inside the school, thanks to support from Hy-Vee and the Food Bank of Iowa. Olmsted Elementary is the second school to open a food pantry through a partnership with Hy-Vee and a Feeding America-affiliated food bank. The first in-school pantry opened at St. Paul City School in St. Paul, Minnesota — and more school pantries are being planned across our trade territory. These pantries are advancing our mission to fight childhood hunger, which will help students perform their best in the classroom.
Toys for Tots
Hy-Vee and our customers made the holiday season especially joyful for thousands of children across the Midwest. During December, we worked with the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation to collect toys for children up to 14 years old. Our corporate offices, along with more than 50 stores throughout our region, served as Toys for Tots collection sites. Hy-Vee’s generous customers filled the boxes with all sorts of fun items, and the Marines made sure the toys made it to at-risk youth in time for the holidays. Toys for Tots is a beloved tradition, and we are proud to be a part of it.
Veterans Day Breakfast
Hy-Vee employees treated more than 93,000 veterans and active-duty military members to a free buffet-style meal for this year’s Hy-Vee Veterans Day Breakfast. The event is an annual highlight for many employees who look forward to hearing veterans’ stories and showing their appreciation for their service. A beloved tradition that started at the Belton Hy-Vee store in 1999, the Hy-Vee Veterans Day Breakfast is now a company-wide effort and a cornerstone of the Hy-Vee Homefront initiative.
Chiefs Kingdom food drive
Hy-Vee partnered with the Kansas City Chiefs for the 11th Annual Chiefs Kingdom Food Drive benefitting Harvesters Community Food Network. This annual event encouraged Chiefs fans to bring non-perishable food donations to the Nov. 23 home game against the Indianapolis Colts, which they could drop off at marked donation bins all around GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Customers also could donate online to support the food drive. Collectively, our area Hy-Vee stores donated more than 1,000 meals toward the initiative.
HOLLOPETER’S FLORAL TALENT takes center stage
A familiar Hy-Vee face played a big role in this year’s Rose Parade on New Year’s Day in Pasadena, California. Laurel Hollopeter, the floral manager at the Eastside Hy-Vee in Iowa City, was the lead designer on three floats.
Hollopeter also works as a floral designer for a company that creates floats for the Rose Parade. This year, he designed team floats for both the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Indiana Hoosiers, but Hollopeter’s third float really allowed him to showcase his expertise.
He worked with the state of South Dakota’s tourism department on a display that featured Mount Rushmore, a cowboy, and a
well-known statue, which were portrayed through more than 40,000 flowers. Hollopeter told KELO-TV in Sioux Falls that the flowers are native to South Dakota, and he was tasked with matching them to the iconic imagery.
This year marked the 16th time Hollopeter designed floats for the Rose Parade. It was the first time in 20 years that rain fell on the event, but Hollopeter rose to the occasion. With nearly 30 years of service to Hy-Vee, he’s used to going above and beyond, bringing his helpful smile to this beloved American tradition.
Click HERE to view the full story.
Former Packer rings bell for Salvation Army at Ashwaubenon Hy-Vee
Action 2 News reported sightings of former Green Bay Packer Vonnie Holliday ringing the bell at the Salvation Army’s red kettle at the Ashwaubenon Hy-Vee. The former player competed against other retired NFL players to see who could raise the most money for the local Salvation Army. Click HERE to view the full story.
Wausau Hy-Vee sells lotto ticket worth $7.1 million just days after opening
Hy-Vee’s newest store in Wausau is already a winner! WSAW NewsChannel 7 reported on a lotto ticket, worth $7.1 million that was sold less than two days after the store’s grand opening. Click HERE to view the full story.
High school students give Hy-Vee Market Grille tables a new look
The tables at the Applewood Hy-Vee Market Grille are getting a new look thanks to a group of Omaha-area high school students. KMTV 3 News Now went inside a woodworking class to see the special touch the teens are giving the tables. Click HERE to view the full story.
Hy-Vee rolls out FoodHealth Score
system
The start of a new year means many people are focused on making healthier choices when they shop at Hy-Vee. WHO 13 News demonstrated how the FoodHealth Score, a new feature on the Hy-Vee app and website, can help customers meet their nutrition goals. Click HERE to view the full story.
Hy-Vee Health Exemplar Care called out as a good option for people impacted by expiration of ACA tax subsidies
Hy-Vee Health Exemplar Care was in the spotlight as an option for people looking for a more affordable health care solution. KCCI 8 News showed its viewers how the clinic uses the direct primary care model to serve its patients. Click HERE to view the full story.
Stay in the know
Here are all the ways you can stay up to date on what’s happening around Hy-Vee.
Hy-Five
Tune in every other Thursday for a new episode of Hy-Five on your breakroom TV.
Hy-Vee provides a fun, fast take on five things happening across our company.
TVs in your breakroom
Keep an eye out for employee benefit news, upcoming community events, customer compliments and more.
Smile Magazine
Also known as your favorite magazine, Smile is published every quarter, featuring the incredible Helpful Smiles of those around the company. (And if you’re reading this, you’re already ahead of the game!)
You all made my holidays much brighter. Seeing all of you today, smiling and wishing all of us “Happy Holidays” warms my heart. Thank you to you and your partnership with Hormel and our local law enforcement for making Hams for the Holidays happen. As a lifelong resident of East Moline, my mother has seen many grocery stores come and go over the years. We are blessed to have you as a company serving our community. She may not get out to see your Silvis store but she has been able to enjoy the affordable meals, $5 pizza recently, and knows I use the PERKS card and the Fuel Saver to keep us going. Thank you so much!
Always smiling
Hats off to Vicki at your Dyersville store! She’s always friendly, always smiling and always helpful. She’s the reason I choose to shop there!
Martha at the registers is one of the kindest souls I have ever met. She does the work well with a gentle demeanor and a smile. She is the reason why I return to my local Hy-Vee.
MELANIE
this is wonderful
I’d like to take the time to say thank you all for stepping up and making meals free for kids and $3 for adults! I absolutely think this is wonderful and will help lots of people!! Once again, thank you so much!!
Karen was a very friendly cashier. She greeted me, checked me out in an appropriate amount of time, bagged my groceries nicely and made sure to ask me if I wanted to round up.
THANK YOU!
We were extremely impressed with the announcement of your program to offer free meals to children. What a positive and caring corporate example of community leadership. With everything going on, you are a breath of fresh air. Thank you!
I volunteer at a local food pantry and understand how much the delay in SNAP benefits will affect families in our community. Thank you for stepping up to care not only for children but also for the adults who look after them by offering affordable meals for caregivers. There isn’t a Hy-Vee in East Peoria, but I’ll gladly make the trip to your Peoria store for my groceries. This is what true service to others looks like. Bless you all.
T., LIBERTY
JIM B., MAPLEWOOD
NICOLE N., PEORIA
KAREN F., DYERSVILLE
JULIE H., SILVIS
ED H., HOBART STRACK & VAN TIL
DONNA F., WINDSOR HEIGHTS
HONORS THAT REFLECT OUR VALUES
Bringing families to the table
For the eighth consecutive year, Hy-Vee has won the Food Industry Association (FMI)’s Gold Plate Award in recognition of our monthlong efforts to bring families together around the dinner table during National Family Meals Month. Hy-Vee activated the campaign in a big way during September by hosting meal giveaway events across the Midwest as well as in-store ice cream socials. Our team of registered dietitians also unveiled their free online dietitian cookbook, designed to make mealtime easier and healthier for busy families.
Iowa’s best
For the first time, Hy-Vee has landed on Forbes’ list of America’s Best-In-State Companies, ranking No. 1 in Iowa and No. 213 in the nation. The national ranking was determined by several factors that evaluated companies’ financial performance, customer sentiment, employee ratings, cybersecurity and sustainability efforts. Of the 50,000 companies evaluated, only the top 750 made the list.
Zachariasen leads the beverage industry
Congratulations to Blair Zachariasen, assistant manager at the West Des Moines Wall to Wall Wine and Spirits! Blair has been named to the Iowa Restaurant Association’s list of 40 Women to Watch, recognized for her passion, leadership and forward thinking that’s driving Iowa’s hospitality industry forward.
America’s most trusted
Trust means everything to us. That’s why we were honored to be recognized on Forbes’ list of Most Trusted Companies in America. Of the 1,500 companies studied, only 300 organizations were named to the list in recognition of the strong trust they’ve established among their employees, customers and the media.
Top private employer
Employee ownership has always been a key part of our company culture, which centers around profit-sharing and store autonomy. In a recently published article, Hy-Vee ranked No. 37 out of 200 on Forbes’ list of America’s Top Private Companies — and was the only company in Iowa to be recognized on the list.
Rock stars of the supply chain
This month, three Hy-Vee leaders were named Rock Stars of the Supply Chain by Food Logistics for their efforts in shaping Hy-Vee’s supply chain operations. Winners included:
Matt Beenblossom
Senior Vice President, Chariton Distribution Center; President, Lomar
Recognized as a Leader in Excellence for his 33-year career at Hy-Vee and efforts in leading the Chariton Distribution Center, as well as Hy-Vee’s newest Lomar Distribution Center.
Ryan Beary
Vice
President, Chariton Distribution Center
Named Top Warehousing Leader for his efforts leading Hy-Vee’s Chariton Distribution Center campus, which includes three warehouses: grocery, perishables and HBC/pharmacy.
Logan McGee Director, Transportation Logistics
Named a Rising Star for his efforts in leading Hy-Vee’s outbound logistics and ensuring product reaches stores safely, efficiently and on time.
THE HELPFUL SMILE EXCELLENCE IN SERVICE PROGRAM
Do you know an employee who is outstanding and goes above and beyond in delivering exceptional service? The Helpful Smile Excellence in Service Program celebrates the people who make Hy-Vee an amazing place to work and shop!
Winners will be selected each quarter based on nominations. Each winner will receive a gift along with a $50 gift card. All employees within the organization are eligible to win – in stores, distribution centers, subsidiaries and corporate offices.
Scan the QR code to submit your nomination — open through Sunday, March 15, at 5 p.m.
