2020 Brookshire Grocery Co. ROY

Food Industry Hall of Fame

Shelby Publishing established the Food Industry Hall of Fame to recognize men and women across the U.S. food industry who have provided leadership and fostered innovation over their careers. These executives also have earned the respect of their industry peers for their dedication and the example they set, not only for those in their own company but people across the industry’s many facets. Their families and communities also typically are beneficiaries of these executives’ time and attention, making them even more worthy of recognition.

2020

HALL OF FAME brad brookshire INDUCTEE CEO & CHAIRMAN

2020 HALL OF FAME brad brookshire INDUCTEE CEO & CHAIRMAN

2020 Southwest Retailer of the Year and Food Industry Hall of Fame Inductee

Brad Brookshire grew up in the grocery business

Brad Brookshire, chairman and CEO of Brookshire Grocery Co., has been selected for the Food Industry Hall of Fame. In recent interviews with the Shelby Publishing team, Brookshire recalled his rise to leader of the grocery chain.

by Mary Margaret Stewart / staff writer

After Brad Brookshire’s grandfather retired in the late 1960s after more than 40 years at the helm of Brookshire Grocery Co., his father and uncle took over the business. That’s when he began to soak up the grocery industry, an experience he deems “iconic” to this day.

“I was exposed to the company from way, way back and just learned a tremendous amount from growing up, listening to [my father] at the dinner table,” Brad said.

“I have a tremendous amount of respect, just being around him – doing the right thing, honesty and integrity, and he had a true passion for the company and for the business…It was kind of iconic. He kept the company going.”

Although he grew up immersed in BGC, he didn’t – per his father’s advice – immediately pursue a career in the business.

“I was in college and actually got into the sporting goods

business for a year,” Brookshire said. “In ’77, my grandfather passed away. But during that year, I had visited with him, and he wanted me to get into the grocery business.

“That kind of pushed me over the edge because my dad thought it might be better to do something else for a while at least, but when my grandfather said that, I was all in.

“It’s just been part of who I am for a number of years.”

Keeping with the family legacy, Brad Brookshire is today the company’s chairman and CEO, a role he’s held since 2015. But as he put it, it’s ‘not the Brad show.” It takes a village to run the successful 93-year business that is most commonly known as BGC.

His two mentors within the company were his father and C.B. Hardin, who was an original store director for Brad’s grandfather.

“In the ’80s, I got into real estate. [Hardin] was in the last part of his career with the company, and I got to visit with him…just the person that he was and how he treated other people…I learned a lot from him on what to look for and what to do,” he said.

“When I look back, my dad and C.B. Hardin were very influential to me.”

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Yet there’s no disguising his role in the success of family-founded supermarket chain

Year and Food Industry Hall of Fame Inductee

He’s ‘more focused on people,’ knows that’s real recipe for success

What drew me in was the opportunity to work closely with my father. It’s really an amazing dynamic because our end goals are always aligned, 100 percent of the time.

And the skill sets that he has and brings, and the skill sets that I have and bring, really complement each other. Our paths might be a little different, or certainly the perspective might be, but it’s such a powerful combination to be able to look at an opportunity a couple of different ways knowing that the intention and the outcome is always aligned together.

We’ve only worked together for five years. It’s been a relatively recent phenomenon that we’ve worked together day to day – him as an executive, and me as an executive. But that being said, there’s a million stories where it’s such a complimentary and symbiotic relationship.

He’s been such an instrumental leader, not only for this family but for this company, in terms of connecting the legacy of where we come from with the vision of what the future will hold. He’s really as good as anybody that I’ve ever met, especially in the grocery business, of saying, “We can accomplish the goals of tomorrow by leveraging the strength of our past.”

I remember one of his first speeches as CEO. He talked about having this entire company lock arms and really shoulder the burden of growth and the burden of thinking differently about the grocery business. He really challenged us as an organization to do it together. He said, “We’re going to do this as a family. We’re going to do this as a team.”

I remember the quote – it gave me goosebumps, and still does today – talking about locking arms together as a team. I remember thinking, ‘This is really powerful stuff.’ I was really thankful to see it and to be there when he said it. And then to see it manifest – it’s amazing, frankly. And that is just one example.

He’s a grocer’s grocer. It’s not just about a can of green beans or a bag of oranges for him. He’s really more focused on people and knowing that that’s really the recipe for success. It’s worked really, really well for him.

His earnest and sincere interest is in making sure that all 16,000 of us understand what’s important to the company and, really, that our people are the most important asset that we have. It’s been his torch to bear, and he’s done an amazing job of transforming this company.

– Trent Brookshire, son of Brad Brookshire and COO of BGC

2020 Southwest Retailer of the Year and Food Industry Hall of Fame Inductee

From

His village consists not only of BGC folks, but several people outside the company.

“Another person that I got to know on a couple of trips is [the late] Jack Brown [chairman of Stater Bros. Markets in southern California]. Jack was a mentor to me,” he said. “If I had a question about something, I’d call Jack. He was always in a fantastic mood, and he was a great, great person…I really treasure getting to know Jack Brown, from an industry standpoint.

“There’s so many good people in this industry. A lot of good folks who are highquality individuals, and it just makes me proud to be in the grocery industry.

“My grandfather surrounded himself with great people. He would say they were people smarter than he is. I’d say the same thing. I’m surrounded by people a lot smarter than I am.”

Today, if he needed advice or wanted to bounce an idea off of someone, Brookshire said he would go to the company’s share group. In addition to himself, that includes: Chris Coborn of Minnesota-based Coborn’s; Todd Schnuck with Schnucks, which is headquartered in St. Louis; Steve Smith with Virginia-based K-VA-T; Trey Basha of Bashas’ in Arizona; and Dagmar Farr with FMI – The Food Industry Association.

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Puts the interests of others first

It has been a pleasure to get to know Brad Brookshire over the past decade while we both served on the SMU Board of Trustees.

Brad is a strong leader who puts the interests of others ahead of his own for the benefit of the university and its students. I am proud to be able to call Brad a friend.

– Clark Hunt, chairman and CEO of the Kansas City Chiefs

Representatives from Brookshire Grocery Co. and the City of Fate, Texas, gathered in December to break ground on the company's second FRESH by Brookshire's store. The 66,000-square-foot location is expected to be completed in late 2021.

2020 Southwest Retailer of the Year and Food Industry Hall of Fame Inductee

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“Like this Saturday, we’ve got a call at 9 a.m., and I would ask opinions on what I should do. And they’ll tell me right then, or they’ll text me later what they think,” Brookshire said. “That’s nice to have a sounding board of four other retailers – family-owned, regional grocery companies that are operating in different parts of the country.

“It has been a fantastic avenue to learn and to ask questions and get ideas…and really been invaluable. Just to have folks that you can talk to and see what they think or what they are doing.”

Brookshire has also been on the board of trustees for his alma mater, Southern Methodist University on and off throughout the years. His first stint was 12 years. After taking a brief hiatus, he’s served for the past three years.

“It has been really interesting to get to know some very great people at SMU,” Brookshire said. “You’ve got Clark Hunt, Carl Sewell, Jerry Ford – these are some pretty powerful people.

“Besides BGC, it’s been the greatest board that I’ve been on.”

Brookshire’s involvement within the industry expanded in 2020, as he joined Texas’ COVID-19 pandemic strike force after being asked by Gov. Greg Abbott.

“I was very honored. I mean, there’s only around 40 of us. We would have about an hour call…and we had to submit our ideas in our industry of what we’re doing during

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It’s a privilege to know and work with him

Brad, huge congrats for entering the Food Industry Hall of Fame. Fitting also that your company is The Shelby Report of the Southwest’s 2020 Retailer of Year.

What a year 2020 was. It will go down in all our memories for many different emotions and feelings. But you, your employees and the entire grocery industry should feel proud of what you and frontline medical people did to treat and feed all of us.

To me, the year was like the rebirth of the grocery industry. You are one of the best leaders in the nation. When I think of you, I think of one of the W.T. Way Core Values – “Do the right thing.”

Brad, as long as I have known you, you do that value as well as anyone I know. It is a privilege to know and work with you. Take care!

– Bob Richardson, director of trade relations for Clorox

2020 Southwest Retailer of the Year and Food Industry Hall of Fame Inductee

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COVID and make suggestions for ideas for other industries,” he said. “I just couldn’t believe that I got asked. It was an honor to help the state and to do whatever the governor needed me to do.”

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Treats folks with respect, dignity

On behalf of my Kimberly Clark colleagues, I would like to congratulate Brad Brookshire on being named a 2020 Hall of Fame honoree.

On a personal note, I have known Brad Brookshire for more than 25 years and have worked with him on various industry committees and events. Brad’s leadership and contributions within BGC as well as in the industry have been remarkable.

Always living the core values of BGC, Brad is a man of incredible character, honesty and integrity, who has always treated people with the utmost respect and dignity. Brad and his team demonstrated that “jump-over-the-counter” service excellence this past year by working collaboratively with key suppliers such as Kimberly Clark, especially during the various challenges of the pandemic, to better serve their customers.

Once again, congratulations Brad on an honor that is so well deserved!

– Denny Belcastro, VP of industry affairs and collaboration for Kimberly Clark Corp.

Creativity, caring set him apart

I have known Brad Brookshire for over 25 years. He is one of the grocery industry’s icons. I am proud to call him my friend. Brad is an innovative servant-leader who deeply cares about everyone around him, and is one of the most humble people I know. Brad has lots of ideas – a “feed mayonnaise to the tuna” kind of guy. But it is his creativity, coupled with his strength as an active listener, that sets him apart from the rest.

A great example of Brad’s servant-leadership is how he and his team have responded to COVID-19. Grounded in the Brookshire Grocery core values – Brad led an effort to – first and foremost – keep his associates and customers safe while simultaneously converting Brookshire’s service offerings to an entirely new level. All along the way, care trumped cost. Brad and his team gave special care for everyone – associates, high-risk customers, first responders and community services throughout Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas. This is only one of many examples that demonstrate how Brad operates, what he stands for and why he is the right person to be inducted into the Food Industry Hall of Fame.

– Rick Brindle, VP of industry development for Mondelēez International

2020 Southwest Retailer of the Year and Food Industry Hall of Fame Inductee

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As for what BGC implemented internally, it couldn’t go unnoticed. Brad said, “In gratitude for our employee-partners’ grit, determination, commitment and care of our customers and communities during these challenging times, we have given them more than $30 million in special appreciation pay and

NFL legend, Tyler native: Honor is ‘very deserving’

Being from Tyler, I grew up with Brookshire’s. My family shopped there. I later had the opportunity to get to know the Brookshire family.

When I was a senior in high school, I worked at a Brookshire’s store, carrying out groceries. As a junior in college, when I was in Tyler taking an English course, I worked nights at Brookshire’s warehouse, packing trailers.

No doubt, Brad Brookshire is very deserving of this honor. His high standards and values speak for themselves. Not only is he a great businessman, he’s a great man.

Brad is also a great friend, and we do a lot of things together through our companies’ business partnership, as well as through our support of community efforts in Tyler.

Brad does a great job in business and in communities because of his strong leadership and commitment to doing the right thing.

– Earl Campbell, president of Earl Campbell Meat Co.

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Ann and Brad Brookshire with their four grandchildren.

the Year and Food Industry Hall of Fame Inductee

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incentives.” Among several things, this includes bonuses, gift cards, increased wages, extra discounts and compensation for those directly affected by COVID.

Naturally, Brad’s village includes wife Ann, who has been along for the whole ride. After meeting on the SMU tennis courts, the couple got married in August 1977. Brookshire started full time with the company on Sept. 1, 1977, some 43 years ago.

“She’s heard a lot of different stories, so she knows the company pretty well. She probably could write a book on the history of the company,” Brookshire joked. “We’ve got three sons. They were born in three different decades – kind of three first children type thing.”

Basketball legend on BGC values

I was familiar with the Brookshire name because I have moved back to Ruston, Louisiana, where they have a Super 1 Foods store. We have been in discussions about a potential business deal, and it has been awesome getting to know Brad.

A person’s word is their bond, and that’s the way it is with Brad Brookshire. It’s easy to do business with him because you know he is on the side of doing what’s right.

The speed of the ship is the speed of the captain, and Brad doesn’t let grass grow under his feet. It’s been refreshing to be around him and to see how he treats and interacts with people.

You can also tell a lot about the leader of a company by what they do in the community and how consistent they are. A lot of businesses start off strong, then their support fades. Not with Brad Brookshire. There’s no secret to his company’s success, and I have learned from him.

He has laid the groundwork for the next 20, 30 or even 40 years by everything he has done to set the company up for success. I can’t say enough good things about the company, and it all starts with Brad.

I don’t know of anyone more deserving for this Hall of Fame honor.

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– Karl Malone, entrepreneur and retired professional basketball player

The Brookshires host a group of women from BGC’s leadership team at their ranch in West Texas.

2020 Southwest Retailer of the Year and Food Industry Hall of Fame Inductee

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In addition to sons Trent, Wood and Cliff, the Brookshires have four grandchildren. In his free time, Brookshire’s favorite vacation spot is his ranch, which he’s owned for 25 years. It’s a hunting and fishing retreat with a lake by Brownwood, Texas, a short drive from the company’s base in Tyler. He said, “I always say that once I hit the gate in my ranch, my blood pressure goes down.”

For the past few years, Brookshire has adopted a new annual tradition – dressing up at Halloween. It began when he became CEO in 2015.

So far, his repertoire has consisted of Elvis, a member of the band KISS, the Mad Hatter and musician Alice Cooper, whom he dressed up as for a virtual appearance in 2020.

“When I dressed up as Gene Simmons from KISS, we have a professional makeup artist, and people had no idea it was me,” Brookshire said. “She did everything – with a red tongue and around the eyes. People couldn’t believe it was me.

“Just something fun. Once a year, I dress up and scare people. I have to figure out who to be next year.”

‘True leader’ committed to his community, state of Texas

Brad Brookshire has always been a true leader committed to making his community and the state of Texas a better place for all of its citizens. As a member of Gov. Greg Abbott’s Open Texas Strike Force last year, he provided a vision and valuable solutions to achieving the important balance of opening the economy safely for his employees, customers and Texas communities.

I was particularly impressed with his unwavering dedication to all of the Brookshire Grocery Company employees.

– James Huffines, chair of Strike Force to Open Texas

Brad Brookshire dressed as Gene Simmons of KISS for Halloween.

2020 Southwest Retailer of the Year and Food Industry Hall of Fame Inductee

Brookshire ‘reflects the best’ of SMU

Brad Brookshire brings wisdom, innovation and loyalty to everything he does. From continuing a four-generation legacy of leadership in a family-owned business, to serving SMU, the university attended by three generations of Brookshires, Brad is an individual one can count on. His leadership and insight on SMU’s Board of Trustees, the board’s Athletic Committee, Cox School of Business Executive Board and Second Century Campaign play a key role in guiding the university. He reflects the best of SMU.

– R. Gerald Turner, president of Southern Methodist University

He is a man of ‘honesty, integrity’

I first met Brad Brookshire in 1997 when I was with Dean Foods. I went to meet with Brad to talk about the possibility of purchasing the Brookshire Milk Plant, but at the time they had no interest.

After one meeting I knew Brad was a man of honesty, integrity and doing things right. Fortunately, over the years we had short meetings and I was able to stay in touch.

I changed jobs to Hiland Dairy and in 2018, we had the opportunity to purchase Brookshire’s dairy, ice cream and water plant. During that time, I got to know Brad a lot better.

Everything I thought back in 1997 is even more true today. Brad is a great leader, business man, family man and a great friend. The award he is receiving is very deserving for a job well done every day.

– Rick Beaman, VP of Hiland Dairy Foods Co.

2020 Southwest Retailer of the Year and Food Industry Hall of Fame Inductee

Commitment, curation of values constant for company

Faith-forward BGC sells groceries, but is ‘really, truly in the people business’

The Shelby Report of the Southwest has selected Tyler, Texas-based Brookshire Grocery Co. as its 2020 Southwest Retailer of the Year. Founded in 1928, the company operates 183 stores and employs nearly 16,000 people in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas.

by Mary Margaret Stewart / staff writer

After having grown up watching his grandfather and later his father run Brookshire Grocery Co., and then working full-time there for 44 years himself, Brad Brookshire looks to the 93-yearold, family-owned business with great enthusiasm.

“I’m excited about where we’ve been, but I’m more excited about where we’re going,” he said.

“I like seeing our company progress. From a people standpoint, I think our management team is as strong as I’ve ever seen. We’ve got some high-quality

individuals who are very experienced in all areas of our company, from CIO to CFO to our chief people and merchant officers.

Between overseeing the company’s endeavors and managing its board, Brookshire acknowledged there’s “enough to keep me busy.” Still, it’s the future that is what keeps him “charged up.”

He and his son, Trent, the company’s COO, also are quick to note the family credits its success to W.T. Brookshire, his grandfather. His values were unmatched in 1928, when he founded the company, and the ensuing generations haven’t strayed from that.

“We’ve found a way to always stay committed to our values, and really make sure that the things that are important to us are not lost,” said Trent Brookshire. “No matter what the competitive environment looks like, or how the landscape may have changed, we started with a focus on a few

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At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, BGC employee-partners throughout the company voluntarily returned from vacations, worked extended hours and came in on their days off. Demonstrating BGC's core value of "The Team Matters," many from retail support areas worked alongside their retail teammates for weeks to meet unprecedented demand.

2020 Southwest Retailer of the Year and Food Industry Hall of Fame Inductee

things that were important. The remarkable thing is that those ideals continue today.

“Those ideals are the bedrock and foundation upon which we try and succeed, something that’s perpetual and never ending for us is our commitment and our curation of those values.”

W.T. Brookshire’s famous company values include: jump-over-the-counter service excellence; competitive grit; do the right thing; results-driven with a future focus; the team matters; and do your best every day.

And operating as his great-grandfather W.T. Brookshire would – lifted up by values – has made Trent Brookshire’s role at BGC more than a job.

“What I like most about the job is we are a faithforward company that sells groceries, but we’re really, truly in the people business,” he said. “And that includes not only our customers and seeking to create a better place for them to shop, but also our employee-partners and the nearly 16,000 people that we have.

“Being a part of a cultural movement that we’re creating at Brookshire Grocery Co. is the most special part of what I do.”

And Jerry LeClair, EVP and chief merchant for BGC, praised both Brad and Trent Brookshire for not only preaching these values but acting through them.

“The core values of the family started with W.T. Brookshire, and they’ve continued on. Brad and Trent live by those values, day in and day out, which then pushes those values into the organization,” LeClair said.

“It’s not big company rhetoric. It’s actually the real thing that started 93 years ago and continues on.”

‘The thousand things that we do for our customers’

Asked what keeps him up at night, Brad Brookshire didn’t hesitate – competition.

“We’re dealing with Amazon, Walmart, Kroger, H-E-B, Albertsons – we are competing against the biggest retailers and the best retailers in America,” he explained. “We’ve got to up our game, and that’s kind of the challenge for us – to have the programs, the technology, the right stores in the right places, to please customers.

“They don’t let up, and they’re bigger than we are… just keeping this engine going, keeping it rolling.”

But according to LeClair, something that other retailers don’t have is the BGC jump-over-the-counter service.

“Setting Brookshire’s apart in all of the banners is really about customer service. We live and breathe it,” LeClair said. “The store directors understand the customers’ needs. They know them by name, they talk to them and deliver that service on a daily basis.

“We maintain the value for our customers, so it really is a place that you feel at home.”

Added Trent Brookshire, “We think that we’re unrivaled in our service. We’re really trying to create the Chick-fil-A of grocery – where you’re just known for that. And that’s really the journey that we’re on.

“We’re particularly focused on creating an environment where customers leave much happier than when they arrived.”

“My grandfather said, ‘It’s not one thing we do for our customers; it’s the thousand things that we do for our customers.’” Brad Brookshire said. “So we continually need to see what’s the next thing that we should be doing. What’s the right thing?”

BGC has continued to operate with “what’s the right thing?” in mind over the past year. Company execs visited stores to hand out $100 gift cards to customers at random.

“We thought, let’s do something extra special for folks that look like they’ve got a big buggy and might need some help,” Brad Brookshire said.

And as a company exec, LeClair recalled what a great feeling – heartwarming, actually – it was to be with father and son handing out gift cards.

Part of creating a feel-good store environment extends outside of the four walls of Brookshire Grocery stores. It’s the company’s commitment to serve the 153 towns in which it operates.

“We’re a service-based organization, so as a major differentiator, our relationship with our communities and our vendor partners is also something that we know has Please see page 46

Jerry LeClair

2020 Southwest Retailer of the Year and Food Industry Hall of Fame Inductee

served us very well,” Trent Brookshire said.

“We’re trying to create value for our communities, in being a better place to shop but also being heavily involved with things that matter to our communities.

“Just this year, we’ve given over a million dollars to food banks because we know our neighbors and friends are in need. The community involvement is a huge, huge piece. We’re doing things to make where we work better places for the people in those communities. It’s very much a part of our focus.”

‘Well positioned to stay in hot pursuit of that destiny’

Brad Brookshire’s excitement for what’s to come over the next three to five years is filled with visions of improvements to stores through e-commerce and updated store interiors.

“We’ve got the largest remodel of our stores that we’ve ever tried to undertake. We’re not satisfied; we want to make our company better,” he said.

Everything from the décor to the equipment, the merchandising to the floors – and even the front-end of stores with curbside pickup, is on the BGC agenda.

“We’ve come up with a floor…it’s a woodgrain look that’s durable – it’s made in Europe. And it gives our stores kind of an at-home feeling,” he said. “I don’t know how many times I’ve heard from our store folks that the

customers like our floor so much that they want to put it in their own homes.

“We put this woodgrain floor down, so that really makes it look like we’ve done something. And also, when we touch a store, we’re staffing up our curbside. It’s been in the back room, and we’re bringing it up front on the remodels, as well as in 50 other stores that are going to be remodeled.”

His son echoed the importance of putting efforts toward a robust curbside offering, with technology driving the future.

“We’ve made a significant and remarkable investment in the facilities of our curbside. We had curbside, but it was just OK,” Trent Brookshire said. “Then we made the decision to put it front and center and make it very visible and very easy for customers to shop curbside with us.”

Making these infrastructural improvements goes back to offering jump-over-the-counter service – just in a new, technology-focused way.

“We think we have the most customer-friendly, service-based curbside, but we really feel like the personal relationship you have with our shoppers as a customer is something that no one else would ever spend the time or energy to create,” he said. “And we think that it’s a natural extension of how we view service as an organization that our curbside is really world class.

“The good news is, we think that there’s kind of unlimited runway in front of us as an organization to really manifest the potential of this company. The tastes and

demands of customers today change rapidly, but there’s also a fundamental component that, we feel, does get more important.

“We feel that having an exemplary, and frankly wonderful place to buy your groceries, whether it be online or inside the store, will continue to be a bedrock of value to the customer.

“The industry is the same. The big get bigger, but we feel like those that succeed in this industry will be the ones that continue to reinvest in who they are, and what they have, in terms of offerings to the customer.

“We feel like we’re very well positioned to stay in hot pursuit of that destiny. We’re very optimistic about grocery.”

Another part of BGC’s future is focusing on its other banners. Currently, the company is working on its second Fresh store, in a town close to Dallas that’s without a grocery store.

“We’re excited about that. Fresh is 10 years old…but when is our third one? It’s not going to be in 10 years, but definitely sooner,” Brad Brookshire said.

“We haven’t really built very many new stores, but we’re planning on building new stores, or replacement stores – start cranking it up this year. And then, hopefully we’ll build five or six new ones a year in our contiguous market.

“We’re looking at growing. In five years, we’ll be over 200 stores. We think, maybe, 220. We’re looking to grow.”

2020 Southwest Retailer of the Year and Food Industry Hall of Fame Inductee

THE W.T. WAY

COO Trent Brookshire explains Brookshire Grocery Co.’s core values, which were established by his great-grandfather, W.T. Brookshire.

Jump-over-the-counter service excellence

“My-great grandfather was famous for [this]. He would jump over the counter rather than walk around it if a customer needed help – just kind of demonstrating his tenacity and his urgency to make sure that his customers were happy and well-served.”

Do the right thing

“It’s really kind of our proxy for honesty and integrity, making sure that we do the right thing when no one’s watching. We make sure that honesty is a big part of what we do, as is integrity.”

Competitive grit

“Sometime in the 1930s, I believe, his only profitable store burned down. It would have been very easy to give up, and he rebuilt the store and went on to really thrive in the face of adversity, having competitive grit.”

Do your best every day

“We say, do your best every day. You’re expected to have a really high degree of accountability with yourself and those around you. Outcomes matter, and everybody doing their best is what’s required to create the outcomes that we’re looking for.”

The team matters

“It’s really about taking care of our people, bringing respect and honor and frankly, care and concern to all the members of our team – all of our partners, is what we call each other.”

Results-driven with a future focus

“We have an eye on today, but really our focus is for tomorrow. We want to create sustainability. We make decisions that can enhance the short term, but they’re really geared toward the long term, making sure that this company is around for many, many more years.”

2020 Southwest Retailer of the Year and Food Industry Hall of Fame Inductee

BGC, Bossier City reach deal for naming rights of popular venue

Brookshire Grocery Co. and Bossier City, Louisiana, recently announced that the company has purchased the naming rights to the city’s primary entertainment venue, which will become known as the Brookshire Grocery Arena.

The partnership, which runs through 2030, will start with a six-month branding period as the arena undergoes a transition.

The 270,000-square-foot facility is capable of holding up to 14,000 guests. It has played host to concerts, iceskating shows, motor sports events, rodeos, conventions and religious and community gatherings. Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks, the Eagles, Taylor Swift and Lauren Daigle are among the musicians who have performed there.

Since opening in 2000, the venue has become an industry leader among centers its size, consistently ranking among the best in the U.S.

“We are incredibly excited to extend our involvement and dedication to Bossier City and the surrounding community in this whole new way,” said Chairman and CEO Brad Brookshire.

“As it has been for 93 years, our mission is to provide customers with exceptional shopping experiences while also furthering our commitment to and involvement in the communities we serve. We look forward to a long and meaningful partnership with Bossier City to help bring

tourism and revenue to the city.”

Mayor Lo Walker, who made the announcement at a press conference in December, hailed the arrangement.

“The city and our arena management firm, ASM Global, are proud to have the Brookshire Grocery Company as our partner,” Walker said. “Brookshire Grocery Co. has become a major partner in the economy and quality of life in Bossier City and northwest Louisiana.

“They are well known for the quality of their products, service and involvement in the communities they serve. The Brookshire Grocery Arena will continue to grow this partnership and provide outstanding mutually beneficial entertainment in this excellent venue.”

BGC has served the Bossier City and Shreveport communities for 60 years, with 11 stores in the area.

2020 Southwest Retailer of the Year and Food Industry Hall of Fame Inductee

Honors in 2020 include Great Place to Work and Fortune Best Workplaces

In August 2020, BGC earned its certification as a Great Place to Work, the global authority on workplace culture, employee experience and leadership behaviors proven to deliver results and innovation.

“We make the employee experience a priority, and it means a lot that our employees have reported a consistently positive experience with their co-workers, leaders, roles and BGC,” said Brad Brookshire, chairman and CEO. “This is important to us because we know that when employees have a high trust and positive experience with their employer, they provide similarly exceptional experiences for customers.”

Since 1992, Great Place to Work has surveyed more than 100 million employees globally and used those deep insights to define what makes a great workplace.

In addition, the company also earned designation as

a Fortune Best Workplaces in Retail 2020, ranking in the top 15 of the best large retail workplaces.

“It’s important to know that we are not only aligned with our own core values but also excelling in our industry too. It is such an honor to be selected as one of the top 15 best large retail workplaces in the nation,” Brookshire said.

BGC strives to be an employer of choice by offering professional development and comprehensive health benefit plans along with paid time off, stock ownership, a 401K retirement plan, incentives, educational scholarships and an emergency relief fund.

2020 Southwest Retailer of the Year and to Brad Brookshire Food Industry Hall of Fame Inductee

Southwest Retailer of the Year and Food Industry Hall of Fame Inductee

Book traces storied history of company

Proceeds benefit program that aids employees in need

Brookshire Grocery Co. recently published a book, titled “From Cotton Picker to Store Keeper,” that shares its more than 93 years of history.

Told from the perspective of BGC retiree Jim Powell, it details how BGC founder W.T. Brookshire – nicknamed “Cotton Picker” from having picked cotton in his family’s fields through childhood – started the first Brookshire’s store.

Rich with local and Texas history, the BGC story features the personal experiences of company employees and the many innovations in the food industry throughout the decades.

“I am excited to have our story shared with our partners, customers and

communities,” said Brad Brookshire, chairman and CEO. “My grandfather whole-heartedly believed it was his God-given calling to serve others through the grocery business, and this book illustrates our 93-year commitment to carrying on his great legacy.

“Our customers and employee-partners can take great pride in knowing they play an important role in our incredible story that continues to unfold.”

Paperback copies of the book are being sold for $10 each at all Brookshire’s, Super 1 Foods, Spring Market and Fresh by Brookshire’s stores.

All proceeds go to BGC Partners Care Fund, which is a direct grant program managed by United Way of Smith County to help employee-partners facing financial hardship due to a qualifying event.

Scholarship program established through endowment

of $1M Reflects partnership with some 40 colleges in region

Brookshire Grocery Co. recently established the Focus on the Future scholarship program, which is in partnership with more than 40 universities and colleges in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas.

The program will provide tuition assistance to graduate and undergraduate students enrolled in participating institutions starting in fall 2021. Requirements will vary by school, but the program intends to reward recipients based on financial need and leadership.

The more than $1 million donation represents BGC’s dedication to education and giving back to those who aspire to build a better future in the communities it serves.

“We are very excited to launch a lasting program which will help thousands of students achieve their dreams for years to come,” said Brad Brookshire, chairman and CEO. “We support our local communities and value education, which is one of our top philanthropic efforts.

“So many families and individuals have been financially impacted by the COVID19 pandemic. We are proud to be able to help those aspiring toward their dreams,” he said.

Applicants can find a complete list of schools at Brookshires.com/scholarship.

Southwest Retailer of the Year and Food Industry Hall of Fame Inductee

Employees came together, kept winning with customers

Outlook for 2021: ‘There’s a lot of good momentum…we’ve got an amazing team’

by Mary Margaret Stewart / staff writer

Throughout what COO Trent Brookshire called “the good, bad, ugly” of 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the toughest part for Brookshire Grocery Co. was supply –a familiar refrain for grocers across the nation.

“Supply chain issues were and continue to be tough for the industry and tough for us,” he said.

Added his father and CEO Brad Brookshire, “We’re on allocations with a number of vendors, and if we could receive everything that we ordered, there’s no telling what our sales would be. But that’s just been a challenge of getting product. Some companies are doing better with this than others, but it’s frustrating. We’ll order our allocation and get 30 percent of [it].”

Jerry LeClair, the company’s EVP and chief merchant, echoed these sentiments, highlighting products that people a year ago probably couldn’t have guessed would become a hot

commodity.

“I never thought we wouldn’t be able to get yeast,” he said.

Thus, with several products limited or unavailable, BGC has had to adjust, crafting its go-to-market strategy. LeClair said those adjustments are here to stay. Trent Brookshire agreed.

“In the vendor community, it became very evident that if you can’t sell something during a pandemic, then you should probably be rethinking your relationship with that product or that vendor,” he said. “We’ve been forced to rethink a lot of how we were going to market and how we were curating and making decisions on products. The world has changed.

“If you can sell a lot of it, but you can’t get it, that’s part of the problem. If you sell none of it, but you can get it, that’s also a problem. It’s really helped us bring clarity to further put the customers first.

“You can’t afford to sit there and just let it fester, you have to do something about it, so we have.”

Safety ‘always top of mind …it’s just not going away’

Citing a fear of the unknown, Trent Brookshire said it

also has been difficult to navigate employees’ emotions. Yet, BGC’s people definitely were part of “the good” of this past year.

“Our employees really were heroes during this entire endeavor, and that’s been an amazing piece of this – how our employees have responded,” he said.

“They went to work every day. We did everything we could to reward them and give to them. But that’s really been the story of the pandemic for us – how selfless and dedicated [they’ve been] and the strength of character of our employees, and frankly, the employees of many, many of the supermarket industry.

“[Through] ours, we feel like we were able to meet new customers. They came into our stores and have stayed because of our employees and what they’ve done to create a safer environment during COVID – a better place to shop.

“It’s been very important to us that safety is the highest priority during COVID, and our employees have done an absolutely amazing job of supporting that and really demonstrating that to our customers, who responded in kind.”

COVID-19 remains seemingly ever-present, and Brad Brookshire said it’s a challenge for the retail grocery business.

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TO THE 2020 SOUTHWEST RETAILER OF THE YEAR AND TO BRAD BROOKSHIRE, FOOD INDUSTRY HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE FROM YOUR FRIENDS AT

2020 Southwest Retailer of the Year and Food Industry Hall of Fame Inductee

“We’ve got almost 16,000 employees, and you’ve got to quarantine people if they are exposed or contract the virus,” he said. “It’s been a struggle, especially for our retail folks.

“With cleaning, if we do have a COVID exposure, we’ll sanitize the store, and those costs have totaled over $1 million. Those aren’t going away any time soon.

“It’s definitely a challenge for us to make sure that the stores that we operate are safe for our customers and for our employees – that’s always top of mind. But it’s just not going away.”

And his son reiterated that point, saying safety will not be going away for BGC. “Whatever you see today, including masks, will be here for a long time.”

But back to “the good,” there’s much to look forward to this year.

“The fortification of the roots and the essence of who we are as an organization has really come together this year, in spite of the pandemic…our character, we feel, has forged in this pandemic. We’ve really had an amazing year coming together as a team,” Trent Brookshire said.

“We feel like there’s a lot of good momentum…we’ve got an amazing team. We brought in a bunch of people, we’ve elevated a bunch of people, and everybody’s pulling on the rope in the same direction, which is that we’re trying to win with the customers.”

2021 likely to be shaped by efforts of pharmacies

The way Trent Brookshire sees it, the main storyline of 2021 – and certainly through 2020 – is how well Brookshire’s pharmacy teams have performed. In his words, it has been “just absolutely amazing.”

But that’s not just his personal opinion.

“Our pharmacy group has been leading the charge across the state, in terms of the vaccination program. And the story for me for 2021 is really what the pharmacists and pharmacy techs and clerks are doing,” he said.

“They’re the tip of the spear. There’s a lot of angst out there about the vaccine. And it’d be really easy for a pharmacist who’s getting 150 phone calls a day about it to lessen their normally excellent standards on the phone.

“We’ve got people calling from New York saying, I’ve got to get it. I’ve got to get a shot.’

“A friend of my mom from Dallas called 40 of our pharmacies. She then called my mom and said, ‘I called 40 of your pharmacies, and not one person was anything but as nice as you could ever imagine.’ That is just really exceptional.”

Charlotte Weller, BGC’s health services manager, who reports to VP of Pharmacy Neil Ducote, has been one of the people leading the charge. Weller started with the company out of pharmacy school in 1996.

“It’s been a roller coaster, and

that’s really the only way that I can describe it,” she said.

“We’ve had to make lots of changes and adapt to the situation at hand. We’ve been blessed to be able to safely assist our communities.

“We’ve offered COVID testing, we’ve done other vaccines, and now we’re providing the COVID vaccine, as well as continuing our pharmacy services throughout the pandemic.

“We’ve done everything from immediately jumping in to research tests and safety issues, develop procedures for our staff, and make hand sanitizer when it was not available for our pharmacies to use. We made it by the 55-gallon drums. It’s been a whirlwind of a year.”

As the year progressed, according to Weller, Brookshire’s pharmacies saw a shift in over-the-counter items, such as cough and cold as well as preventive care or immunity products. BGC administered a record of nearly 70,000 flu vaccinations in 2020.

And when COVID-19 vaccines started to become available, BGC adapted to handle those.

The company operates grocery stores in three different states – Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas – so that’s created some unprecedented hurdles for its pharmacy offerings.

“The [COVID-19 vaccination] timeline is different for each state…so really, we had to implement a totally different process than we traditionally do for giving vaccines. That includes scheduling appointments…due to social distancing.

“We’ve had to add additional screening steps, such Please see page 62

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Charlotte Weller

& to Brad Brookshire Food Industry Hall of Fame Inductee

2020 Southwest Retailer of the Year and Food Industry Hall of Fame Inductee

as taking your temperature…requiring PPE for not only our customers, but for our pharmacists. If they’re giving vaccines, they not only have to have a mask, but also a face shield.”

Bulk of vaccine education falls to pharmacists, staff

As a vaccine provider, BGC’s pharmacy has been in charge of educating its staff as well as the public.

“We’ve provided webinars, different trainings, various communications,” Weller said. ”It’s pretty much a constant communication because some days things change from day to day.

“We’ve been gathering information from multiple resources at the state and federal level, trying to provide guidance. We distribute the state guidelines, and we try to keep all of our partners and the public up-to-date on who is in what phase in each respective state.

“We also created a patient-facing COVID website that includes frequently asked questions and information on the phases for the three states. We also implemented an online waitlist for the vaccine.”

Part of BGC’s educational efforts in the communities in which it serves extended to Brad Brookshire and his wife, Ann, who recently received the vaccine.

“I think it’s always great to see leaders lead by example, and Brad definitely does that,” Weller said.

“I’m hoping that…especially for our partners, seeing

both Brad and [his wife] get vaccinated, it will encourage them to do the same.”

Amidst the educational efforts by BGC, Weller said patients’ biggest concern remains the limited availability of the vaccination, which is out of the company’s control.

“There’s a lot of people that really want the vaccine and need the vaccine, and they’re just afraid that they’re not going to be able to get on the list to be able to get it. It’s hard for them to understand sometimes the delay in the vaccine delivery,” she said.

“We literally know from week to week what we’re going to get from each of the respective states, so it’s hard to relay that information to patients for them to understand that we really don’t know what we’re going to get, and how long it’s going to be before we can get to their name.”

To put it in perspective, Weller said BGC has 70 stores in Texas, the majority of which received 100 doses. That allocation “doesn’t go very far.”

After recently receiving the second dose allotment for those first 100 patients, the stores don’t know when they will get additional vaccines to provide first doses for new patients.

As Trent Brookshire noted, BGC pharmacies have experienced an overwhelming public response.

“By far the biggest concern for patients is the limited availability,

and they’re very anxious to get the vaccine,” Weller said. “With the limited supply that we did receive, once the state published the list, our phones rang off the hook.”

All of the stores have waiting lists that are hundreds of names deep. In less than a week, the total grew to 30,000 people.

“This is a marathon, not a sprint,” Weller reminds residents. “We’ll be able to provide vaccines and services to those who are interested when it’s available.

“We ask everyone to be patient with healthcare workers because we’re doing everything that we can to take care of our patients. We’re blessed to be able to be part of this initiative to help decrease COVID-19.”

We would like to congratulate the 2020 Southwest Retailer of the Year and Brad Brookshire on being inducted into the Food Industry Hall of Fame.

2020 Southwest Retailer of the Year and Food Industry Hall of Fame Inductee

First grocery store kiosks for Pizza Hut open at Brookshire’s

Brookshire Grocery Co. is the first grocer to offer Pizza Hut grocery store kiosks, with the most recent one introduced at a Super 1 Foods store in Ruston, Louisiana. The kiosks are also open at two Brookshire’s and Super 1 Foods stores in Tyler, Texas.

“We are excited to be the first retail grocer to offer our customers the convenience of fresh, hot Pizza Hut menu items,” said Brad Brookshire, chairman and CEO. “Our company is very proud to partner with Pizza Hut and expand our services in support of our mission to create and deliver exceptional experiences and value to our customers.”

The Pizza Hut kiosks offer a menu with hot items that include personal pizzas, pastas, hot wings, ultimate Hershey’s chocolate chip cookies and parmesan and pretzel bites.

Wichita, Kansas-based Pizza Hut and its franchisees operate some 18,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries.

Big showing for BGC at National Grocers Association’s convention

Outstanding Merchandiser award among the many accolades

Brookshire Grocery Co. was named the overall Outstanding Merchandiser in the grocery industry at the National Grocers Association’s annual meeting in February 2020 in San Diego, California.

The overall award was presented for the Big Grocery Cart, which became a finalist after winning the Community Engagement category in NGA’s Creative Choice Awards.

“Of all the independent retail grocers in the U.S. and hundreds of entries, BGC also won two out of 10 category awards, special recognition and several honorable mentions,” said Trent Brookshire, COO. “I am very proud of our team and congratulate them on their accomplishments.”

Added Laura Strange, VP of communications and external affairs for NGA, “We were really excited to see so many wonderful entries from Brookshire’s.”

She added that there were close to 400 entries and more than 1,000 online votes for the overall merchandiser and marketer awards.

The Big Grocery Cart won the Community Engagement category based on the lasting impression it leaves. At the time, that totaled nearly 1 million impressions at events, in photos, on social media and by news media.

Since January 2019, there had been more than 150 requests for the cart, which has traveled 16,000 miles for community parades, festivals, store grand openings, food drives and other companysponsored events. Due to growing popularity, a second Big Grocery Cart was introduced in 2020.

Taste of Italy won the Seasonal Store Event award for the weeklong event as Fresh by Brookshire’s that took customers around the world for an authentic Italian food and wine experience.

The company flew in chef Roberto Rossi and Andrea Rossi, master sommelier, to prepare and engage customers with Italian food and wine selections and specials, along with invitation-only dining extravaganzas for top shoppers.

The Spirit of Christmas Food Drive was honored with Kellogg’s Fighting Hunger and Feeding Potential recognition based on the campaign’s success in serving people in its communities.

The food drive at Christmas has become a tradition that aims to provide a week’s worth of food to some 18,000 families throughout its marketing areas each year.

BGC also received honorable mention in the following categories: Community Engagement for the Brookshire’s + Super 1 Foods Heroes Run; Local, Specialty or Emerging Products for Brookshire’s Local Fest; and Fresh Department for Fresh by Brookshire’s Dry Aged Beef program.

Accepting awards for BGC during NGA’s annual meeting in 2020 were, from left: COO Trent Brookshire; Jennifer Dugie, director of brands and advertising; Ashleigh Endicott, FRESH and events supervisor; and Weston Gorman, CM-centric coordinator.

The Big Cart