2021 Retailer of the Year Philosophy of giving back seen in every store

Coborn’s Inc. lives by the mantra of “Be the Best,” however that goes much farther than having competitive prices and diverse products on the shelves.

“If you do well as a business, you should share it with those who have made you successful,” said the late Dan Coborn, a third-generation leader of the company, in its history book “Behind the Store Shelves.”

Doing good is a part of doing business at Coborn’s and has led to a series of projects and programs focused on giving back. It’s a part of what Dan called the Coborn’s Golden Rule, to “treat all with dignity and respect.” It’s a rule his father, Duke Coborn, passed on to him.

The company annually donates more than $2.5 million and thousands of volunteer hours toward making a difference in the communities it serves. Being a servant is something that carried on from the beginnings of Coborn’s.

In the 1900s, Dan’s grandfather, Chester A. Coborn, demonstrated his civic service and involvement in local humanitarian aid efforts. He became the mayor of Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, in 1921, the same year he opened the first Coborn’s store. And he always did what he could to help the people of his community, which included extending credit beyond the norm to those in need.

Dan carried on his family’s legacy, serving on the Sauk Rapids School Board for many years. “He went on to take on various leadership roles and is credited for driving some significant changes in his local community,” the book reads.

Current President and CEO Chris Coborn has followed his father’s lead, joining the board of nearby St. Cloud Hospital in 2009. With his involvement, the hospital completed its largest capital expansion. This $225-million addition transformed the hospital, creating private rooms, doubling surgical suites and adding new high-risk pregnancy and intensive care services.

Coborn’s generosity and commitment to philanthropy became most visible through its active involvement in United Way. Dan and Mabel Coborn became charter members of the Central Minnesota Chapter of United Way in 1967. Since then, the company has an organized a workplace program focused on encouraging every employee to donate to the cause.

Coborn’s became a pacesetter for United Way of Central Minnesota in the early 1980s, always focused on raising the bar. In 1984, 83 percent of the company’s 512 employees, including part-time cashiers and baggers, helped raised $22,400 for the local United Way. Employee participation at some stores was 100 percent. The following year, 92 percent of all employees helped raise more than $26,600. As the company has grown, so has its campaign efforts.

Coborn’s now consistently provides more than $250,000 annually to local United Ways. The company and its employees raised some $362,000 in 2012, according to the history book.

Throughout the community, Coborn’s has been a strong supporter of Catholic Charities, Boys & Girls Club, Big Brothers Big Sisters, the YMCA, March of Dimes, American Heart Association Annual Heart Walk and American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.

The company also has made college scholarships among its regular giving areas, donating more than $25,000 to students in the communities it served in 2012. That follows other significant gifts, including a $1 million gift to the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University in 2004.

Through the Bill and Joyce Coborn Memorial Scholarship Fund at the Central Minnesota Community Foundation, Coborn’s provides scholarships to its employees and their dependents in the pursuit of private high school or postsecondary education. The fund awards 10 $1,000 scholarships annually.

The generosity doesn’t stop there. Coborn’s gave a landmark gift to CentraCare Health System, allowing the organization to move medical and radiation oncology services from St. Cloud Hospital and CentraCare Clinic in 2001 and build a customized cancer center at CentraCare Health Plaza in north St. Cloud.

The establishment of the Coborn Cancer Center has led to dramatic growth and expansion of cancer care services in Central Minnesota.

“Coborn’s contributions are life-changing for the estimated 22,000 cancer survivors and for the more than 1,400 new cancer patients that the Coborn Cancer Center will see each year in its regional market,” said Mark Larkin, executive director of the CentraCare Health Foundation in the history book.

Chris Coborn added that, “The Coborn Cancer Center provides comprehensive, multidisciplinary care and an extensive range of treatments right here in Central Minnesota so that cancer patients and their families can stay close to home while receiving treatment. That proximity to home is invaluable.”

The company’s fundraising support includes events such as the annual Grocers on the Green golf tournament, co-sponsored with one of Coborn’s vendor partners, Kemps. The annual event consistently raises six figures and has supported pediatric cancer support efforts at the Coborn Cancer Center.

“The $1.1 million raised in the event’s first decade allows children and their families to stay close to home while receiving treatment and helps fund professional child-life specialists, who work with pediatric patients and their families,” according to the history book.

Based in hockey-mad Minnesota, Coborn’s is generous in other areas as well. Through the years, the family has provided landmark support for key programs and projects, including a $1.5 million gift to St. Cloud State University for the expansion of the National Hockey & Event Center.

While not his alma mater, Chris recognized the facility’s important place in the community and the opportunity to turn the well-regarded hockey center into a entertainment venue.

The company and its employee-owners always look for opportunities to make giving a part of doing business. This also applies to fighting against food waste. Coborn’s partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank and local food shelves is just one example of that.

The company’s stores have provided millions of pounds of food to Second Harvest Heartland local food shelf affiliates, which deliver millions of meals to families in need. This includes food that may not meet appearance standards or is close-dated.

The Coborns’ drive to give even spans into those that were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. On September 20, 2011, just about a week after the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Coborn’s honored World War II veterans from Central Minnesota by taking 100 of them as guests on an Honor Flight to Washington, D.C.

“The philosophy of giving back that has become engrained in the company’s culture is seen in every store the company operates,” according to the history book. “Store management teams are encouraged to be active in service organizations in their communities. Each store’s and the company’s participation rates are measured and reported annually each year.

“Although this philosophy is company endorsed, it has a grassroots feel. It is almost infectious with individuals looking for their own ways to give back and being recognized in their own communities for their creativity, leadership and impact.”

Behind the scenes: Support Pharmacy

Coborn’s Support Pharmacy has become a vital platform for the company’s Minnesota pharmacy locations.

When the company’s Sauk Rapids store was remodeled in 2019, a robust automated prescription dispensing system was added in space created in the store’s backroom to house this modern-day marvel of technology,” according to the company’s history book, “Behind the Store Shelves.”

About 35 percent of all of the company’s prescription dispensing is handled through this single facility.

According to the book, “Currently running at 98 percent efficiency, the CSP is almost at maximum capacity for daily volume but designed for expansion. Additional equipment can be added to increase capacity, which ensures labor and inventory cost savings now and in the future. Since the opening of the CSP in June 2019, the operation has grown to fill roughly 17,000 prescriptions every week.”

To remain competitive in the industry, the company invested in a centralized dispensing system to reduce the overall cost to serve and provide the best possible guest experience to every customer filling a prescription at one of our pharmacies.

Additionally, the facility provides a framework upon which the company can expand central services to fill more prescriptions.

At a glance: Acquisition of Hornbacher’s stores

In late 2018, Coborn’s Inc. acquired Hornbacher’s from Supervalu, expanding the company’s footprint in the growing markets of Fargo, North Dakota, and Moorhead, Minnesota.

The Hornbacher’s stores run relatively independent of the rest of the company’s other 51 grocery stores and have a separate leadership team.

Matt Leiseth serves as president of the Hornbacher’s division and also serves as a VP of Coborn’s Western Region, overseeing all of the company’s Cash Wise stores in North Dakota.

Hornbacher’s success over the past 70 years is the direct result of loyal, dedicated and hard-working employees. The chain employs more than 1,200 in their eight stores.

At the time of the acquisition, Coborn’s Chairman, President and CEO Chris Coborn stated: “We saw this as an opportunity to further invest in the thriving Fargo-Moorhead area with Supervalu exiting the retail business. Hornbacher’s is a highly respected grocery retailer, they’re doing everything right. We intend to let them continue operating as-is so there is no change to their guest experience.” That commitment continues today.

Added Leiseth, “We went from Wall Street to Main Street when Coborn’s acquired the Hornbacher’s stores. Our values align in supporting our team along with a strong commitment serving our local communities. We have continued to grow and thrive and appreciate the commitment to excellence we have under Coborn’s Inc.’s ownership.”