Brookshire Grocery Co. recognized for diversity, equity & inclusion achievements

Brookshire Grocery Co. was a recipient of Shelby Publishing’s inaugural Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award in 2021 and has been honored again in 2022.

Two BGC leaders, Latasha Woodard, district VP – District 5, and Rubi Gonzalez, diversity, equity and inclusion manager, were also featured as 2022 Diversity and Inclusion Award winners in the June edition of The Shelby Report of the Southwest. BGC prioritizes DE&I and continues to make advancements through a multi-year strategic plan.

Brookshire Grocery Co. is proud to be certified by Great Place to Work for the third year in a row. The honor is based entirely on what current employees say about their experience working at BGC. In June, BGC was one of 25 large companies featured on the 2022 Fortune Best Workplaces in Texas list. BGC was one of only 15 large companies featured on the 2020 Fortune Best Workplaces in Retial list.

The company has made year-over-year improvements in DE&I policies and practices, pay scales, education and development opportunities, as well as in practices to honor diverse holidays and celebrations. These and other DE&I initiatives are incorporated as BGC expands into new trade areas and assimilates new employees and communities.

Since January, the company has onboarded 2,000 employees from its new Reasor’s banner of 17 stores in Tulsa and northeastern Oklahoma, as well as teams for the new Super 1 Foods store in Jacksonville, Texas, new FRESH by Brookshire’s store in Fate, Texas, and new Spring Market store in Blanchard, Louisiana.

Examples of BGC’s DE&I advancements this year include:

• Increased leadership diversity at the retail store, district and regional levels and on its board of directors.

• Expanded DE&I Council, established in 2020.

• Updated definition of BGC’s core values to incorporate DE&I.

• Promotion of Rubi Gonzalez to DE&I manager, bringing a broad perspective from her diverse career path and experience in human resources, marketing, banking, logistics and supply chain.

• Expanded retail organizational model introduced in 2021 to increase opportunities and attract diverse candidates through nontraditional leadership roles and career paths. First introduced in Brookshire’s stores, the model is now rolling out to Super 1 Foods stores.

• Re-evaluated pay scales and investments in skilled wage positions, established apprentice programs and various pay initiatives including weekend differentiation and premium pay.

• Featuring employees and leaders in videos, articles and social media posts that acknowledge and honor diverse holidays and month-long observances, including Celebrate Diversity Month, Juneteenth, Asian-American and Pacific Islander Month, National Hispanic Heritage Month, Black History Month, and Women’s History Month. Increased employee discounts were given in conjunction with several national holidays, including Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

• $1.2 million investment in making Memorial Day a new paid holiday, providing the opportunity for paid time off to acknowledge the many diverse men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to this nation. These initiatives and more are contributing to an inclusive culture at BGC.