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.

Allen’s Foods

Allen’s Foods in Bella Vista, Arkansas, has Steve Morrow as a leader and he still bags grocers (his motto). Steve has been with Allen’s for more than 20 years. He loves his time with his customers every day.

He joins staff members to sing happy birthday to customers and displays stellar report cards of top students. Anniversaries have been known to be announced over the intercom.

Morrow’s son, Justin, works alongside him. They outwork the big chains by trying to be a little better than the day before – every day. Tom Allen is the owner. He also owns Carter’s Foods in Oklahoma.

Brookshire Grocery Co.

Brookshire Grocery Company is a special place, owned and led by the Brookshire family since 1928. BGC strives to deliver a higher level of service to make a difference in the lives of customers, employee-partners and the 165 communities it serves.

BGC grew from 185 to 205 stores in 2022, adding 17 Reasor’s stores in Oklahoma, new FRESH by Brookshire’s and Super 1 Foods stores in Texas and a new Spring Market in Louisiana. Two new Brookshire’s stores soon will open in Louisiana. BGC remodeled 39 stores last year and has more under way and planned.

The company made significant investments in technology in 2022, with more to come for point of sale, selfcheckout, fuel dispensers, digital platforms and curbside, as well as IT infrastructure, network and security upgrades. BGC also invested in IT talent and compensation, including expanding to a hybrid/remote work model.

BGC partners with employees, customers, suppliers and communities to assist more than 100 nonprofits annually in support of hunger relief, education, family health and well-being, military heroes and first responders.

The company has raised about $10 million through its benefit golf tournament and FRESH 15 race in Tyler and Heroes Run in Bossier City, Louisiana. During the COVID19 pandemic, the company gave more than $1 million to food banks and $1 million in endowments for perpetual scholarships at 44 colleges and universities.

After tornadoes in East Texas and Louisiana in 2022, BGC deployed its Community Kitchen and provided thousands of free hot meals to residents. After water main breaks, the company sent truckloads of free ice and water for storm victims and communities.

The company invests heavily in its people and has created new roles and paths for career advancement. In 2022, BGC improved incentive metrics and expanded eligibility, conducted Leadership Academies and introduced new apprenticeship programs.

BGC continues to advance diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives through a multi-year DE&I strategic plan. The company was recognized by Newsweek as one of

America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity 2023 and received The Shelby Report’s DE&I Award in 2021 and 2022.

The company’s Employee Emergency Fund expanded its reach in 2022, providing $153,000 in assistance for 81 partners compared to $50,000 for 30 employees in 2021.

BGC has been certified as a Great Place to Work for the third consecutive year and was one of 25 large companies on the 2022 Fortune Best Workplaces in Texas list.

Clark’s Market

Tom Clark sold and mortgaged everything he had to move to Aspen, Colorado, taking a chance on a piece of land on Mill Street. He opened this first store in 1978 after his honeymoon to Aspen, which he fell in love with and believed needed a good grocery store.

With his industry experience working for Safeway and with his father marketing for many national brands at Rocky Mountain Marketing Services in Denver, Clark's interest in the industry grew.

He owns six locations today, five in Colorado and one in Arizona. Each store has its own personality. They are conventional stores with competitive pricing for customers to stretch their dollars, and also have gourmet, natural and organic products.

Crumps Food Center

Crumps was one of those stores that for years barely paid its bills. A few years back, it did three things that have helped increase store sales by 2.5 times. The company embraced fresh, with a focus on meat and started using Facebook for targeted marketing/advertising (26,000 followers). It also added a digital marketing loyalty program that now has some 10,000 users.

The owner, Chris Spencer, has literally turned his 16,000-square-foot store in a small town into the destination for fresh meat in northeast Texas. He pulls customers across 75 miles with a meat sale, which is literally an everyday event. With his Facebook presence, he takes advantage of spot buys that drive tonnage and dollars.

Spencer has replaced nearly all of the equipment in the store over the last five years. The only thing left to do is electronic shelf tags, which he is getting bids on now. He plows all his profits back into the store. He has done an amazing job and rightfully deserves this recognition.

Doc’s Country Market

Jim Brown has been running Doc’s Country Mart in Bixby – and many other stores in communities across Oklahoma – since 1946. Founded by Roy “Doc” and Betty Brown, the company was named Retailer of the Month by Made in Oklahoma in early 2021.

The Brown’s son, Courtney, has been groomed to take over the stores. They have reasonable prices and excellent staff service. They offer a great selection of wines and variety of brands in the grocery department. The Country Mart Rewards program has been a hit with customers.

Over the years at NGA, the company has received consistent awards for creative merchandising and other aspects of its stores.

Edwards Food Giant

“Where we still carry out your groceries.” Edwards Food Giant understands that being in the grocery business is really about being in the people business. Across all 13 stores, the company prioritizes employees and community above all else. In order for business to grow and prosper, it believes the communities in which it operates must also grow and prosper.

The Edwards Food Giant team strives to be good corporate and community citizens through involvement in activities such as youth sports, charities, civic clubs and local development.

The leaders of the company serve on boards and committees at the local and state levels, including the executive council and legislative affairs committee of the National Grocers Association.

For the third year in a row, Edwards Food Giant served as the official sponsor and drop-off center for the Spirit of Arkansas Diaper Drive, which collected more than 55,000 packages of diapers in 2022. The company also has been known to sponsor local donations, including disaster relief missions, school functions and the local backpack program for kids from the Arkansas Food Bank.

Moreover, the company recognizes its hardworking team members, who serve guests and prioritize the treatment of them. From boosting holiday pay to developing internal candidates for advancement and promoting from within, the leaders are dedicated to their teams.

In 2021, the company was presented with the Lou Fox Community Service Award by Associated Wholesale Grocers, in recognition of outstanding leadership and dedication to the community.

The Edwards Food Giant team is a group of first-class operators who use technology to better serve their customers and continue to provide them with a top-tier store experience.

Food Town

In 1994, Ross Lewis started his own chain of Lewis Food Town stores in Houston. He began his career in the grocery industry with Kroger and its manager training program and later served as president of Food City and then Food Town (where his dream to own his own grocery chain) began.

He hired six other Houston grocery alum to create this robust new chain. He purchased three Gerland’s stores in the Houston market. The stores were pared down to carry only the bare minimum, featuring no service departments and limited non-grocery items.

He incorporated the maroon and white color scheme of his college alma mater, Texas A&M, into the newly remodeled Gerland’s. Lewis then went on to acquire Auchan, a vacated French Hypermart, Food Fair and former Albertsons locations. He worked with Grocers Supply Co., crediting it and Gerland’s for his success. Lewis retired and turned the business over to his son, Mike. Sadly, Lewis passed away in 2020. With 33 stores, Food Town is a vital link in preventing parts of Houston from becoming a food desert.

G.E. Foodland

G.E. Foodland is one of the best run independent grocer accounts in the Dallas/ Fort Worth region, with nine stores covering the metroplex. It was one of the first to embrace the power of digital advertising, as well as social media, allowing for its stores and the products featured in them to connect with the consumers in various ways.

G.E. Foodland and Scott Baxter run a wide range of events, promotions and contests to engage customers and the featured food/beverage brands on a weekly basis. The weekly ad is clean and easy to navigate for all parties involved. The stores resemble and feature a neighborhood, local quality atmosphere for consumers and also provide a complete assortment of offerings that every super big retailer has.

Nobody handled the COVID-19 supply chain hardships better than these stores, which allowed for more growth and new customers to find products that were difficult to locate. Year after year, G.E. Foodland continues to innovate and grow in unique ways.

Harps

Harps is the largest employee-owned company in Arkansas and the 16th largest in the United States. Harps has 135 stores in four states – Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas. It has more than 6,900 employees. In 2022, Newsweek ranked Harps the third best supermarket retailer in the nation based on a consumer poll.

Harps is based in Springdale, Arkansas. Shelby Publishing has previously recognized and honored the company as its Retailer of the Year for the Southwest. Between 2020-22, Harps grew by 43 percent. It is led by Kim Eskew, chairman and CEO, and J. Max VanHoose, president. Harps recently acquired The Markets, an independent grocery retailer with seven locations across Louisiana and southwestern Mississippi.

Kaune’s

Kaune’s provides a unique grocery shopping experience in that its products are more curated than simply selected. Shoppers can find everyday staple items at the store in Santa Fe, New Mexico, but it also provides so much more to delight their tastebuds and bring out their inner chefs.

Kaune’s has the most delectable, handcrafted chocolates, freshly baked breads and easy-to-prepare meals for those time-crunched families. Established in 1896, the company has been providing nourishing, indulging products to help families celebrate each and every day since.

It specializes in quality, service and hard-to-find grocery items. Cheryl Sommers has elevated Kaune’s into a comfortable and upscale boutique market for foodies and non-foodies alike.

Lawrence Brothers

For Lawrence Bros, it’s all about being a local community connection. The company places its value in teammates, customers and the ability to be a one-stop shop.

The Lawrence Bros team works hard each day to continue to earn the trust and business of communities. With years of expertise and experience, the company is proud of the team it has assembled to serve customers and create a memorable experience.

The leadership team at Lawrence Bros works hard to provide employees competitive wages and benefit compensation. It appreciates customers for embracing what makes its stores different from larger, national competitors – high quality foods, friendly service and great prices.

Aside from a deep team commitment, Lawrence Brothers is also an active member in its communities, participating in local chambers of commerce, as well as clubs and organizations. Stores often serve as donation drop-off spots.

Lawrence Brothers operates 10 stores in small, rural towns across Texas. Its presence in these small towns protects these communities from becoming food deserts and provides quality foods and convenience to residents. The company also has embraced technology as a natural progress and recognizes its importance in taking care of customers.