October 29th – Kroger Central Division leaders will celebrate the grand re-opening of the Kendallville, Indiana store on Thursday, October 29, 2015 at 8:30 AM.
The total economic investment in this store is $4.2 million. Kroger’s project was led by Project Manager Reggie Henderson and store manager Renee Desenberg. This investment strengthens Kroger’s economic and workforce commitment to the local Kendallville community and will create additional jobs.
At a time when many companies, particularly retail companies, have slowed or stopped their investments in facilities and job creation in Indiana, Kroger Central Division has accelerated their pace of investment.
Kroger Quote:
According to President of Kroger Central Division Jeff Burt, “The grocery, pharmacy and fuel markets are very competitive in Indiana, but also very important for The Kroger Co. Our solid success in the marketplace allows us to make significant economic and work force investments in our Indiana stores. Our investment in Kendallville is a strong vote of confidence and will allow us to continue providing quality products, competitive prices and outstanding customer service, while being a supportive community partner, I also am pleased to honor the longest-serving associate in this store, Barb Kunberger, who has worked for Kroger since July, 1981 (34 years).”
Store Features:
Kroger has given this 51,000 square foot store a major face lift, changing the décor and improving the overall feeling of the store.
Some of the new features include:
· A drive thru Pharmacy
· New chicken and sandwich service case
· New Sushi destination & Hot and Cold Foods to go
In Produce Kroger added a full service floral department and:
· Upgraded the Wine department
· All new shopping carts along with new covered cart corrals
· New bathrooms by seating area
· And reset the Grocery Department adding many new items
Leadership Team:
q Co-managers: Brent Harrold, Seth Morgan and Rita Thompson
q Meat/Seafood: Jamie Wyatt
q Grocery: Candi Hamilton
q Frozen: Jeff Miller
q Food Service Manager: Amanda Preston
q Deli/Bakery: Cheryl Vincent- bakery
q Produce: Heather Johnson
q Floral: Sharon King
q Front End: Chris Coe
q Drug & General Merchandise: Karla Mantle
q Pharmacy: Matt Grossman
q Technology: Trina Gadson
q Fuel: Dawn Collins
q Community Ambassador: Karla Mantle
q Administrative Manager: Debra Oakes
q Cultural Council Leader: Anastasia Griffith
q Dairy: Kendra Ramey
As part of the grand opening event, Kroger is donating $2,000, including: $500 to Noble House Ministries Inc., $500 to the Humane Society of Noble County, Inc., $500 to Friendship Food Pantry and $500 Avilla Elementary School.
The Kroger Co. has been serving local communities for 132 years. The Kroger Central Division has 136 food stores, 115 pharmacies and 92 fuel centers operating under three banners; Kroger, Owen’s and Pay Less, with locations primarily in Indiana and Illinois, in addition to three stores in Missouri, one in Michigan and one in Ohio. Kroger Central Division is dedicated to supporting every local community it serves, contributing more than $13.5 million in 2014 to local organizations, primarily focusing on hunger relief, K-12 education, health causes and diversity. The Kroger Co. was once again named the most generous company in America in a Chronicle of Philanthropy listing detailed in Forbes Magazine. At Kroger we value: honesty, respect, inclusion, diversity, safety and integrity.
