Houchens Food Group

Students from Professor Kara Williams Glenn, MFA's Package Design class at Western Kentucky University collaborated with Houchens Food Group on inspiration for a project, including creative development, marketing research, and branding strategy. The class could choose to either rebrand our Kettle Co. Popcorn brand or develop a new concept for a regional BBQ sauce and seasoning brand. This week, each student delivered a pitch presentation of their package design to representatives from our marketing department, Shannon Clark, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications, and Kyle Wilson, Grocery Marketing Manager, who provided feedback on their hard work. Through this collaboration, these students gained real-world experience working for a client, and the insights from our marketing team will continue to inform their approach in future projects.

We recently held our inaugural Red Vest Celebration, a day for all our Ace Hardware store managers to come in for training, hands-on demonstrations, recognition, and camaraderie. Our managers spent the day with our vendors from Milwaukee, Benjamin Moore, Traeger, DAP, EA Langenfeld, E-Cloth, Lutron, and Sika to learn about new products and share valuable insights about driving sales and serving our customers. In the evening, a group dinner was held in which we recognized our regional Store Managers of the Year, and rounded out the night with a showcase of talent for Ace’s Got Talent. Special congratulations to our Store Managers of the Year: ·     Kandist Clemons; Leitchfield, KY ·     Ron DeCola; Grove City, PA ·     Cathy Sand; Lafayette, TN Thank you to those who attended and supported these exceptional leaders as we continue to celebrate the essential work of our store managers.

Our Store Manager Appreciation Awards continue to highlight the hard work and outstanding contributions of our excellent store managers. This month, we celebrated and recognized our QSR store managers. During the celebration, we heard from our president, Greg Rush, and Stephen D. Black, author of The 5 Rules, as well as our COO, Brian Shillinglaw. We were also honored to welcome Terry Curtis Daniels, PhD, who gave an insightful speech about the power of recognition. Throughout the event, we recognized each of our store managers for their outstanding work in their communities and gave out some well-deserved awards. A special congratulations to Shaun Baham, who was named Manager of the Year for Slim Chickens, and Jennifer Franklin, who was named Manager of the Year for Sonic! As we continue to celebrate the important work of our store managers, we extend our gratitude to everyone who attends and supports these outstanding leaders.

Proudly supporting our communities is part of our mission, and we were honored to sponsor the 8th Annual Houchens Food Group Thanksgiving Day Turkey Drop with Stuff the Bus of Southern Kentucky. In partnership with WBKO News, Logan Aluminum, The Mint Gaming Hall, Wendy's of Bowling Green, Inc., Farmers Bank - Bowling Green, TRI COUNTY AUTO AND OIL LLC, Red Elephant, and Santa's Helping Hands INC., we were able to provide a warm Thanksgiving meal for 1,000 families across Warren, Allen, Butler, Barren, Edmonson, Simpson, & Logan counties.

We are thankful for all of our customers, vendors, and employee-owners—not just today, but every day. We wish you and your family a Thanksgiving full of gratitude, love, and joy!

We’re hiring at Houchens Food Group! As an employee-owned company, we live by our mission every day: proudly empowering employee-owners, serving customers, and supporting communities! Meaning when you join us, you aren’t just taking a job. You are taking ownership in a company built on service, teamwork, and community impact. Hear from one of our employee-owners about their part in our story, and check out our career opportunities today! Don’t just take a job, own your future! See our open positions: https://bit.ly/4h9PUbV

Our Store Manager Appreciation Awards continue to shine a spotlight on the dedication, leadership, and community impact of our store managers. Recently, we had the pleasure of celebrating in the Louisville, KY area, gathering store managers from locations throughout the region. We were honored to share time with HFG President, Greg Rush as he spoke about our mission and a message from The 5 Rules author Stephen D. Black. We also welcomed Kimberly Jackson, Director of Center Store at AWG Nashville, who joined us in person to share her career journey and valuable insights from the grocery industry. Throughout the event, we recognized each of our store managers for their outstanding efforts in their communities and presented a number of well-deserved awards. A special congratulations goes to our Louisville-area Store Manager of the Year, Jessica Chism, representing our Radcliff, KY store with excellence. As we pause to honor our store managers, we’re grateful for everyone who helps celebrate the leaders who keep our stores and communities thriving.

We're excited to announce the addition of eight Ace Hardware locations in northern Indiana to our HFG family. We recently acquired Kabelin Ace Hardware, a respected family-owned retailer serving the northern Indiana communities for over 100 years! This acquisition expands our Ace Hardware business into a new state and strengthens our partnership with Ace Hardware as an important and growing part of the Houchens portfolio. The Kabelin team brings a long-standing reputation for customer service, quality, and community values that align perfectly with our mission and the culture we’re building together. Ace Kabelin Locations include: 727 W Michigan St. New Carlisle, Indiana  2309 E Michigan St. Michigan, Indiana 432 St. John Rd. Michigan, Indiana 410 Indiana St. Walkerton, Indiana 12820 Adams Rd. Granger, Indiana 52295 In-933 South Bend, Indiana 605 E Lincolnway La Porte, Indiana 512 Andrew Ave. La Porte, Indiana Read more about it here: https://bit.ly/3K0jFQq

Today, we stop to thank the brave men and women who have served our country. Their dedication to service and community reflects the values that guide us each day at Houchens Food Group. We are grateful for your courage and sacrifice.

Today, we proudly celebrated the Grand Re-Opening of our hometown Price Less IGA. Over the past several months, this location has undergone a complete transformation—inside and out—and we couldn’t be more proud of our teams who worked tirelessly to bring this vision to life. The celebration began early, as our loyal customers lined up to be among the first 100 to receive a complimentary bag of groceries. Throughout the morning, shoppers enjoyed product tastings from our deli-bakery and fresh meat departments, giveaways from our valued vendor partners, and a special appearance by Big Red from Western Kentucky University, who helped make the day even more memorable. As part of our ongoing commitment to proudly supporting our community, we were honored to present donations to St. Teresa’s, SOKY Patriots, and the Warren East High School Band, who opened the event with a performance of the National Anthem. We’re thrilled to unveil the refreshed look of our local store and to continue proudly serving our customers—our neighbors—with the same dedication to quality, value, and hometown service that defines the Price Less IGA experience. A heartfelt thank you to our outstanding vendor partners, dedicated community members, and all our incredible HFG employee-owners for their hard work and passion in bringing this fantastic store to life. #pricelessiga #houchenshappenings #communitysupport #employeeowners #freshandlocal #teamwork