KVAT Food City

Infobox_Company
company_name = Food City
company_
company_type = Grocery Store
company_slogan = The Food Experts
foundation = 1955
location = Abingdon, Virginia
industry = Retail
products = Dairy, deli, frozen foods, grocery, meat, produce, snacks, floral, fuel, video, pharmacy
homepage = [http://www.foodcity.com/ www.foodcity.com]

Food City is a U.S. supermarket chain with stores located in Eastern Kentucky, Southwest Virginia, and East Tennessee. It offers the house labels "Food Club," "Top Crest," "ValuTime," "Food City Fresh," "Food City Premium," "Full Circle," "Domestix," "Electrix," "Academix," "Pet Club," and "World Class." Food City is also the exclusive distributor of regional favorites such as "Kay's Ice Cream", "Terry's Snacks", "Kerns Bread" and "Lay's Meats" [ [http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/jun/05/food-city-adds-another-iconic-brand/ Food City adds another iconic brand] , Knoxnews.com accessed on June 5, 2008]

It is owned by K-VA-T Food Stores, a privately held family and employee-owned (only 16% via Employee Stock Ownership Program) corporation headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia. K-VA-T Food Stores also owns Mid-Mountain Foods, a distribution center K-VA-T helped form in 1974 and acquired full control of in 1998, Misty Mountain Spring Water, LLC, a producer of bottled water, as well as limited-assortment grocery stores named Super Dollar Discount Foods.

History

K-VA-T Food Stores traces its history to 1955, when company founder Jack Smith opened his first convert|8800|sqft|m2|sing=on Piggly Wiggly store in Grundy, Virginia with the help of three special stockholders: his father, Curtis Smith, uncle, Earl Smith and cousin, Ernest Smith.

In 1963, Smith added a second store in South Williamson, Kentucky, followed by a newly constructed third location in Pikeville, Kentucky in 1965, and a store in Prestonsburg, Kentucky in 1967.

The company continued to grow steadily until 1984 when they acquired Quality Foods, a 19-store chain (founded in 1918), that operated under the Food City name. The Smith's adopted Food City as the new nameplate, along with its heritage, for all of their stores going forward.

In 1989, Food City purchased the 43-store White Stores chain based out of Knoxville, TN, more than doubling the size of the company.

In 1998, Food City acquired the 11-store Kennedy Piggly Wiggly chain as well as full control of Mid-Mountain Foods, the current K-VA-T distribution center. The following year, Winn-Dixie pulled out of the Knoxville market and sold their seven stores to Food City. In February 2006, Food City announced the purchase of eight Bi-Lo locations in Knoxville, Maryville, and Oak Ridge, Tennessee. [ [http://www.foodcity.com/companynews.php?id=1056&page=2 Food City Announces Plans to Acquire Knoxville Area BI-LO Supermarkets] , press release dated February 17, 2006]

K-VA-T celebrated its 50th anniversary November 17 2005 by opening a convert|46500|sqft|m2|sing=on store in Vansant, Virginia, just outside of Grundy.

The largest Food City ever opened on November 14 2007 in Kingsport, Tennessee. The store is convert|55000|sqft|m2 and convert|8000|sqft|m2 on the 2nd floor.

Community Involvement

Due to their charitable activities and strong ties to their local economies, Food City received Supermarket News's Community Service Award for 2008. [ [http://subscribers.supermarketnews.com/retail_financial/role_model/wall.html Role Model] , Supermarket News accessed on March 8, 2008]

Appalachia Santa Train

In 1992, Food City began working with the Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce and CSX Transportation to solicit donations of toys, candy, clothes and money for the Appalachia Santa Train, a convert|110|mi|km|sing=on trip through the Appalachian Mountains via train that distributes over 15 tons of gifts to children. Food City’s involvement has grown to the point that at least 50 employees work on the project each year. [ [http://www.news-expressky.com/articles/2005/11/20/top_story/01claus.txt http://www.news-expressky.com/articles/2005/11/20/top_story/01claus.txt] , Appalachian News Express dated November 20, 2005]

Apples For The Students

In 1990, Food City began their Apples for the Students program. From its inception until 2007, the program allowed students to collect specially marked Food City register receipts in exchange for computers, software, sporting goods, calculators, teaching tools, audio/visual and other educational materials for their schools. As of 2007 the program is completely electronic, allowing customers to link their Food City ValuCard to the particular school they wish to donate to. This advancement also allows schools to check totals online.

Since the programs inception, Food City has donated a total of $10,081,779 in educational equipment to over 700 area schools that participated in the program. [ [http://www.foodcity.com/apples.php?action=news Food City Set to Kick-Off New Electronic Apples for the Students Program] , press release dated September 3, 2007]

Locally Grown Produce

Food City purchases a great deal of their produce within their trade area, providing additional support to the regions in which they operate. In 2006, Food City purchased in excess of $5,000,000 in locally grown produce from a number of local farms, including those in Grainger, Blount, Hawkins, Unicoi, Jefferson and Sullivan counties in Tennessee; Scott and Carroll counties and through Appalachian Harvest co-op for locally grown organics from the growers in Scott County, Virginia. [ [http://www.foodcity.com/companynews.php?id=1255&page=1 Food City Features Locally Grown Produce] , press release dated June 25, 2007]

ports

Golf

Food city is the sponsor of the Nationwide Tour's Knoxville Open Presented By Food City golf tournament held in Knoxville, TN. Proceeds from the tournament benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tenneessee Valley as well as other local charities. [ [http://www.knoxvilleopen.com/charities.asp Knoxville Open : Charities ] ]

Racing

Food City sponsors two NASCAR events at Bristol Motor Speedway, the Spring Sprint Cup race, the Food City 500 and the Fall Nationwide Series race, the Food City 250. They also sponsor a Hooters Pro Cup event at Bristol Motor Speedway, the Food City 150.

Along with these races, Food City holds the Food City Family Race Nights in Knoxville, Sevierville, and Bristol, Tennessee the week preceding the NASCAR events.

Locations

As of October 2008, Food City operates 93 supermarkets in Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee, as well as 7 Super Dollar Discount Foods.

Food City Arizona

Food City in Arizona is not owned by K-VA-T Food Stores; it is owned by Bashas'.

References

External links

* [http://www.foodcity.com/ Food City's official website]