Hy-Vee

Hy-Vee is an employee owned chain of supermarkets in the Midwestern United States. As of January 2008, Hy-Vee runs 197 supermarkets and 26 Drugstores in seven states. Over 100 of its supermarkets are in Iowa, but it also has stores in Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, and South Dakota. Hy-Vee is known for its longtime advertising slogan, "Where there's a helpful smile in every aisle."

Two-time National Football League MVP Kurt Warner once worked at a Hy-Vee Store in Cedar Falls, Iowa.  After he was cut by the Green Bay Packers at age 24, he thought his football career might be over, so he worked there to play for his bills.

 Company starting 
The company was started by Charles Hyde and David Vredenburg. They had opened a general store in Beaconsfield, Iowa, in 1930. In 1938, the company changed their name to Hyde & Vredenburg, Inc. Hyde & Vredenburg had 15 stores in Iowa and Missouri at that time. In 1945, Hyde & Vredenburg moved its headquarters from Lamoni to Chariton, Iowa, after buying the Chariton Wholesale Company. 

 Stores 
Most Hy-Vee stores are full-service supermarkets with bakeries, delicatessens, banks, florists, and pharmacies. To keep pace with Wal-Mart's recent expansion into the gas station business, Hy-Vee has also added gas stations with convenience stores to some of its stores.

HyVee's Largest Store is in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, which has 
over  of Retail Space in the store. Hy-vee keeps making larger stores, so their largest store changes every 6 months to every year.

 Employment 
Hy-Vee Inc. employs over 52,000 people and is the largest employer in the state of Iowa.  The company has annual sales of over $5.84 billion. In 2007, Hy-Vee ranked 47th on Forbes magazine's annual list of the largest privately owned companies in the United States.

 References 

 Other websites
 Hy-Vee Food Stores Official Website

Category:Supermarkets of the United States
Category:1930 establishments in the United States
Category:Companies based in Iowa