Steven C. Smith, president and chief executive officer for Food City's retail grocery chain was named 2009 Grocer of the Year by Tennessee Grocers & Convenience Store Association during their annual convention. Each year, TGCSA selects one outstanding Tennessee retailer who exemplifies the high standards of integrity and efficiency upon which the organization was founded to be named Grocer of the Year.
TGCSA is a Nashville based trade organization representing the interests of the Tennessee food market. The association's primary function is to educate and promote the welfare of its business members, which are comprised of retail grocery, convenience and food industry suppliers throughout the state of Tennessee. TGCSA hosted its annual convention at the Knoxville Convention Center in Knoxville, Tennessee April 16-18, 2009.
"I am honored to have been chosen as TGCSA Grocer of the Year. It is a very humbling experience to be counted among the ranks of such a great assembly of industry leaders. I would like to thank Tennessee Grocers & Convenience Store Association for their many efforts and the tremendous impact they make upon our industry," said Smith.
Raised in Grundy, Virginia, where his father, Jack Smith, opened his first Piggly Wiggly store in 1955, Smith "grew up" in and around his father's store, quickly learning the basics. He earned a bachelor's in business administration from James Madison University. As the company grew, acquiring Quality Foods, a 19 store chain, in 1984 and adopting the Food City name, followed by the acquisition of 37 White Stores in 1989, 11 Kennedy Piggly Wiggly locations in 1998, 7 Winn-Dixie stores in 1999 and finally 8 BI-Lo locations in 2006, so did Smith's interest and knowledge of store operations and the grocery industry.
Throughout his 29 years of employment with K-VA-T Food Stores, Inc. (Food City's parent company), Smith has served in numerous key positions, including district manager, director of meat operations, director of advertising, store operations divisional vice president, executive vice president of store operations, chief operating officer and finally his current position of president and chief executive officer.
"We are fortunate to have someone with Steve's vision and experience leading our company," said Jody Helms, Food City executive vice president/director of store operations and newly elected TGCSA Chairman. "Not only is he an exceptional grocer, but his strong commitment the grocery industry and eagerness to support the communities throughout our marketplace make him an outstanding example to the Food City Team and our entire region."
Smith has always held a strong sense of community responsibility, which is evident in his support of countless organizations, including Boy Scouts, United Way, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, American Cancer Society, East Tennessee Children's Hospital, Santa Pals, YWCA, Boys & Girls Clubs, American Diabetes Association and numerous others.
He has served on the boards of Topco, Wellmont Health Care Systems, Bristol Chamber of Commerce and Weis Supermarkets and is a member of Sequoyah Council Boy Scouts of America, National Grocers Association, serving as Chairman from 2000 to 2002 and other organizations, including the 2006/2007 Campaign Chairman for the United Way of Washington County and 2008 Chairman for Food Marketing Institute. Smith also serves on FMI's Executive, Board Planning and Public Affairs Committees. FMI is a national trade association that conducts programs in research, education, industry relations and public affairs on behalf of its 1,500 member companies (food retailers and wholesalers) in the United States and around the world. FMI's members operate approximately 26,000 retail food stores with combined annual sales of $340 billion, three quarters of all retail food store sales in the United States. FMI's retail membership is composed of large multi-state chains, regional companies and independent grocery stores. Their international membership includes some 200 companies from 50 countries.
Steve Smith resides in Abingdon, Virginia with wife Debbie and their two daughters, Katie (who is a freshman at James Madison University) and Chloe.
Now headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia, K-VA-T Food Stores, Inc. operates 93 Food City supermarkets throughout the tri-state regions of Southeast Kentucky, Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee, as well as eleven Super Dollar Discount Foods limited assortment locations.
