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    Vons Grocery Company
    Vons Grocery Company
    Vons Grocery Company
    Ebook189 pages55 minutes

    Vons Grocery Company

    By Michael L. Stark and Wendy Kennedy

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    About this ebook

    In 1906, the downtown area of Los Angeles was fundamentally a small town when Charles Von der Ahe opened his little Groceteria on the corner of Seventh and Figueroa Streets using $1,200 in savings. It was a neighborhood store that catered to the needs of local families, where Von der Ahe pioneered cash and carry, replacing the charge and delivery way of thinking. Its expansion and innovation over the next 90 years was legendary, growing to more than 325 stores and 30,000 employees. This book focuses on the legacy of this great company, its visionary leaders, and its dedicated employees who made it the number one grocery retailer in Southern California.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArcadia Publishing
    Release dateJun 2, 2014
    ISBN9781439645567
    Vons Grocery Company
    Author

    Michael L. Stark

    Author John Skipper, a former Los Angeles County Sheriff�s Department deputy, retired as a Redondo Beach P.D. captain in 2006 and remained a reserve officer working cold cases. Coauthor Michael Stark became a reserve officer in 1972, serves as the Reserve Corps commander, and is a member of the Crisis Negotiations Team. The authors collated the department�s vintage images into this tribute, gathering others from department members, the Redondo Beach Historical Commission, and Redondo Beach Museum.

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      Book preview

      Vons Grocery Company - Michael L. Stark

      book.

      INTRODUCTION

      Vons Grocery Company was built on a foundation of three basic principles: care for the customer, care for employees, and care for the community. This philosophy illustrates the spirit of Vons that started with the founders in 1906 and has continued for over 100 years.

      Looking back over the company’s long history, it is easy to see why Vons has been a leader in the industry. Vons has not only provided for consumers’ basic needs but has delighted them with innovative service offerings and quality products. Vons has maintained a growth mindset by constructing new stores, acquiring other reputable grocery chains, expanding into other regions and communities, and operating other store formats. By changing, adapting, and evolving over time, Vons has remained on the leading edge. This only occurred by continually looking ahead, as the founding family did.

      Vons has been a model in the supermarket industry—a company that has gone through many changes and challenges and come out on top. Through these evolutions, one thing has remained the same: the hard work and dedication of the people of Vons. As Bill Davila, president emeritus, said in the Vons internal newsletter, Crax’N’Fax, in 1996, At Vons, the workforce has always been like a family. There’s always been closeness and a sense of teamwork throughout the company. That atmosphere has always brought out the best in everyone.

      Vons has continually invested in its employees by providing training and development programs at all levels. The company has been a major supporter of the Food Industry Management Program at the University of Southern California.

      Through the years, the Vons family has not only cared for customers and employees but also for those in the communities they serve. Vons has been a strong corporate citizen, giving back and supporting such organizations as the City of Hope and school programs such as Apples for the Students, which provides computers to schools. Vons has also been a strong supporter of many different food banks and other local causes.

      In 1984, Vons was designated as the official supermarket of the Los Angeles Olympics. In the Vons internal newsletter, Crax’N’Fax, Ken Olsen, Vons’ retired president, commented, they said they had researched the major food chains and felt Vons was best equipped to be the major food supplier. In a deal worked out with the International Olympic Committee, the Company agreed to provide food for more than 12,000 athletes, coaches, and trainers in the Olympic Village. We look at this as an investment in the community, explained Jerry Fahey, Vons’ president in 1984. Food worth $8 million was provided to the committee at cost for preparation by an independent food service organization. The balance, worth $2 million, was donated by Vons.

      As you read through the pages of this book, it is our hope that you find a rich history of a truly great company. It was our honor to work for Vons for many years and our pleasure to write this book.

      This artist’s rendition of a photograph of Vons store no. 2 was used to celebrate the company’s 69th anniversary.

      One

      EARLY YEARS

      1900s–1920s

      Vons Grocery Company began in 1906 as a small market on the corner of Seventh and Figueroa Streets in Los Angeles. Over the years, Vons grew to become the leading supermarket chain in Southern California. Today, Vons has more than 300 supermarkets that cover an area ranging from Las Vegas, Nevada, to the Pacific Ocean and from Fresno to the Mexican border.

      Charles Von der Ahe, the founder of Vons Grocery Company, started his career in the grocery business by working as a delivery boy in Illinois. He worked for a number of markets while transitioning out west to take up residence in Southern California. Once there, he opened his first market with a total investment of $1,200 and a philosophy of putting the customer

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