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Houchens Industries

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Houchens Industries, Inc.
TypePrivate
IndustryGrocery store, insurance, investing/brokerage, masonry products
Founded1917; 109 years ago (1917)
FounderErvin Houchens
HeadquartersBowling Green, Kentucky, US
Key peopleDion Houchins (CEO)
Brandon Shirley (president)
Patrick Coleman (CFO)
Jimmy Nichols (COO)
Number of employees
15,000+ (2021)
Websitewww.houchens.com

Houchens Industries, Inc. is an American employee-owned company. It is best known for operating more than 325 retail grocery, convenience, and neighborhood market stores across 14 states, through their Houchens Food Group subsidiary. However, it is in other industries, including beverages, investment and masonry products. In 1917, it began as a small grocery store operated by founder Ervin Houchens in rural Barren County, Kentucky. The company is headquartered in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Complemented by a strong foundation of diverse companies and over 15,000 employees corporate-wide, Houchens Industries is listed by Forbes as one of the largest 100% employee-owned companies in the world.[1]

History

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Houchens first store

The company traces its beginnings to 1917, when founder Ervin Houchens at age 19 opened his first store, BG Wholesale, in a shed in Lucas, Kentucky. This shed, along with other historical structures, has been well preserved and is open to the public. He sold the company in 1983.[2] The current CEO, Jimmie Gipson, started with the company in 1965 as an accountant.[2]

In 2004, Houchens acquired Food Giant, which operated mainly in the Southeast.[3] Food Giant had been run by Sikeston businessman Kenneth Storey (1931–2026) who owned many grocery stores with various names such as Piggly Wiggly, Big Star, Sureway, Dixie Dandy, Save-A-Lot, Storey's Marketplace, Storey's Food Giant, and various businesses not related to the grocery business until he sold the stores to his employees in the year 2000.[4][5] Later that year, Houchens bought Scotty's Contracting & Stone, a large paving contractor, aggregates producer and construction company based in Bowling Green.[6][7]

In 2007, the company sold its Commonwealth Brands subsidiary, the fourth-largest cigarette producer in the US, to the British company Imperial Tobacco Group PLC for $1.9 billion. It had acquired the company from its founder Brad Kelley in 2001; it was the first time that Houchens had sold one of its acquisitions.[2]

Diversification continued in 2007 when Houchens announced that it would acquire Hilliard Lyons, a full-service stock broker and investment firm based in Louisville, from PNC Financial Services.[8] The sale was completed in March 2008.[9]

Many activities occurred in 2008 for Houchens. In January 2008, Houchens announced that it would acquire 14 convenience stores which sell Shell Oil products from Bowling Green businessman Jerry Browning. The stores are located in Bowling Green and surrounding towns.[10] In April 2008, Buehler Foods of Jasper, Indiana, signed a letter of intent to sell the company to Houchens.[11] That July, Houchens acquired juice maker Tampico Beverages.[12]

In January 2010, White's Fresh Foods, in the Tri-Cities, Tennessee area sold their local grocery chain to Houchens. Those stores currently operate as Price Less Foods.[13]

In January 2020, Jimmie Gipson, after nearly 55 years of service with the company, announced his retirement effective March 31, 2020. The board of directors elected Executive Vice President Dion Houchins to succeed him as the chief executive officer and chairman of the board.[14]

In April 2021, Houchens Industries announced the acquisition of Lee Masonry Product LLC. Lee Masonry Products, Inc. was established by Ray Lee in Frankfort, Kentucky, in 1963 and became a 100% employee-owned company in 2006. Lee Masonry is a manufacturer of concrete block and specialty concrete products and a distributor of clay masonry products for commercial and residential use. Through both acquisition and the addition of new production facilities, Lee Masonry has grown to operate 19 facilities in two states with over 400 employees.[15]

Other

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References

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  1. ↑ "Houchens Industries". Forbes. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Schreiner, Bruce (December 24, 2007). "Houchens expanding at a rapid pace: Company has evolved since Kentucky start". Enquirer.com. Associated Press.
  3. ↑ "Houchens Set to Acquire Food Giant". Supermarket News. April 26, 2004. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Kenneth Storey obituary". Retrieved August 8, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Food Giant Employees Buy All 81 Stores from Owner". Retrieved August 8, 2026.
  6. ↑ Battah, Raed (January 4, 2005). "Houchens closes deal for Scotty's". Bowling Green Daily News. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Scotty's: Continued Growth and Employee-Ownership". scottyscontracting.com. Scotty's Contracting & Stone. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Hilliard Lyons sold to Bowling Green firm". The Courier-Journal. November 16, 2007.
  9. ↑ "Hilliard Lyons sale completed". The Courier-Journal. March 31, 2008.
  10. ↑ Catawayo, Ameerah (January 29, 2008). "Houchens set to buy Browning". Park City Daily News.
  11. ↑ "Local grocery chain sold". 14wfie.com. Evansville, Indiana: 14 WFIE. April 24, 2008.
  12. ↑ "Houchens Acquires Tampico Beverages". CSP Daily News. July 28, 2008. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
  13. ↑ Jackson, George (January 19, 2009). "Houchens Industries Acquires White's Fresh Foods". Tricities.com. Archived from the original on January 22, 2009.
  14. ↑ "After 55 years with company, Gipson to retire as Houchens CEO". BG Daily News. January 28, 2020.
  15. ↑ "Houchens Acquires Lee Masonry". Houchens Industries. Archived from the original on October 28, 2021. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
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