Bluffton store and employees to join “Our Family” business

By Paula Pyzik Scott

Community Markets of Bluffton, as part of the 49-store Fresh Encounter Inc. chain, is being acquired by the “food solutions” company SpartanNash, according to an October 14 announcement.

Based near Grand Rapids, Mich., SpartanNash is a publicly traded company that includes food wholesale and grocery retail segments. It currently operates 147 grocery stores as well as a number of pharmacies and fuel centers. Our Family is the SpartanNash flagship brand; other items are distributed via the OwnBrands suite of products.

Fresh Encounter Inc. (FEI) is based in Findlay, Ohio and is owned by third-generation grocers Michael Needler Jr. and Julie Anderson. The chain has stores in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky including Community Markets, Sack 'N Save Supermarket, Germantown Fresh Market, Needler's Fresh Market, Great Scot Community Markets, Chief, Remke Markets and King Saver. FEI has been a food distribution customer of SpartanNash for 58 years. 

SpartanNash has announced that it will continue employment for FEI’s 2,500 team members. 

“Fresh Encounter has been a successful family-owned and operated business for decades, and we are proud to continue this legacy,” said SpartanNash CEO Tony Sarsam. “This acquisition is an exciting milestone in our Company’s strategic growth plans.”

The acquisition will expand the SpartanNash footprint into Kentucky, adding to existing stores in Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin–and growing its retail operations by 33%.

“We are proud of the business our family has built and look forward to advancing our relationship with SpartanNash,” said FEI CEO Needler. “As their customer, we have seen firsthand the People First culture at SpartanNash, and we appreciate the career opportunities and growth this will unlock for Fresh Encounter team members.”  

The transaction is expected to close in late November, subject to customary closing conditions. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.