THE HISTORY
About Hy-Vee
In 1930, Charles Hyde and David Vredenburg opened a small general store in Beaconsfield, Iowa. That store grew to become Hy-Vee — a company known for excellent service and reasonable prices. As an employee-owned company, Hy-Vee encourages each of its more than 84,000 employees to help guide the company. Its 88 years of outstanding success is a testament to those employees’ hard work and dedication to the vision of its founders. Today, Hy-Vee is synonymous with quality, variety, value and superior customer service. Its slogan, "A Helpful Smile in Every Aisle," expresses the foundation of the company’s operating philosophy.
Hy-Vee is a touchstone for its customers’ desire for information on diet, nutrition and wellness topics. The company’s commitment to healthy lifestyles is evidenced by its ever-growing HealthMarket departments featuring natural and organic products, the consulting services of in-store dietitians and chefs, and consumer and employee wellness programs.
With sales of $10 billion annually, Hy-Vee ranks among the top 25 supermarket chains and the top 50 private companies in the United States. Its more than 245 stores are located in eight Midwestern states: Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Distribution centers are in Chariton, Iowa, and Cherokee, Iowa, with a third perishable operation in Ankeny, Iowa. Hy-Vee’s corporate office is located in West Des Moines, Iowa.
PRESENT DAY
LIKE NOTHING YOU’VE SEEN BEFORE
Hy-Vee is one of America’s premier supermarket retailers, and they’re well-known for their focus on superior customer service, high quality products, and an emphasis on health & wellness. Hy-Vee is a leader in eCommerce, driving significant sales online, fulfilling both through traditional stores and dedicated fulfillment stores, and providing both click & collect and home delivery. They’re at the cutting edge, ready and willing to take the next step with you.
Their new Helpful Smiles Technology Center in Grimes, opened earlier this year in a plain-looking, cavernous warehouse that faces a cornfield, but it’s anything but plain! The space is designed to promote creativity and collaboration, said Matt Nannen, Senior Vice President of Digital Development and Brand Image Marketing, and is filled with work and play spaces, and other fringe benefits aimed at attracting in-demand tech workers. The corporate culture is more foosball and Starbucks than suits and ties.
The 104,000-square-foot Smiles Tech Center is part of Hy-Vee’s vision for the future, and currently houses 230 information technology, digital development and brand marketing workers with room to grow.