ELDRIDGE, Iowa — Hy-Vee is in the process of acquiring North Scott Foods grocery store in Eldridge, according to a release from Hy-Vee's communications department.
The deal is expected to wrap up sometime in early April, according to North Scott Foods Owner Steve Grolmus.
He says he talked to his wife and decided it was time for him to retire after opening and running the store in 2002.
"I gonna miss my work family [and] I'm gonna miss the customers," Grolmus said. "I've got relationships with that have been shopping with me for years. But I'm not gonna miss coming to work every day."
Grolmus told his employees about the decision on Tuesday, Feb. 7 and then Hy-Vee officials came in on Wednesday to speak with everyone.
16-year-veteran employee Cheryl Simmons says she was worried about layoffs but was reassured by Hy-Vee officials that she would be able to continue working once the company assumes ownership.
"You know I had about two and a half pages of notes that I had myself going into my little meeting with the Hy-Vee employees," Simmons said. "And that was one of my questions. And they reassured me that we will still operate pretty much business as usual."
But some community members also want to be reassured that they'll continue to receive the great service they say they've experienced for decades.
"Like with their high school stuff and events, they donate a lot to the schools, so I hope that Hy-Vee continues that," customer Kimberly Dow said.
"Everybody here is very helpful [and] super friendly," customer Tom Schmidt said. "You know [the employees'] faces, you know their names."
According to Grolmus, about 85 employees at North Scott Foods are affected by this transition.
Hy-Vee is based out of West Des Moines, Iowa and currently employs 93,000 people across its more than 285 stores. The company opened two new stores in Janesville and Oregon, Wis. on Tuesday, Feb. 7.
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