Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On March 21, 1963, a Hy-Vee television commercial first aired on Iowa’s airwaves featuring the slogan “Where There’s a Helpful Smile in Every Aisle” to help highlight the popular grocery store chain's emphasis on customer service.
Back in 1917, David Vredenburg entered the grocery business by operating a store for the Lamoni-based General Supply Company. In 1921, Charles Hyde began working at a store operated by Vredenberg and his partner, Lewis, in Woodbine. By 1930, Vredenburg decided to form a partnership to establish the General Supply Company and open its first store in Beaconsfield, Iowa.
After the Great Depression led to the dissolution of the General Supply Company, Vredenburg acquired many of the chain’s assets. The two partners both operated their own stores in addition to their joint venture and by 1938, Hyde and Vredenburg decided to consolidate their independently owned stores in Iowa and Missouri into a 15-store chain.
The company of Hyde & Vredenburg continued to expand, relocating its corporate headquarters to Chariton in 1945. In 1952, the company adopted the winning entry of an employee naming contest, which led to the familiar Hy-Vee brand being usedfor the stores. Officially transferred to employee ownership in 1960, the company officially changed the chain’s name to Hy-Vee Food Stores, Inc. in 1963. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar
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