Y14 SUNDAY,NOVEMBER 1, 2009 2ND AN ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR
indystar.com/50years Profiles of businesses that have been around 50 yearsormore
Marsh: Stocking local pantries for 80 years
By Holly Wheeler ForCustom Publications
If youli ve in Indiana
and hear the name
Marsh, youprobably
think of groceries.
This isn’t surprising considering
Marsh Sup ermarkets and Pharm acy
has been stocking local pantries for
nearly 80 years. What started as a
local market in Muncie has grownto
include nearly 100 supermarkets and
four specialtymarkets in t wo states.
Local flair
Ermal Marsh was a Muncie
nativewho,in1931, opened alocal
market in his hometown. Although
the country was in adepression,
the market was able to weather the
financial stormintact. Afterthe war, yk
Ermal expanded his store, making it Lebr
the first foodliner —the era’strendy MarcQuick facts
wordfor supermark et —inMuncie.
Photo:Foodliner or supermarket, Marsh Marsh Supermarkets
This storeat2350 Broad Ripple Ave. in Indianapolis is one of 99 Marsh Supermarkets.retained the hometown atmosphere, and Pharmacy
prizing c ustomer s ervice aboveall. Address: 333 S. Franklin
Road, IndianapolisThat service set Marsh apartfrom
Phone: (317) 594-2100other groceries, triggering growth launchofits well-received store historyasthe first groceryinth e morethan 41 of i ts stores, and
Website: www.marsh.netthat equated to 1 6stores by 1953. in Indianapolis, Ermal Marsh world to use aba r-code scanner. its four O’Malia’sFood Markets
Chairman, president and CEO:tragically was killed in aplane c rash. That first item s canned —Wrigley’s provide an intimate atmosphere
Frank LazaranBig-city market
The companystayedinthe family, JuicyFruit Gum—is displayedwith with upscale products. Founded: 1931
The 1950s wereye ars of prosperity and the niche of the innovative pride at the Marshcorporate office, “Marsh Supermarkets is Info: Marsh Supermarketsis
and growth for Marsh Supermarkets. hometown storeco ntinued. It and the Smithsonian Institute houses proud of its Indiana heritage, headquartered in Indianapolis
and operates 99 MarshBy 1957, the companylooked to opened oneofthe first convenience the scanner used in this watershed and we trulyare ahomegrown
Supermarkets and fourenter the Indianapolis market. stores, Village P antry, whichthe transaction. company,”said Frank Lazaran,
O’Malia’sFood Markets with“Weopened our Indianapolis store companyowned until recently. Another cutting-edge offering chairman, CEO and president.
locations in Indiana andat 53rdand Keyst one, and it’s still Other experiments wereafarmers was the Marsh Fre sh IDEA Card. “From humble beginnings in
Ohio. Marsh emphasizes the
theretoday,”saidMarkHeckman, market in the 1980s and LoBill, a The chain was one of the first in t he Muncie,Marsh has become a freshness of its products and
the high level of service offeredvice president of marketing.“From price-oriented divisionthat Marsh nationtooffer a customer card that strongregional s upermarket chain
to its customers.The companytherewereally developed aniche. operated for nearly 20 years. gaveelectronic discounts. Marsh also serving numerous communities
operates 41 pharmacy locationsKroger was around in those days,an d “We’re always looking for newand was the first local supermarket to in Indiana and Ohio.Although
across Indiana, e mploysStandardFood Markets and A&P better ways to servethe customer, ” offer online or t elephone orders a nd we areinthe business of selling
9,000 in Indiana and Ohio
Grocerywerecomp eting retailers. Heckman said. home delivery. groceries, we are also in the people and serves nearly 1million
customers weekly. Its communityMarsh built its niche as the locally business —the business of serving
involvement focuses on theHometown high-tech Looking ahead, looking backowned and locally supported store, our customers and supporting the
arts, youth and education andbut also with service and trying t o The words hometow nand Marsh Supermarketsispositioning communities where we liveand
includes long-termpartnershipsinnovate anyway we could.” high-technormall yaren’tassociated its next generation of stores, calling work. We aretrul ythankful for
with the Indianapolis Symphony
with oneanother,but Marsh larger,newer stores Marketplace,and our loyal customers and thousands Orchestra, the Peyton Manning
New ideas Foundation and other groupsSupermarkets has blended the two smaller,moreconventional stores of dedicated associates who have
in Indianapolis and other areasJust as Marsh Sup ermarkets successfully sincethe 1970s. Hometown Market. Its pharmacies supported us for the past 78
where the store h as apresence.was celebrating t he successful The companywillgodownin areanimportant service offered in years.”●
Connie does“
so much with Q&A with Mark Heckman
store managers
in some of the andConnieGardner
smaller burgs. Heckman is vice p resident of marketing and Gardner is senior directorofcommunity relations
We’rereally
keenly focused
:Marsh is well known for its community outreach. in June and spoke very articulatelyabout howon making Q
How do you choose what projects to support? passionate he is about this. Ourrole is to besure we do
: Connie: “When Itookover this job in the exclusivesupplier for the pro ject.A
2006, Iwas told to always lookout for “With our friends at St.Vincent [Health]everything we
our youth, educationand the arts, and Ilive and also BallState University, we’vecan.
by those rules. Itry desperately to integrate highlighted initially about 600 i tems up and”
—Mark Heckman those rules in everything we support. Marsh down our aisles that arePeytonManning or
has celebrated 28 years sponsoring Symphony Project 18 approved.They’re approved on
on Prairie with Indianapolis Symphony the basis of anumber of different criteria,
Orchestra, and we havecommitted to three whether it’s sodium content, caloric contentTime line
moreyears sponsoring that. We areahuge or other criterion, and we havethose items
supporter of BoyScouts with the Boy tagged throughout our Indiana stores. We’ve1952: Became publicly held. When Itook
Scout Cookout on the Circle, and we are hooked that idea in with our Fresh Ideas “1957:
First Indianapolis location highlyinvolvedwith GirlScouts. We area for Educationprogram —along-standing over this job
opened. contributing sponsor,and we allowall the program that allows shoppers to earnmoney in 2006, Iwas
1959: Founder Ermal Marsh GirlScouts to set up their tables in allour towardgetting school equipment and resources
killed. storelobbies to sellGirlScout cookies. Boy for schools that theydesignate. We’vetied the told to always
1959: Marsh opened first in-store Scouts sellpopcorninour lobbies as well. Project 18 program in with that, so if youbuy
pharmacy. look out for our“Wesupportthe Indy Air Show.This was anyofthose 600 items you’ll get double points
1966: First Village Pantry our first year presenting the Indy Jazz Fest. for our Fresh Ideas for Educationprogram. youth, education
convenience store opened. We areone of the largest supporters of the “It’saway that we canhelp Peyton,St. and the arts,
[OneAmerica500 Festival] Mini-Marathon. Vincent and BallState,[and] astrategyfor1974: Marsh employee scanned
world’sfirst grocery purchase. We provide bananas and apples and cookies, us to be atraditional force for our shoppers, and Ilive by
and thereare Marsh employees at the very and certainlyitstarts with the kids. But we’re1981: Marsh began Symphony on those rules. I
the Prairie sponsorship. end cheering youonand handing youa finding out it’s not just the kids, the parents
plastic bag to pickupyour goodies.” arelooking for these items as well. We started1983: Opened 75th store. trydesperately
the program in our stores in late August, and1990: Opened LoBill chain of to integrate
:Are there any newoutreach programs that you’ve it’s taken off quite nicely.”discount groceries in Wabash. Q
become associated with? those rules in1991: Company headquarters
: Mark: “PeytonManning is the :These are all very high-profile Indianapolis projects.relocated to Indianapolis from everything weA
spokespersonfor and very much involved Q What are you involved in at the store level?Yorktown.
in an initiativecalled Project 18, aprogram : Mark: “Connie does so much with store1995: Marsh Fresh IDEA Card support.
designed to help kids learnabout nutrition A managers in some of the smaller burgs,introduced. ”
and health, to get exercise backintheir whether it’s Peru,Portland or Greensburg. —Connie Gardner2001: Acquired O’Malia’sFood
lifestyles and to really help abate the growing We’veturned towardgrassroots sports teams.Markets.
issue of childhood obesitythat’s not only We’rereally keenlyfocused on making surewe2006: Acquired by Sun Capital.
affecting our state,but the entirecountry. do everything we can.”●
Peyton was at the original press conference
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