Houchens Industries history

1931: The grocery chain begins with the opening of three stores in Glasgow, Kentucky.

The first Houchens' store to follow the new model was one of the Bowling Green outlets in 1939.

His nephew, Ruel Houchens, became president of the subsidiary, having worked for the company since 1942 when as a 13-year-old boy he was employed by a Houchens store in Glasgow.

To give back to the community, Houchens also established the Houchens Foundation, a non-profit corporation that since 1945 has contributed millions of dollars to civic and religious organizations.

1960: The first Houchens supermarket opens.

In 1972, the growing company changed its name to Houchens Industries Inc.

In 1981, he started Southern Recycling, and over the years expanded his operation to the recycling of iron products and other metals, as well as a curbside recycling operation.

1983: Ervin Houchens retires at age 85.

But it would not be until October 1996 that company made the final payment on the bank note that made an employee buyout possible. It was a family-owned business for many years and is still run very much like a mom-and-pop, even with all its stores." Ruel Houchens lined up investors to finance the employee buyout and subsequently became the company's CEO and chairman when the transaction was culminated in November 1988.

In 1989, after it acquired the Dave and Steve Super-Key stores in the Bowling Green area, the total number in the chain returned to 47.

Houchens quickly rolled out other stores, and picked up 30 Save-A-Lots in a 1994 acquisition of 30 outlets located in Alabama and Kentucky.

The Tobacco Shoppe discount cigarette venture, operating out of Save-A-Lot stores, was launched in 1997.

In the year 2000, Houchens became involved in the construction industry when it acquired Stewart and Richey Construction Company, a 200-employee, 14-division full-service business operating in Kentucky and Tennessee.

Several months later Houchens' IGA operation expanded to four other Kentucky communities, and additional IGA stores were purchased in 2002.

On April 1, 2021, Houchens CEO, Dion Houchins, announced the merger of Lee Masonry Products into the Houchens ESOP. Lee Masonry has grown to operate 19 facilities in two states with more than 400 employees.