New Van Wert Chief Supermarket opens

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

The third-generation owners of Fresh Encounter Inc. cut the ribbon Thursday on the company’s rebranding of the former Marsh Supermarket as a Chief grocery, and also promised to restore quality standards at the store.

Michael Needler Jr., who with his sister, Julie Anderson, also operates Generation Growth II, the parent company of Fresh Encounter Inc., noted that, when he heard the Marsh stores were being auctioned off, the Van Wert store was one he especially wanted to acquire.

“I said there’s one store I want to make sure we leave with, and that’s Van Wert,” Needler told a group of city officials, Van Wert Area Chamber of Commerce board members and interested customers during a ribboncutting/open house held Thursday. “I know this type of community very, very well; we know how this community thinks, we know what we can do to serve it in the best way possible, and be successful.”

Needler stressed the Chief brand, which was acquired in 2014 by Fresh Encounter, with area stores in Celina, Paulding, Delphos, and Defiance, among others, is known for its quality merchandise.

“We’ve got phenomenal fresh foods,” Needler said. “When you think about the Chief brand, I like to think about our meat department, our bakeries, our delis, and our produce.

“Special Recipe cookies are a favorite of this whole marketplace,” Needler added. “Our premier angus beef, our in-store ground beef, our Miller Amish chicken … these are really things that set us apart from the competition.”

Needler also talked about the mission statement of the Findlay-based, family-owned grocery chain, first started 1964 by his grandfather, Carroll Cheek, when he purchased the Great Scot grocery chain.

“Our mission statement is very simple: Delight our customers, nourish our community, and inspire our team,” Needler said.

Fresh Encounter began in 1995 when Needler’s father, Michael Sr., purchased his grandfather’s retail chain, CWC Companies. In 1998, the company acquired Fulmer Supermarkets, a grocery chain first started in 1909, and then purchased the Defiance-based Chief stores in 2014 before buying up 15 Marsh supermarkets, including Van Wert, this year. The company now operates 62 stores in Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky.

The other 14 Marsh stores purchased by Fresh Encounter have been branded as Needler’s Fresh Market stores, with the Van Wert store added to the Chief brand.

Needler said Fresh Encounter plans to bring back a high-quality grocery store to Van Wert.

“This community has a long heritage of being served with a premier, one-stop grocery store,” he noted. “Marsh had a wonderful legacy for many, many years, and we aspire to serve the community the way they did for so long.”

Needler noted that many grocery chains today are “owned by Wall Street,” adding that Fresh Encounter has been so successful by serving the more discerning customer.

“I think we win because the conscious consumer, the customer of today, is aware of the impact small groceries like us can have,” he said.

Van Wert Mayor Jerry Mazur also had welcoming words to Fresh Encounter and Van Wert’s new Chief Supermarket.

“It’s a very important element of our community and something we need desperately,” the mayor said.

In addition to the ribboncutting, the store also set up a grill and provided free hot food for customers early Thursday afternoon.