Earth Fare

W. Lee Flowers

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Founded in 1922 in Lake City, South Carolina, W. Lee Flowers & Co. is one of the largest grocery distributors in the region. The company maintains a full-line warehouse facility of more than 400,000 square feet, housing all major departments, including: grocery, meat, dairy, produce, ice cream and GM/HBC. W. Lee Flowers owns and operates 50 IGA and KJ’s Market grocery stores in North and South Carolina and Georgia. The Food Partners represented W. Lee Flowers in its evaluation of strategic alternatives including as its financial advisor in the transaction with Alex Lee, Inc.

Alex Lee

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Founders Alex and Lee George started Merchants Produce Company in 1931 from humble beginnings. The business now includes Merchants Distributors, Lowes Foods, Souto Foods, and W. Lee Flowers. The growth of the company has always been built on the foundational values established by the George brothers. The long history and proud heritage of Alex Lee does not tie the company to the past. Instead, the entrepreneurial spirit that made the company successful in the beginning is alive and well today. We know that we must constantly improve the way we do business to stay relevant to our customers. This means that we seek new opportunities and foster innovation; we work to grow our business so that we can offer our employees opportunity for growth; and we strive to continually improve and reach for excellence.

Lowes Foods

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Founded in 1954, Lowes Foods employs approximately 9,000 people and operates nearly 100 full-service supermarkets in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. Locally owned and operated, Lowes Foods is truly a homegrown company committed to bringing community back to the table, by providing customers with the freshest and most innovative local products from local suppliers. The company maintains a strong focus on exceptional attention to our guests, with services like Lowes Foods-To-Go personal shopping and gas rewards discounts. To learn more, visit lowesfoods.com or follow Lowes Foods on Facebook or Twitter. Lowes Foods, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Alex Lee, Inc.

Merchants Distributors

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Merchants Distributors (MDI) is one of the largest privately-owned wholesale grocery store distributors in the Southeast. Our group of distribution companies supply over 1,900 retail food stores. Our history: In 1931, two sons of Lebanese immigrants, Alex and Lee George, started MDI in Hickory, North Carolina. In their eyes everyone should have the opportunity for a better life. Our 92-year history is an interesting story of sacrifice, growth, and success. What began as a small family business, as one local newspaper described it, “With little more than a bag of peanuts, an apple, and a stick of candy" is now one of the largest grocery wholesaler companies in the Southeast. Over 90 years later the George family and MDI remain anchored to their values. Our passion and entrepreneurial spirit have kept us strong during some of America’s toughest times. In fact, adversity has only made us stronger.