Michael Needler Jr., president and CEO of Fresh Encounter Inc., won the Thomas K. Zaucha Entrepreneurial Excellence Award, presented by the National Grocers Association, the trade group for the independent grocery industry.
Sponsored by Mondelēz International Inc., the award is presented annually to an independent retailer with tangible examples of persistence, vision and creative entrepreneurship throughout the year, according to a news release.
Needler received the award Feb. 26, at the 2022 NGA Show in Las Vegas.
By 2020, Needler had built a successful business with a network of more than 50 grocery stores operating under several banners in Ohio and Indiana, including Community Markets, Needler’s Fresh Market and Save A Lot. Recently, he purchased 51 more Save A Lot stores in the Tampa Bay region of Florida, building upon Save A Lot’s brand.
“Michael has shown the characteristics of a true entrepreneur throughout his career, but especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, as he was able to not only maintain the success of his already existing stores, but add more under Fresh Encounter,” Greg Ferrara, NGA president and CEO, said in the release.
After purchasing the latest Save A Lot stores, his first priority was to instill the Fresh Encounter culture within the newly purchased stores, visiting all 51 locations, getting to know the team members to build trust that employees' voices matter.
Needler established new protocols for extensive training for store teams to implement so they can put the company values and mission into motion; the protocols resulted in improved customer experience, the release said.
“Michael grew up working in the grocery business with his father and over the years has used his passion and sharp business sense to build a remarkable and diverse company grounded on solid values,” Ferrara said in the release.
The Thomas K. Zaucha Award is named after NGA’s first president and CEO. Since 2009, it has been presented annually to recognize an independent grocer that exemplifies persistence, vision and creative entrepreneurship.