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For this week's Meet a Team Member Monday, we are getting to know Colin Heap! Colin started with The GIANT Company in 2000 as a non-perishable operations manager before experiencing other areas of the business. In 2017, Colin helped manage the rollout of our Beer & Wine Eateries, where he handled licensing and municipal approvals. This opportunity led him to his current role, category manager for Beer & Wine, and he confirms it is the most fun job in Merchandising! "My job is to create a fun and exciting part of the customer experience in our stores. I work with wineries, breweries, and distributors to ensure that our customers can always find something new and delicious. Most recently, we've introduced new amenities like draft beer on tap and adult slushies!" Last year, we launched our first Signature Wine called "Bee You." It is more than just a delicious and affordable Riesling. Every purchase of Bee You includes a donation to the nonprofit Planet Bee Foundation to further these efforts. Thank you Colin for creating exciting experience for our customers and our team promises!
During Pride Month and every day, we're working to build a community where everybody is respected, valued, heard, and welcomed just the way they are. Guided by its mission of creating products that taste good, feel good, and do good, Peanut Butter & Co., an LGBT-owned brand, shares our vision for a more inclusive world. Says Founder & CEO Lee Zalben, "Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to how we approach the world and our business. We create products for all peanut butter lovers to enjoy and strive to ensure that everything we do sets a place at the table for everyone. We're proud to work with partners like The GIANT Company who have demonstrated a commitment to the LGBTQ community and are excited for all the ways we can work together to build on that great work."
As graduation season winds down, we'd like to take a moment to congratulate the Class of 2021, especially our team members. You did it! To our graduating team members, we wish you continued success in all that you do. Remember to always be you, keep growing through new opportunities, and strive to make a difference each day!
To the dads, bonus dads, and "you've always been just like a dad" dads, today and every day, we celebrate and thank you for all that you do. Happy Father's Day!
Today we recognize 12 of our outstanding female leaders who have been named Top Women in Grocery 2021 by Progressive Grocer. The award recognizes the best and brightest of the women in our industry, whose accomplishments and contributions were made even more significant given the challenges brought about by COVID-19. Please join us in celebrating The GIANT Company's 2021 Top Women in Grocery Honorees: Erin Arnold, Ginger Baker, Brenda Brown, Ashley Flower, Stacey Kegel, Rebecca Lupfer, Aaysha Noor, Terra Pierce, Darla Rieg, Caron Sanders, Sabita Singh, and Angie Stine. These talented women are outstanding leaders who embody For Todays Table in all that they do and play an integral role in helping us live our Purpose of connecting families for a better future. We are so grateful for all they do for our company, team members, and customers every day. Congratulations to these women and all of the TWIG2021 winners!
It's Monday, and that means it's time to meet Team Member Sonya Stamm! Sonya has been with The GIANT Company for over 17 years, growing through new opportunities in the grocery merchandising category. She is currently an analyst with our Floral team and enjoys choosing the beautiful flowers and plants sold in our stores. When asked what she loves most about her role in floral, she stated, "There is a level of creativity when planning and selecting items for stores that I truly enjoy. "In January 2020, we put together the first-ever face-to-face meeting with Floral and Fresh teams to prepare stores for Valentine's Day. There was such a positive vibe throughout the day, and many team members came up to me to share their appreciative thoughts. . That enthusiasm carried through, and we had record-breaking sales - I was so happy to be a part of it! While we couldn't meet in person in 2021, that same momentum carried through, and we surpassed the prior year's record." Sonya, keep the enthusiasm and creativity blooming, and thank you for bringing your very best to the table every day!
To our 2021 Interns, welcome to The GIANT Company - we’re so glad you’re here! Be you, embrace the experiences and experts around you, be curious, innovate with us, and most importantly, have fun! We promise a summer you won’t soon forget as you learn the ins and outs of retail grocery, grow through new opportunities, and help us live our purpose of connecting families for a better future.
It's like summer in a can. That's what folks are saying about our latest craft beer collaboration: Juicy GIANT, developed in partnership with Yards Brewing Co. Now in stores, this Tropical IPA is bursting with big flavors and aromas of pineapple and mango from Citra and Azacca hops. Every sip is an escape to the islands - seriously. And, $1 from every 4-pack sold benefits Make The World Better Foundation in Philadelphia, which works to create stronger communities by ensuring all people have access to high-quality and fun places to connect and gather. We'll cheers to that!
We are thrilled to celebrate Anas Khalid for being named a 2021 Retail Produce Manager Award Winner by United Fresh Produce Association and Dole Food Company. Known to us as AK, he is one of 25 honorees nationwide, scoring high in his efforts to increase produce consumption through excellence in merchandising, special promotions, and customer satisfaction. As produce manager of our MARTIN'S store in Front Royal, Virginia, AK and his team work to create a shopping experience that celebrates fresh produce through eye-catching displays. A familiar face to shoppers, many of whom he knows by name, AK enjoys speaking with customers, introducing them to different items, and letting them know when their favorite fruit or vegetable is coming in. At the awards ceremony, AK said that the award means a great deal to him and shared the credit with his team. “My team and the company behind me, and our customers who are so loyal to our store. Those are the biggest things that inspire me.” And you inspire us, AK! Congratulations on this much-deserved recognition!
For this week's Meet a Team Member Monday, please say hello to Kirk Sweat! Kirk first joined our team in 2012 as a part-time night stocker and worked his way up to Store Manager at our MARTIN'S location in Connellsville, PA. Kirk keeps his focus on our purpose – connecting families for a better future - in all that he does, and he encourages his team to do the same. How? "It's simple; we just have to be there for our customers with great meal solutions. To always innovate new ideas to help the working and busy family lifestyle to be able to sit down at the table for a great meal and family time." Kirk also inspires the team around him. Says Deli Manager and fellow team member Yvonne Carter, "Kirk has inspired me to be a better leader. His compassion for the business has helped us all become better at what we do. Added Regional Director Kathy Sweigert, "Kirk inspires his team to be even greater than they thought possible. He has impacted many team members over his impressive career. It has been a pleasure to watch him grow." Thank YOU, Kirk, for continuing to inspire us!
