BUSINESS OF THE WEEK: MORE IN STORE, Couple buys Jubilee Foods in Arcadia, expects to acquire Augusta supermarket

La Crosse Tribune, Nov 04, 2002 by Cahalan, Steve

ARCADIA, Wis. - Four years after they returned to their Coulee Region roots, Dave and Barb Hegenbarth of rural Galesville expect to acquire their sixth grocery store next week.

The couple purchased the Jubilee Foods supermarket in Arcadia on Oct. 14 and expect to complete the purchase of John's IGA supermarket in Augusta, Wis., on Nov. 11, both from John Hagenbrock of Black River Falls.

Besides the Hegenbarths, Todd and Angie Hammond of Onalaska are minor partners in the Arcadia and Augusta stores. Todd is operations manager for all-of the Hegenbarths' stores. The Hegenbarths wanted the Hammonds to have an ownership interest in the two stores as an incentive to stay with their growing business.

The Hegenbarths returned to the area in 1998 from Tama, Iowa, where they had lived for five years. They still own the Our Town Supervalu grocery store they built in 1993 in Tama.

Dave, who is 46, and Barb, 41, returned to the Coulee Region to buy two Skogen's IGA stores - at 1607 George St. in La Crosse and in Galesville. Today, they operate both as Our Town IGA stores.

In 2000, the couple bought the Jubilee Foods store in Sparta.

"We had the opportunity to get back to where our families are," Dave said of the couple's decision to move from Iowa to rural Galesville in 1998. "We remodeled a 125-year-old farm house" on the 25 acres where they live with their sons, Austin, 11, and Spencer, 13.

"There's no better place to raise kids than this area," Barb said.

Dave was born and raised in La Crosse, graduated from Aquinas High School and studied business at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Viterbo College, Western Wisconsin Technical College and Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa. He worked at Skogen's IGA stores from 1975 to 1990 and managed two of the stores.

His wife, the former Barb Mullally, had lived in Onalaska since she was 5. She graduated from Onalaska High School and received a bachelor's degree in business from UW-L in 1986. She worked at Skogen's IGA stores for eight years.

In 1984, Barb was Miss La Crosse and then Miss Wisconsin. She went on to compete in the Miss America contest.

Today, the Hegenbarths focus on running their grocery stores.

"We're always looking at opportunities" to buy more stores, primarily north of Galesville, Dave said. "We think it's important to continue to grow our company. The grocery industry is extremely competitive, and you need to continue to grow to remain competitive."

"When we get the Augusta store, we'll have close to 400 employees" among the six stores, Dave said.

"We've been blessed with the quality of people we've been able to find," he said. "We go out and recruit and find in any way we can the best quality people we can. If we didn't, we'd still just have the one store in Tama."

The Hegenbarths said they enjoy seeing customers, and children of customers, that they saw years ago while they were Skogen's IGA employees.

Dave said what he most enjoys about the grocery business is "the people. Not only the people you work with, but the customers. And to see people who've shopped at our stores for many years."

The Hegenbarths try to become a part of each community where they have a store, Barb said. They become involved in local activities and organizations, such as parades and local chambers of commerce.

On Wednesday, they had their second Hometown Heroes Night banquet in Sparta, to honor local police, firefighters, emergency medical technicians and veterans. Next year, the Hegenbarths plan to hold a third annual Hometown Heroes Night in Sparta and to begin holding another one each year somewhere in southern Trempealeau County.

"It stems from the 9-11 (terrorist attacks) incident," Dave said. "I think people realize that we've all kind of taken these people for granted" and that they should be honored.

The Hegenbarths plan to immediately rename the Augusta store Our Town Fresh Market. And, probably next spring, that also will become the new name of their Our Town IGA stores in La Crosse and Galesville.

At the Arcadia store they acquired Oct. 14, the Hegenbarths and Hammonds have improved product displays in the produce and meat departments. "We're going to add to both the hot deli and the cold deli," Dave said. The expansion of the deli area should occur before Jan. 1.

By March, the Hegenbarths plan to add a service meat case and expand the deli section and produce department in their La Crosse store.

Also by March, they plan to put a service meat case in their Sparta store. In a service meat case, cuts of meat are on display in a glass case. "It allows customers to not have to buy prepackaged meats," Dave said. They can choose the cuts they want and the quantity.

At the Hegenbarths' Galesville store, the deli area already has been expanded, and the meat and produce departments have been improved.