Ripon family owned grocery store changing hands to corporate run

A family owned grocery store of 37 years in Ripon will be changing ownership to a corporate chain.

Webster’s Grocery at 1188 west Fond du Lac Street was bought by Rob and Kathy Webster in 1987 and has been Ripon’s go to for groceries ever since. But the store has now been sold to the Hy-Vee company which operates its more than 300 grocery stores as an employee-owned grocery store chain, with ownership split between direct and indirect stockholders. Direct stockholders include Officers, executive staff, and district store directors while more than 45,000 employees make up the indirect stockholders, who participate in the company’s 401(k) plan.

Hy-Vee was founded in 1930 by Charles Hyde and David Vredenburg and is headquartered in West Des Moines, Iowa. The name comes from a combination of their last names.

Webster’s current owner, the daughter of the original owners, issued a statement yesterday thanking the stores patrons and the stores current and past employees for their dedication. Four of those employees remain with the business since day one.

Candie Webster said in the statement that the store will run its inventory down and close for a short period on November 2nd, while the new owners prepare for its reopening.

Hy-Vee says they will retain all employees currently working at the store.