Hy-Vee's Name: Iowa Time Machine August 14, 1952

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 14, 1952, Supply Chain Stores Inc. announced the results of a customer contest to rename the popular Iowa grocery store chain. The winning entry: Hy-Vee.

In 1917, David Vredenburg entered the grocery business by operating a store for the Lamoni-based General Supply Company. In 1921, Charles Hyde started working at a store operated by Vredenburg and his partner Lewis in Woodbine. By 1930, Vredenburg decided to form the General Supply Company and open its first store in Beaconsfield, Iowa.

After the Great Depression forced the dissolution of the General Supply Company, Vredenburg purchased many of the chain’s holdings. The two partners operated their stores in addition to their joint venture. By 1938, Hyde and Vredenburg decided to consolidate their independently owned stores in Iowa and Missouri into a 15-store chain.

The company of Hyde & Vredenburg continued to grow, moving its corporate headquarters to Chariton in 1952, when it also adopted the winning entry from an employee naming contest to adopt the familiar Hy-Vee brand for its stores. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar