United Family officials reflect on first year under Albertsons ownership

After 98 years of being a family-owned business, United Family sold to Albertsons for about $385 million. When word got out about the transaction, United employees and customers worried what would happen to the company they said had a "unique culture."

Now a year later, United officials said Albertsons buying them out was the best thing that could have happened to the company.

"The family had some other interests - they were fourth generation," Robert Taylor, United president, said. "They were probably stretching their ability to support a company that has grown to this level. There was an opportunity for us to market the company and we were fortunate enough to partner with a company that was a perfect situation for us. That put us in a position to be a stand-alone part of a larger company and really continue our operations as we've always operated in the past."

Taylor said in this past year United has grown about 30 percent in business and jobs, along with expanding the United name throughout West Texas and Eastern New Mexico.

"The biggest change is our ability to grow," Taylor said. "We've grown more this past year than we have in 15 years prior. We built a new store in Amarillo; we built a new store in Hereford; we opened a new store in Alamogordo. We're used to growing a store a year. It's just been huge."

Since Albertsons came into play with United, the West Texas company has also acquired 12 Albertsons stores (Albertsons Market) and has been transitioning those stores to have a Market Street way of business.

"When you walk into those stores you're walking into a Market Street," Taylor said.

Wes Jackson, United chief merchandising officer, said working with Albertsons executives has been an easy task. He said many of their goals are the same ones United has had for years.

"Truly for me the larger company is quite large, but it's localized," he said. "The goal is to be the favorite local supermarket in every area. That's the same goal we've always had."

Keeping United's goals was key in the Albertsons transaction. Taylor said when the deal was made he knew United would remain the same store West Texans grew up with, but he said getting that message across to his United team members and customers was a challenge.

"When it happened it hit the newspapers, 'United sells,' " he said. "We didn't have the chance to tell the story. It was devastating for a lot of people."

Noel Garcia, Market Street store director at 19th Street and Quaker Avenue, said processing the sell was difficult. He said after working with the company for more than 25 years he wasn't sure he'd have a job.

"We had no idea what the game plan was," Garcia said. "We didn't understand at the beginning that it was a decentralized model they were going to do. I can tell you, all of us were wondering if we still had a job."

Taylor said United's executive team reassured its employees that United stores would continue to do business as they always had.

"There was some anxiety there," Taylor said. "I walked into a room and I've been to happier funerals. I'd been living with it for quite some time so I was comfortable where we were. People don't get that in 30 seconds. There was a lot of anxiety with our team members, but I was amazed how quick they recovered."

Jackson said it took just a few weeks for their team to trust the company was not going to change.

"After a couple of weeks they saw things were pretty much the same as it was before," he said.

Eugene Ford, Market Street store director at 98th Street and Quaker Avenue, said his concern was a change in United's culture. He said after a year of being part of the Albertsons family, United stores have not only kept their culture, but have been able to share it with Albertsons.

"I loved United," Ford said. "There are so many things that they do right. To me it couldn't be any better than the way that they did it and I was concerned that we lost all of that. Somebody had bought that and it was going to be gone. We've got to keep the culture and we've been able to expand."

Ford and Garcia said their customers were just as concerned as they were when they heard of the Albertsons purchase. They both said that customers have shown their appreciation of the United culture remaining the same.

"I think (anyone) could have gone to Facebook and see exactly how (customers) felt," Garcia said. "I had many people blaming me. They had nowhere else to turn. Many people knew me and asked why would I allow this and I told them, 'I don't think you quite understand. I don't have that power.' "

Ford said he heard the same concerns from his customers, but said this past year should be a testament that United still offers the same service and business.

"A lot of people said, 'Albertsons bought you. It's not going to be the same store,' " he said. "I hope in this last year that we've proven that nothing has changed. It's like a new chapter and everything continues on. I'm happy to be a part of it."

denise.marquez@lubbockonline.com

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