Hy-Vee Expands to Southeast; Promotes Women-Owned Businesses

As Hy-Vee prepares to open its first store in Tennessee, it is also looking to expand its offerings from local minority- and women-owned businesses. The West Des Moines, Iowa-based chain will host the Hy-Vee OpportUNITY Inclusive Business Summit on May 25 that will feature a small-business vendor expo, small-group workshops and special keynote presentations.

Local minority- and women-owned businesses are invited to apply for the chance to showcase their products or services during a pitch competition at the Hy-Vee OpportUNITY Inclusive Business Summit at Kirkwood Community College’s Linn County Regional Center in Hiawatha, Iowa. Hy-Vee said that three winners from the summit will be selected by a panel of judges to receive up to $25,000 as an investment for future endeavors. 

Hy-Vee is currently accepting submissions for local products or services for its OpportUNITY Inclusive Business Summit at  hy-veeopportunitysummit.com in the following categories of retail-ready products or services: food and beverage, product innovation and technology, health and beauty, sustainability, services and entertainment. The deadline is April 17. 

Showing no shortage of expansion for growth and opportunity outside its home state of Iowa, the supermarket chain on March 28 announced it will open its first store in Tennessee. With an open date in 2023, the store, to be located in Spring Hill, will be one of the company’s first locations to open in the Southeast. Hy-Vee is also expanding in Indiana, Kentucky and Alabama.

Hy-Vee said it has secured 17 acres at the corner of Buckner Lane and June Lake Boulevard, within the new June Lake gateway development, approximately 35 miles south of Nashville in Williamson and Maury counties, for the Spring Hill store. The company said it has submitted initial plans to the city. The plans call for an approximately 160,000-square-foot store.

“As Hy-Vee continues to grow and evolve, we have so much to offer consumers across the U.S. that we knew it was time to expand our footprint even further,” said Randy Edeker, chairman and CEO of Hy-Vee, in a statement. “As customers’ shopping habits change and their needs evolve, we have services and offerings that we believe will bring an entirely new retail experience to those in Tennessee.”