The History of Grocery Supply Company
On February 18, 1947, the day that Ken McKenzie, Curtis McKenzie, and Woodrow Brittain founded the company, growth wasn't the top priority. "There were at least 50 or so other grocery warehouses within a 100 mile radius of Grocery Supply Company," remembered Kenneth McKenzie, "we provided products and reliable service while building trust and confidence between us and the customer." It was that trust and confidence that enabled the company to grow. Within a few years, GSC began to outgrow the warehouse in Mt. Vernon. And in 1953, within just six years, the three partners began expanding. By 1965, after several expansions, GSC had again outgrown the available space and moved into 42,000 square feet of space at its current location in Sulphur Springs, Texas. Today, after 14 major expansions, the warehouse has over 400,000 square feet of available space under one roof. . . and it's never enough. From the beginning, Grocery Supply Company began operating with a simple philosophy, "to provide our customers with the best". That motivating belief underscores everything that has been and that continues to be Grocery Supply Company.
We're proud of our past
Founded in 1947, by Curtis McKenzie, Kenneth McKenzie and Woodrow Brittain, the company prospered under their leadership. In 1965, the company moved to its present location in Sulphur Springs, Texas. Expansion at this location has continued up to the present. At the same time, the company began a major expansion program acquiring existing businesses and operating them as distribution centers. Today, Grocery Supply Company is GSC Enterprises, Inc., operates four divisions: GSC Sulphur Springs, GSC San Antonio, GSC Southeast and Fidelity Express Money Orders. The grocery distribution division continues to operate under the Grocery Supply Company name and serves over a quarter of the country including the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Tennessee and Texas. GSC remains a family owned and operated business, with Michael K. McKenzie, the son of Kenneth McKenzie, one of the founders, serving as Chairman of the Board and CEO. With its centers, GSC sits poised to begin a new chapter in its history. But our customers can be certain that one thing won't change, and that's our commitment to deliver them only the best in products, services and support. We were founded, developed and expanded on that basic belief. We don't see any reason to change it.
Growing to Meet Your Needs
The common thread that binds GSC Enterprises, Inc., is the people within the organization. It's their awareness of customer needs that has helped direct many areas of our growth. Based on their recommendations, GSC has acquired or developed a number of new businesses to help meet and exceed our customers expectations: Today, GSC employs over 1,000 people and serves more than 4,500 independently-owned supermarkets, convenience stores, wholesale houses, discount centers and other retailers. The belief that started the company, that its growth and success is due to the continuing support of the customers and our employees continuing commitment to the customers, has become a tradition. And that tradition continues!
What You Want, When You Want It
Grocery Supply Company operates on a simple slogan, "Big enough for the job, small enough to care". Our dedication to customer service means we will work with you, one-on-one, to meet your specific needs. Whether you run a multi-state grocery chain or a single convenience store, we apply this same approach to every one of our distribution services. Every GSC customer is assigned an account coordinator and a customer service representative who will work with you individually to meet all your special ordering needs. Whether it's special quantities or specific hard-to-find items, you get the reassurance of personal attention. Our size and strength give us the buying power and transport capabilities to get you what you want. Our up-to-the-minute technology makes sure that our customers are immediately aware of all special purchasing opportunities. Plus, we are able to set up special billing and credit procedures based on your particular needs. But the most important part of our business is delivering you the product, and we treat it that way. All of our deliveries are coordinated and confirmed electronically. So you get exactly what you want...when you want it. Delivered accurately. On-time. In good condition.
On The Technology Highway!
Grocery Supply Company, because of its strong customer focus, had an advanced understanding of the evolving EDI/ technology needs of today's retailers and moved forward to invest in the people and equipment to address their cost savings and control needs. During the early 1990's, GSC aggressively installed the latest Information system technologies throughout all of the facilities to accommodate and anticipate our clients business goals. The IBM mainframe, one of the largest processors commercially available, is located in Sulphur Springs, and networked with GSC distribution and service facilities. Our goal is to ensure that our customers receive service that is second to none. Like all our other services, the system can be tailor-made to fit our customers specific needs and provide constantly updated data in all areas of operation such as: price books, invoices, price changes, retail changes, and more. This rapid technology also allows GSC to provide price change data for in-store scanners and printed shelf labels. Combined with the support of our knowledgeable professionals, new applications are being developed daily. You can continue to depend on GSC to be the leader of the convoy on the information highway. The Road Ahead Today, our customers span the gamut of grocery retail outlets, from convenience stores, grocery chains and drug stores to military bases and supercenters. And we serve every one of them with the same combination of customer service, professionalism, advanced technology, and fair prices that has become synonymous with Grocery Supply Company. We started as a family business and have always believed that no matter how big you become, you must continue to treat your employees and your customers like members of a family. It's that philosophy that has brought us to this point in time and will keep us rolling in the years to come.
