Niemann Foods Inc. (NFI) has signed a purchase agreement with Covington Foods to acquire six County Market stores. The stores are located in Crawfordsville, Covington and Attica, Indiana, and Danville and Tilton, Illinois. The transfer of ownership is expected on or before Jan. 7, 2016.
“After 56 years of operating our stores and serving the communities, we feel the time is right to make the sale. I am very proud of all our associates and the relationships they have built in the communities,” said Gary Peacock, president of Covington Foods. “I’ve known Rich and his family for over 20 years and I am confident that Niemann Foods will provide our customers a great shopping experience, our associates stability and growth opportunities and our community (with) modern and updated stores. NFI is a successful company and is held in the highest regard in the industry. These stores will have a very bright future.”
NFI planned to meet with Covington associates this week to discuss the change in ownership. The stores will remain open and will continue to operate as County Markets during the entire transition.
“We are excited to expand our presence in Illinois and enter Indiana,” said Rich Niemann Jr., president and CEO of NFI. “Gary and his team have been great to work with. We are pleased to build on the Covington Foods Inc. tradition of quality products and great customer service.”
NFI is headquartered in Quincy, Illinois, and is an associate-owned company. It operates more than 100 stores, including County Market supermarkets, Save-A-Lot grocery stores, Harvest Market, County Market Express and Pick a Dilly convenience stores, Pet Supplies Plus and Ace Hardware stores.
