GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.— Grand Rapids is getting another tribute to the men behind Meijer Stores.

On May 8, the Michigan Historical Commission approved a marker to honor Hendrik and Fred Meijer, who in 1962 became the first grocers to combine two popular retail models—discount department stores and supermarkets—into a single store on 28th Street, called “Thrifty Acres.”  The Meijers then took their model to Holland and Muskegon. 

Meijer now has nearly 200 stores across the Midwest, including Kalamazoo, Walker, Wyoming, Jenison, Rockford, Plainfield Township, Forest Hills, Lowell, Grandville, Kentwood, Grand Haven and Greenville, where Hendrik Meijer opened his very first store in the 1930s.

The new historical marker will be added to more than 1,700 green and gold signs found across the state, that chronicle the people, places and events that make Michigan’s heritage unique and unforgettable.  The historical markers are nominated by spons

(Spartan Stores) –  Spartan Stores, Inc., a leading regional grocery distributor and retailer, was recently recognized by Forbes Magazine in their annual "America’s 100 Most Trustworthy Companies" list.  

“We are pleased to receive this distinction by Forbes as one of America’s Most Trustworthy Companies,” stated Dennis Eidson, Spartan’s President and Chief Executive Officer.  “We are committed to being transparent with all of our customers, shareholders, and business partners while continuing to operate the business based on our core principles of honesty and integrity.”

Forbes turned to GMI Ratings, a pioneer in the application of non-traditional risk measures for financial analysis, to identify the most transparent and trustworthy businesses that trade on American exchanges.

Join us in celebrating Michigan products with the Made in Michigan Bracket Challenge. Click HERE to download the bracket.

Each day we'll have four matchups, one from each bracket, as we go through some of our great Made in Michigan products.