Harps expands with 18-store acquisition
Harps expands with 18-store acquisition
Harps Food Stores Inc. has entered into a purchase agreement to acquire 18 stores from Joey and Jeanie Hays, owners of Dyer Foods, an independent grocery retailer with multiple locations across western Tennessee.
The store locations being acquired are in the following towns: Fulton, KY; Alamo, TN; Bells, TN; Brownsville, TN; Covington, TN; Dyersburg, TN; Halls, TN; Henderson, TN; Humboldt, TN; Jackson, TN; Millington, TN; Newbern, TN; Somerville, TN; Tiptonville, TN; and Trenton, TN.
Earlier this week, Dyer Foods informed their associates that its store banners, employment and operations across western Tennessee will continue with minimal change or interruption. While the timing of the transaction has not been finalized, both parties anticipate completing the transaction by summer of 2026.
“We are excited to be able to acquire these stores from the Hays Family. We love small stores in small towns and these stores fit our strategy perfectly. We have the greatest respect for what the Hays family and their staff have been able to accomplish and look forward to having this great group of people join our company,” said Kim Eskew, chairman and CEO of Harps Food Stores.
“When Jeanie and I decided it was time to make this transition, Harps was our first choice” said Joey Hays, owner of Dyer Foods. “Their commitment to the associates and communities they serve is what we were looking for in a company, and to continue to grow the brand.”
Harps is a 100 percent employee-owned company that operates 160 stores in six states: Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Oklahoma.