Food Lion names store manager of the year
Jon Hardesty, store manager of the Food Lion located in Leonardtown, MD, was named Food Lion’s 2024 Ralph W. Ketner Store Manager Excellence Award winner. Hardesty was selected from a group of more than 1,100 store managers serving their neighbors across Food Lion’s 10-state operating area.
Named after one of Food Lion’s founders, the Ralph W. Ketner Store Manager Excellence Awards recognize and honor exceptional store managers who enrich the lives of Food Lion’s customers, associates and communities they serve.
In addition to Hardesty’s recognition as Food Lion’s 2024 Ralph W. Ketner Store Manager Excellence Award winner, four other store managers were honored for exceptional leadership as 2024 Divisional Store Manager Excellence Award recipients:
- Mid-Atlantic Division: Josh Carver, Roxboro, NC
- Southern Division: Alex Clever, Spartanburg, SC
- Central Division: Toby Pentecost, Scottsville, KY
- Richmond/Norfolk Division: Christian Dendy, Elizabeth City, NC
The annual award celebrates and recognizes exceptional Food Lion store managers who operate outstanding grocery stores while making a positive impact on neighbors in the towns and cities they serve. In recognition of Hardesty’s outstanding commitment to his community, Food Lion will donate 20,000 meals in his name to Leonardtown Church of the Nazarene Outreach Ministry in Leonardtown, MD, through the retailer’s hunger-relief platform, Food Lion Feeds.
“This honor truly reflects the incredible team I have the privilege of working with each day,” said Hardesty. “I am honored to receive this award and grateful to be part of an organization that values community, integrity and professional growth.”
"Store managers are the heartbeat of Food Lion,” said Meg Ham, president of Food Lion. “They are accountable for delivering executional excellence in operating great grocery stores. Jon has done just that and made a positive impact on the lives of associates and customers by creating an environment where everyone is welcomed and appreciated. By showing care for his community and helping his associates thrive, Jon’s leadership is felt inside and outside his store. I deeply appreciate all five of these exceptional store leaders for bringing our brand, strategy and culture to life in our stores every day.”
