About
Brookshire Grocery Co.’s beginning stretches back to 1928 when
Wood T. Brookshire opened a small, 25 x 100-foot store on the
downtown square in Tyler, Texas.
He and five brothers operated several stores in East Texas until
the partnership dissolved in 1939. At that time, Wood became
sole owner of three stores in Tyler that served as the cornerstone
of today’s company.
Wood founded the company with strong convictions in a “people
first” operating philosophy, encouraging a service-driven
attitude among all who worked alongside him and rewarding
them with competitive wages and generous benefits. He
recognized the grocery business as his calling — a way for him
to serve his fellow men by providing fair-priced products of the
highest quality for consumers and a partner-style work
environment for employees.
Brookshire’s made history in several ways during its early years.
The company had the distinction of operating the first air-
conditioned grocery store in East Texas — which opened in Tyler
in 1939 after fire destroyed another location. When Bergfeld
Shopping Center debuted in the 1940s, it featured a brand-new
Brookshire’s store. Today, Brookshire’s still stands in this
historic shopping district — a newer, larger version with modern
amenities and the same friendly charm as always.
As the company grew, with stores starting to pop up across East
Texas, Brookshire’s opened its first warehouse in 1953. Through
the years, the company continued to experience healthy growth,
building new stores in new markets and branching into even
more territories by acquiring stores from other operators.
Today, Brookshire Grocery Co. has more than 150 supermarkets
operating in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi under
four distinct banners:
* Brookshire’s Food Stores
Full-service supermarkets featuring everything from
specialty departments to carryout service;
* Super 1 Foods Stores
Upscale warehouse-style stores with lower operating costs
passed on to consumers;
* Olé Foods
Heavy emphasis on meeting the demands of Hispanic
consumers; and
* ALPS (Always Low Price Store)
Prototype discount-store format.
The company also operates three distribution facilities — two in
Tyler and one in Monroe, La. — with more than 2 million total
square feet and a fleet of tractor-trailer rigs. BGC’s internal
manufacturing facilities include bakery, dairy, ice cream, yogurt,
fresh-cut, ice and water/drink plants, all in the Tyler area, which
produce a wide variety of award-winning products such as the
popular Goldenbrook Farms Premium Ice Cream.
Brookshire Grocery Co. currently employs approximately 12,000
people who are proudly referred to as “partners.”
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