Kroger turned Superlo Grand Opening Story & Pictures By Dr. Yvonne D. Nelson When Kroger announced it was closing its location at 2269 Lamar in Memphis, TN as of February 3, 2018, the historic Orange Mound community went into action. “We have had a Kroger in the Orange Mound community since I was a little girl, said Orange Mound historian Mary Mitchell. “For over 90 years the people of Orange Mound have supported Kroger stores to the tune of $90 billion dollars.” According to the company’s official press release, the facility, which was one of two that had been sited to close, had B. been operating at a deficit amounting to nearly $3 million dollars over its last three-to-four years of operation. The release also mentioned that all 137 displaced employees would be offered positions at local stores that would were not affected by the closures. Stepherson, Inc. is locally operated business founded by Jack, Wesley, and Kenneth Stepherson in 1944. In October 2010, Stepherson’s, called Superlo because they believe in super low prices, became an employeeowned corporation with the inception of its employee stock ownership program. “Superlo is an employee-owned store chain,” said Mitchell who attended the grand opening on December 4th. “This is the first time in Kroger’s 136-year history that they have given over one million dollars to any one community. My thanks go out to Kroger, Superlo and to everyone else who worked on this project including our pastors and political friends, UFCW Local 1529 members Richard Slayton and Rose Turner; my grandson, Kristen D. Jones; and Cheryl Scales, a generational Orange Mound family descendent. It is because of their hard work that this dream is now a reality.” 12
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