Niemann Foods, Inc. (NFI) is a company headquartered in Quincy, Illinois, that owns and operates supermarkets, pharmacies, convenience, pet and hardware stores mostly under the County Market, County Market Express, Harvest Market, Cenex One-Stop, Haymakers, ACE Hardware, Pet Supplies Plus, and Save-A-Lot banners in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Missouri. County Market is a supermarket chain operating in the Midwestern United States. The company operates as an independent regional grocer focused on community-centered service, with particular strength in smaller towns and rural markets where it emphasizes fresh products, prepared foods, and local sourcing.
The employee-owned, family-run company was founded in 1917 by brothers Ferd and Steve Niemann and is currently headed by Rich Niemann, Jr. Niemann Foods operates under a unique hybrid ownership model that combines family control with employee participation. The company is partially employee-owned through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) established in 1997, which allocates approximately one-third of the company’s stock to eligible employees. The Niemann family retains two-thirds ownership, ensuring continued family-run governance and alignment with long-standing values of sustainability and community focus.
Origins and Early Growth
In 1917, Ferd Niemann, Sr. and Steve Niemann opened their first grocery store. By 1930, they were operating 10 corner grocery stores and a wholesale business. In 1940 Niemann Foods, Inc. introduced the first full-service supermarket to Quincy, Illinois. This shift from corner stores and wholesale operations to a full-service supermarket marked the company’s transition into modern retail grocery.
The company’s early decades established a pattern of methodical expansion and format innovation. As it neared its 100th anniversary, Niemann Foods was in the middle of a five-year strategic plan. The company was analyzing how it could grow each of the formats of its stores and also looking at how it hires employees and how it trains.
Expansion, Acquisitions and Ownership
Richard Niemann Sr. served as the cornerstone of Niemann Foods’ leadership for over five decades, beginning his involvement with the family business at age 12 and assuming the role of president in 1969 following his father’s death. As president, chairman, and CEO until transitioning to chairman emeritus, he transformed the company from a wholesale operation into a major regional retailer, expanding it to approximately 130 stores across multiple states under brands such as County Market and Save-A-Lot as of 2022. Niemann Sr. emphasized a professional culture rooted in honesty, hard work, and reinvestment, which fostered long-term growth and employee loyalty, while also co-founding the Niemann Foods Foundation in 2006 to support community initiatives for children and families.
In 1997, under the direction of Chris Niemann, the company established the Niemann Foods, Inc. Employee Stock Ownership Program. Chris Niemann said, “We knew that our associates were the key to our future growth. We needed to take advantage of employees acting like owners, and what better way to achieve that than by making them shareholders?” This marked a watershed moment in the company’s development, creating a structure that would differentiate Niemann from many competitors.
Niemann Foods bought the store in 2001 and began operating it as a County Market. The company continued its growth through selective acquisitions and format expansion. In 2016, Niemann Foods launched Harvest Market as an upscale format specializing in natural, organic, and farm-to-table products to appeal to health-conscious shoppers. Harvest Market locations integrate high-quality perishables and sustainable goods, positioning them as destination spots for premium, wellness-oriented grocery experiences. NFI opened its first Harvest Market grocery store in Champaign, Illinois, in October 2016. This new concept store is not only a grocery store with a deli, bakery and coffee shop, but also features a restaurant, bar and educational cooking area.
Niemann Foods also employs the ValuCheck banner for discount grocery retailing, emphasizing cost-plus pricing where items are sold at shelf cost plus a fixed markup to deliver value to budget-minded consumers. Debuting in 2016, ValuCheck stores offer a streamlined assortment of staples, household goods, and private-label products in compact spaces designed for affordability and simplicity.
In 2021, Niemann Foods expanded into Wisconsin through the acquisition of four Ace Hardware stores in the Madison area, marking entry into a fifth state. The company continued growth with the opening of its first Harvest Market in Indiana, in Carmel, on May 15, 2024. Niemann Foods agreed to purchase six County Market stores operated by Covington Foods, an acquisition that would expand Niemann to Indiana for the first time. Family-owned Covington Foods, based in Covington, Ind., operates County Market stores in Covington, Crawfordsville and Attica, Ind., as well as two stores in Danville, Ill., and one in Tilton, Ill. The transfer of ownership is expected on or before Jan. 7, 2025.
The passing of Richard Niemann Sr. on September 25, 2022, at age 91, represented a poignant chapter in the company’s legacy. As former president, chairman, and CEO who served over 50 years, he drove expansions that grew Niemann Foods to more than 130 stores and established the Niemann Foods Foundation in 2006 to support families and children, embodying his commitment to ethical growth and associate welfare.
Stores and Regional Footprint
As of 2024, the company owns and operates more than 140 supermarkets, pharmacies, convenience stores, pet stores, and hardware locations, serving communities in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin. This geographic footprint allows Niemann Foods to cater to diverse customer bases, from city centers like Champaign, Illinois, to smaller towns such as those in rural Iowa. Presently, more than 100 independently owned County Market stores operate across Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, and Kentucky.
County Market is part of the United Natural Foods company since the latter’s acquisition of SuperValu in 2018. This relationship links the company to a broader wholesale and distribution network, though many County Market stores operate independently under Niemann Foods ownership. Many stores are located in smaller cities and typically feature an in-store bakery and deli.
Niemann Foods’ Save-A-Lot stores offer a limited assortment of groceries at discount prices while County Market stores are conventional grocery stores. For convenience-oriented shopping, Niemann Foods runs County Market Express formats, which are smaller footprint stores focused on quick-access essentials such as snacks, beverages, and basic groceries, often combined with fuel stations for on-the-go customers. Introduced through acquisitions in the late 2000s, these outlets cater to urban and rural areas seeking efficient, everyday retail options without the scale of full supermarkets.
Merchandising and Own-Brand Products
The company’s Essential Everyday line of foods provides customers with a low-cost, high-quality product. Most Niemann-owned grocery stores also feature prepared and ready-to-prepare foods. The company emphasizes fresh perimeter categories and in-store prepared foods as a point of differentiation in competitive markets.
The company just opened a Harvest Market concept store in Champaign that has direct relationships with area producers to satisfy the demand for locally sourced goods. Niemann operates its own cattle ranch in Missouri that supplies beef for Harvest Market and some County Market stores and they are expanding the operation to make Niemann Ranch Beef available in more areas. Rich Niemann and his sons started a ranch 20 years ago in Northeast Missouri with the mission of providing great tasting beef for their family. Niemann Ranch Beef is born on pasture and raised with care with no growth hormones.
Last year they launched online and mobile shopping applications with in-store pickup and home delivery in certain areas. Their myCountyMarket app features personalized offers, location-specific coupons, in-store maps and shareable shopping lists.
Employment and Labor Relations
The company is partially employee-owned through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) established in 1997, which allocates approximately one-third of the company’s stock to eligible employees based on performance and tenure. This structure fosters a sense of shared responsibility among the workforce, with more than 2,000 associates holding ownership stakes as of 2025, representing a significant portion of the approximately 4,000 total employees.
One key feature of the ESOP Plan is that the plan is 100% company funded. Eligible Associates also participate in a Profit Sharing Plan which is also funded 100% by NFI. This contribution will vary, depending on how profitable NFI is. Associates may also participate in a 401(k) Profit Sharing by contributing pre-tax monies through payroll deductions. To motivate you to save more, NFI will match 25% of what you contribute to the plan up to the first 6% of your wages. The 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan is self-directed by each Associate who chooses between 10 funds in which to invest, or a Target Date Fund that’s specifically designed with your retirement date in mind.
NFI provides life insurance for all full-time employees. Full time Associates can elect to receive dental benefits. The plan covers preventive and restorative services. Niemann Foods, Inc. will pay the balance of prescriptions after you pay an initial co-pay.
More than 1,000 Niemann Foods employees—one-third of the work force—own stock in the company. Employee ownership has been integral to the company’s strategy for competitive advantage and retention in a sector known for labor turnover.
The Economics of the Business
Niemann Foods has faced many challenges over the years, including the recent recession. When it first hit, the company’s stores concentrated more than ever on providing value to its customers. “We felt we needed to make sure our customers know that we get it … that value is more important than ever.” Instead, this also includes providing customers with a clean, comfortable and friendly shopping experience in addition to being right on price.
The company operates on economics typical of regional grocers: thin margins sustained through volume, local market knowledge, and operational efficiency. Employee ownership and family stewardship encourage reinvestment in stores and training rather than extraction of profits, a strategy that has allowed the company to compete with much larger national chains in its markets.
The governance framework emphasizes long-term stability over short-term profits, exemplified by reinvestment in store growth and employee development rather than aggressive dividend payouts. Processes such as the Developmental Center (DC) framework prioritize accountability, sales performance, and operational efficiency, enabling measured expansion—such as the opening of 22 new stores in the late 1990s and early 2000s—without compromising financial health.
Rivals and Market Pressures
At the same time, it managed to outperform industry standards while vying with the likes of Kroger, Meijer, and Wal-Mart throughout its 13 markets in Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, and Iowa. Niemann competes primarily through localized service, fresh-product focus, and community relationships rather than through scale advantages. The company’s presence in smaller towns and rural areas provides some natural insulation from direct competition with mega-retailers, though price pressure from discounters and online grocers remains a structural challenge for all regional grocers.
Later Developments and Direction
In November 2024, the Southern View County Market in Springfield, Illinois, closed due to lease nonrenewal. In March 2025, Niemann announced a new Haymakers convenience store at the West Quincy Port Authority site, with construction beginning in 2026 and opening planned for early 2027. As of 2025, the company plans to open a Harvest Market at Briarwood Mall in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in March 2026, entering its sixth state.
The company continues to balance growth through format innovation—especially the Harvest Market upscale concept and convenient smaller formats—with selective geographic expansion. Recent moves have pushed the company into Wisconsin and Michigan, extending its regional presence while maintaining focus on the Midwest. The integration of the Covington Foods acquisition in 2025 marked the company’s entry into Indiana, a significant geographic milestone that should drive future growth in that market. Strategic priorities include continued development of the Harvest Market format for health-conscious consumers, the expansion of prepared-foods offerings, and deepening direct-to-consumer digital engagement while preserving the local, community-oriented culture that distinguishes Niemann from national chains.
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