ORLANDO, Fla. — Food Marketing Institute on Monday honored Steven C. Smith, chief executive officer of K-VA-T Foods, with its highest honor, the Sidney R. Raab Award, at FMI’s annual Midwinter Executive Conference here.
The Raab Award, named for the former Stop & Shop executive, recognizes excellence in serving the consumer, the community and the industry.
Smith started in the grocery industry as a child, learning from his father Jack Smith who opened his first Piggly Wiggly store in 1955. Throughout Smith’s 26 years of employment, his dedication and knowledge of store operations grew with the company, which now includes 93 Food City supermarkets and 11 Super Dollar Discount Foods stores.
Smith’s understanding of the industry is apparent in his range of titles at K-VA-T, which before president and CEO, included district manager, director of meat operations, director of advertising, store operations divisional vice president, executive vice president of store operations and chief operating officer. Smith is also the only executive to serve as chairman on both FMI’s and National Grocers Association’s board of directors.
Smith and Food City support organizations such as Muscular Dystrophy, Boy Scouts, United Way, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, American Cancer Society, East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, Santa Pals, YWCA, Boys & Girls Clubs and American Diabetes Association.
One of Smith’s long-time associates, Israel Quinn, stated, “Steve Smith believes that as a good corporate citizen, we have a responsibility to leave our community a better place than we found it. …Steve Smith’s commitment to our region is unsurpassed.”
