LAS VEGAS — The National Grocers Association said it has selected Keith Johanneson, president and chief executive officer of Johanneson's Inc., as the 2011 recipient of the Thomas K. Zaucha Entrepreneurial Excellence Award.
Johanneson's, a company founded by his parents and based in Bemidji, Minn., employs more than 1,300 workers and operates more than 20 businesses, including supermarkets, convenience stores, liquor stores, fast-food operations and real estate development companies throughout Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin.
The Zaucha Award was established as a way to highlight and reward retailers that have shown tangible examples of persistence, vision and creative entrepreneurship throughout the prior year.
“Keith Johanneson and his team exemplify what it means to be an independent grocer. He is a progressive independent operator from a family business with a strong sense of community loyalty [who is] passionately committed to helping improve the grocery industry to ultimately better serve the consumer," said Peter Larkin, NGA president and CEO.
