Ben and Maytee Fisch College of Pharmacy

The History of the Brookshire Grocery Company

[Adopted from Brookshire's Food & Pharmacy Company History web site]:

On September 1, 1928, the late Wood T. Brookshire opened a small grocery store on the courthouse square in downtown Tyler, Texas. Mr. Brookshire began with four employees in a small, 2,500 square-foot store. He possessed enthusiasm, aggressiveness and the desire to give his customers the best service possible. He soon knew all his customers by name and had them bring new customers into his store. Today, the company has grown to include more than 150 stores – operating under the brands of Brookshire's, Super 1 Foods and FRESH by Brookshire's.

Through the years, Brookshire Grocery Co. (BGC) has maintained a philosophy of self-sufficiency and has provided many career opportunities by operating its own support departments, distribution centers, manufacturing facilities and by generally providing most of the services necessary to keep the company growing.

At BGC, the primary focus is on people. Their tradition of outstanding service was instilled many years ago when Wood T. Brookshire made the decision to place the customer as his top priority. This same commitment extends to its employee/partners – the more than 13,000 people who help make BGC successful every day.

BGC is the leader in the grocery industry and always looking to modernize, improve and grow. The company has come a long way since 1928 – but is still focused on offering the same exceptional customer service it was founded on. BGC's mission is to provide a great food and shopping experience.

At the heart of everything, BGC does is honesty, integrity and ethical business principles. BGC strives to be transparent with its employees/partners, suppliers and customers.

BGC is proud of its reputation for great service, generosity, and involvement with communities. Each year, BGC donates millions of dollars and millions of pounds of product to charitable service organizations. The BGC employees/partners are actively involved in the communities where they serve and make it a top priority to not only help those in need, but to build solid relationships with those in their local communities. The BGC corporate giving program supports more than 800 non-profit organizations annually.

BGC is very aware of the impact our business has on the environment. We continually look for ways to improve sustainability. BGC has been recognized by Progressive Grocer magazine for our outstanding green initiatives. The new concept store, FRESH by Brookshire's, has been certified by LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), a nationally recognized standard for high-performance green buildings.

BGC values all perspectives and know a diverse workforce increases its ability to interact and engage with its customers. BGC welcomes global perspectives and strives to empower our partners with the right tools needed for their success. BGC believes that it is our differences that make us each unique, and we know these traits are valuable in connecting with and providing the right foods and products for BGC consumers. Our company promotes a positive work environment in which everyone – partners, suppliers and customers – are treated with equality and respect.