FAREWAY MOVING CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS

     I, the Kornerman, hated to see the big headline in the Register, "Fareway moving headquarters from Boone to Johnston after 85 years," BUT I guess I do understand it and not all of it is bad.

     Rather than dwelling on the negative, how about a look at the positive. Ninety-percent of Fareway will remain in Boone, which means up to 600 employees will NOT be leaving town. Mayor John Slight favorably commented, "Fareway's downtown office, which has housed the corporate employees, will become the new home for approximately 45 wholesale office employees. That's more people than are currently working in the downtown office and will boost our downtown's vitality."

     Fareway has always been a wonderful contributor to Boone in numerous ways, especially thinking of its huge payroll and numerous community improvements, and there's no reason to think that will change. In fact, according to the Register story, from 2005-2010, Fareway invested $75 million, revamping its warehouse here and plans to spend $20 million to $30 million in the next three to five years renovating its Boone campus and moving the wholesale office into its downtown Boone building.

    Reasons for the move?  Some 20 years ago, 80% of corporate office employees lived in Boone County. Now 80% live in Polk County. The claim is that it will be much easier  to recruit employees from the Des Moines area and that the Johnston location will be much more convenient for some employees who will cut their commute time.

    Many employees, who, will now be housed at the Johnston building, were in Boone just a time or two a week for a few hours due to the fact they were working remotely. Reynolds Cramer, Fareway CEO, was quoted as saying, "it would be different if there were 80 people living in homes in Boone and now selling their homes to leave." He sees the move as having a "limited" impact on the Boone community. Let's hope so. For 85 years, Fareway in Boone has been a staple of this community. Another 85 years with "no major change" would be more than acceptable.

K-----K

     Worldwide Korner headquarters are located at 928 South Jackson, Boone Iowa 50036-4932. Phone number is 515-432-1530. Leave a message. To email your stories/memories/comments/death notices......kelleyskorner1@gmail.com.