On Friday, December 13, local and out-of-state vendors of Strack & Van Til Food Markets celebrated the past year at the company’s Christmas party. The annual vendor appreciation event gives back to those who give their time and resources for consumers to have an enjoyable shopping experience.
For nearly 50 years, Strack & Van Til has held a Christmas party to celebrate and thank vendors from various sectors for their support throughout the year. While the company is local, some vendors flew in from around the country. The party has grown in size over the years, showing further how vital vendors are to facilitating growth.
“We have great employees, great customers and we also need our vendors,” President of Strack & Van Til Jeff Strack said. “It's a small way of saying thank you for all the hard work they do for Strack & Van Til and Town & Country during the year.”
Joe Stupka, the regional vice president of Strack & Van Til, walked around the party introducing himself to the different vendors. Stupka stepped into his new role in May 2024, making the Christmas party his first with the company, but he knew how important the party was to show appreciation to the people who helped go above and beyond for the customers across 23 stores.
“Ultimately, we all want the same thing,” Stupka said. “We want to have a great experience for our customers when they're in the store, and our vendors help us do that. Sometimes they're the ones doing the ordering or stocking. There's plenty of ways they help us be successful, so this is us thanking them for the partnership, collaborating with us, and making sure we're taking care of the customers in our stores.”
There were many ways vendors were able to celebrate the past year at the party. There were nearly 60 raffle prizes, with each vendor receiving a raffle ticket on their way in. The luncheon food and desserts were prepared by Strack & Van Til employees. When vendors weren’t making personal connections with each other, they could make an in-person connection with Strack and/or Stupka. Fostering relationships that are crucial for business operations was one of the most important portions of the party for the Red Bull vendors present.
“You're able to connect the dots with other vendors you hear about who you don't see,” Andre Drelockett, the merchandising manager for Red Bull, said. “It's a good way to meet with the Strack & Van Til Executive Management Team face-to-face. They are always great. We want to let them know we appreciate the partnership we have with Red Bull and Stracks, which is one of our biggest stores.”
Scott McGuirl, the district manager for Red Bull, felt the appreciation Strack & Van Til had for its partnership with the energy drink company, especially since Red Bull is a new company in the area.
“We've only been here for a year now,” McGuirl said. “Everything Stracks has done for us in the partnership, being one of our largest large format vendors and inviting us to this has been top-notch.”
The value of feeling appreciated and seen goes a long way. Strack & Van Til wouldn’t be the supermarket chain it is without its loyal, passionate vendors.
“I want to say thank you to our vendor partners and suppliers who take care of us for the year,” Strack said. “Part of our success is because of their dedication and loyalty to Strack & Van Til, day in and day out. We truly appreciate them.”
To learn more about Strack & Van Til, visit strackandvantil.com/.
