Food safety and customer’s health is a priority for Buehler’s employees!

Over 200 employees at Buehler’s Fresh Foods have been trained, tested and certified in safe food handling using the ServSafe program.

Employees are given 8 hours of instruction by Buehler’s two ServSafe certified instructors.  A third certified instructor will be added in August of this year.  Employees must pass a two hour exam with a grade of 75% or better to be certified and all employees in leadership or manager roles must receive certification.

Classes run throughout the year in all 13 stores.  Certification is current for five years, after which, recertification is required.

Buehler’s instructors have taught classes for other organizations due to their proficiency with the program.

Fifteen employees were certified in the most recent classes.

Wooster Milltown, Towne Market and Orrville: Lisa Webb, Fred Sweany, Pat Markley, Ron Bilderback and James Austin

Ashland: Kathleen Schnell and Eileen Roberts

Medina, Brunswick and Wadsworth: Alicia Meeks, Pat DiBiasio, Craig Mast, Kathy Hrabak, Ashley Mushat, JoAnne Vrtacnik

Delaware: Stacey Garnett and Sam Kondracki

Buehler’s is renewing its commitment to the local Wooster and Wayne County economy with plans for a major upgrade at its Wooster Milltown store. “We are looking forward to re-commit and re-invest in the local economy, quality of life and the community at large. This type of commitment will also provide jobs to construct and staff the new expanded Milltown store.” stated Dan Shanahan, COO.

“We want Wooster to have the type of grocery store its residents desire with the amenities and pricing that are important to them” stated Bob Buehler, vice president of marketing & merchandising. There will be an unprecedented effort to involve community groups, existing and new customers in the planning of the New Milltown store.   Small groups, panels and community representation are all being planned and organized as a way to get fresh input and perspective into the process.

The upgraded Milltown store is not just about the facility and outstanding customer service.  Pricing and product will also play an important role. Many projects are underway in our existing stores to lower prices, improve products, test new types of departments and improve our offerings to customers.

More information will be released in the coming months as the process to create the New Milltown store progresses. The customer and community panels have begun to be formed and the first meetings are scheduled in May.

Dan Buehler stated that “…our legacy and success in Wooster has always been directly related to our closeness to and involvement with the community. What better way to design a new store than to include the community and our customers into the process”.

Buehler’s Fresh Foods is a family owned, local Ohio Company, founded in 1929, and is part of the E & H Family Group. There are 13 Buehler’s Fresh Foods locations and 9 ACE hardware locations in Ohio.

Supermarkets are located in Wooster (2), New Philadelphia, Dover, Ashland, Orrville, Medina (2), Coshocton, Delaware, Wadsworth, Jackson Township and Brunswick.  ACE Hardware stores are located in New Philadelphia, Dover, Orrville, Medina, Delaware, Jackson Township, Independence, Rocky River and Westlake, OH late summer of 2012.  E & H Family Group is committed to environmentally responsible behavior.