Hannaford acquires Fort Kent, Madawaska Paradis Shop ‘n Save stores|
FORT KENT, Maine – Hannaford announced Tuesday that it will acquire the Fort Kent and Madawaska Paradis Shop ‘n Save Supermarket stores. Both stores are expected to start running under the new ownership this spring.
Paradis company President Denis Paradis, who also manages the stores, said Hannaford approached him about acquiring the two stores and that he felt it would be a great fit for the St. John Valley. He said he could not disclose terms of the sale.
“The benefit will be felt throughout the entire community,” Paradis said. “[Hannaford] is probably the best grocery retail company in the state, New England, and probably the east coast. They have a great culture. It’s a great working environment, and a great shopping experience with the same products.”
Hannaford already supplies and supports the Paradis’ Shop ‘n Save Supermarkets, according to a press release from Hannaford.
“We’ve long been committed to bringing the Fort Kent and Madawaska communities the high-quality, fresh products and exceptional service that are synonymous with Hannaford,” Todd Bullen, Hannaford Vice President of Retail Operations said in the release. “We look forward to further deepening our ties with these communities as we officially welcome the stores to the Hannaford banner.”
The Paradis family has a long history in the region. Louis Paradis in 1948 opened Paradis Supermarket in Fort Kent. The family has continued to own grocery stores throughout the region for three generations.
Paradis said the company will be owned by Hannaford after the transition this spring, and that he and the Paradis family will no longer be involved. He said he has been involved in the transition of Paradis stores to Hannaford in the past, and that it has always gone over well.
“We have a great crew,” he said. “We’re very fortunate to have low turnover of associates throughout the years. We’re very fortunate to have the people who have worked with us. They’re the ones who made us have the company we have today. We’ve worked with the grandparents of some of the managers we’ve hired today. It’s very nice, and everything should be going through pretty smoothly.”
Paradis said the change should be finalized by mid-April, and should benefit both employees and customers.
“We’re very fortunate to have Hannaford want to come up here in the valley,” he said. “I think it’s the greatest fit that we could have wished for, for everybody involved.”
