The Maine Grocers and Food Producers Association has named Mark Kelley, owner of Country Farms Market in Washburn, the “grocer of the year” for 2017.
Kelley said Tuesday that the award is a testament to some of the hands-on skills he picked up from mentors over the years.
“I learned a lot of management skills,” Kelley said. “I like the grocery business. I always thought it was intriguing.”
A Washburn-area native, Kelley got his start in the supermarket business while he was in high school and college, working at the local IGA grocery stores under former owner Scott Carlin. After college, Kelley worked at Northeast Packaging in Presque Isle under Bob Umphrey.
Between the two experiences, Kelley said he learned a lot about what it takes to run a business and developed a motivation to have his own.
The ownership journey started in 2009 when Kelley purchased the Country Farms Market in Easton, followed by the purchase of the Washburn store in 2012.
“They’ve both been around for a long time. The Washburn store has been open as long as I can remember,” Kelley said.
Kelley made some changes to the stores, including remodeling, and increased online marketing on Facebook.
Kelley also made the leap into catering and has turned that into a significant business, serving reunions, weddings and other events with a mobile catering unit that can feed up to 500 people.
Today, Kelley owns just the Washburn store. He sold the Easton grocery to Mike Gallagher, although the two collaborate on procurement and catering. Each store also employs between 10 and 12 people, Kelley said.
