Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 12, 1982)
national Hometown grocery battling Dallas name-brand chains Group says Americans pay too much for their insurance United Press International COPPELL — On Feb. 12, 1932, five brothers and a sister opened the doors of the first Minyard grocery store on Lind- sley Avenue in East Dallas. That store is still there, still family-owned but now one of an ever-growing string of 53, suc cessfully slugging it out with the national chains for a share of the Dallas-Fort Worth food market. Minyard Food Stores Inc. opened three new stores in its 1981 fiscal year and in August moved into a new complex of offices and warehouses totaling 400,000 square feet on a 65-acre site in Coppell, by the northeast corner of DFW Airport. Sales of the 50-year-old su- ermarket chain were between 250 million and $300 million in 1981, vice president Lisbeth “Liz” Minyard said. “We’re not very small,” she said. “I think sometimes we’re one of the best-guarded secrets in Dallas.” Because the chain is privately held, profit figures are not re ported. But Miss Minyard said: “In the supermarket business, your goal is to make 1 percent profit on your sales. If you make 1 percent, you’ve had a good year.” The Minyard stores had a good year in 1981, she said. Over the years, ownership of Minyard Food Stores has evolved to five family members. Two of the original founders re main: M.T. “Buddy” Minyard, the chairman of the board, and his sister, Fay, who is secretary- treasurer. Their nephew, Bob Minyard, is president. Lisbeth and her sister, Gretchen Minyard Wiilliams, both are vice presidents and the daughters of M.T. Minyard. Gretchen’s husband, J.L. Wil liams, is a long-time employee of the firm and serves as executive vice president in charge of retail operations. The firm’s goal is to grow by an average of three to five stores each year. Expansion is financed out of operating funds. The chain almost never borrowed Texaco to close two oil refineries United Press International HOUSTON — Citing declin ing product demand, Texaco U.S.A. has announced plans to close its West Tulsa, Okla., and Casper, Wyo., refineries em ploying a total of 600 people. Texaco officials also said the refineries, both built before World War II and with total re fining capacity of 71,000 barrels daily, were marginal in operat ing efficiency. Annon M. Card, president of Texaco U.S.A., said Tuesday that preliminary figures show petroleum product demand was down 6.2 percent industry wide in 1981 and the nation’s refineries currently are operat ing at less than 70 percent of capacity. Card said Texaco would con tinue efforts to sell either or both plants. The company had said in December it was possible the plants would be closed. The company said it was hold ing discussions with union rep resentatives about proposed be nefits to ease the impact of the plant closings on unionized em ployees. “The company has offered severance benefits more liberal than those provided under terms of the recently terminated labor agreement,” Texaco said. “In addition, separation prog rams have been developed and are being extended to non- represented employees.” Man sets ‘possessed’ stuffed animal ablaze United Press International SHREVEPORT, La. — A man who set his teddy bear ablaze because he thought the stuffed animal was possessed by demons and was spying on him was charged with aggravated arson, police say. City Detective Andrew Franks said Jake Crawford, 28, was arrested Wednesday morn ing after police and arson units responded to a call of a house fire. Crawford and his brother, who was asleep when the blaze broke out, escaped unharmed. “Crawford has been charged with aggrevated arson,’’Franks said, “but due to his mental con dition he will be transferred to the district attorney’s office for a disposition on whether to prose cute the case.” rwwwwwxwwmn UIIV*VSUI<) Neirun DimniA FRIDAY, FEB. 12 Starting 5 p.m. We're Celebrating Mr. Lincoln's Birthday With Style!! Answer A Lincoln Trivia Question and Get A $ 2 00 - $ 5 00 Discount On Your Meal! We LOADING ZONE of Aggieland 404 E. University Dr. 693-8869 ‘ Open 7 Days A Week money for expansion purposes until it obtained $12 million in loans a few years ago to pay for its large Coppell facility. Up for sale now is Minyard’s former warehouse and headquarters facility on Cedar Springs near Dallas’ Love Field Airport. “We’re interested in increas ing the number of stores in Tar rant County and Fort Worth,” Miss Minyard said. “We have seven stores in the county, three in Fort Worth. That’s really not enough for one market. “Newspaper advertising is so important, and it’s difficult to justify running a double-truck (two page) ad when you just have a few stores.” All expansion will be into areas that can be served by trucks based at Coppell. Minyard now has stores as fat- south as Waxahachie and Corsi cana and as far north as Lewis ville. A few years ago the firm closed its only Plano location but Miss Minyard said, “We’ve got to get back into the Plano market.” United Press International WASHINGTON — The av erage American works 30.4 days a yearjust to pay for insurance, and a total of $235 billion is paid in premiums annually, a con sumer group said Thursday. The National Insurance Con sumer Organization, backed by Ralph Nader, released a study that estimates the $235 billion in premiums amounts to 11.7 per cent of the country’s disposable income and computes to $1,025 for each person in the nation. The group said the $235 bil lion also is equal to what the country’s average wage earners combined will have made so far this year as of noon Friday. Robert Hunter, a former fed eral insurance administrator who heads the group, said de spite the investment, the insur ance system is a “monument to inefficiency” that usually re turns only 50 cents to 60 cents for each $1 of premium income. Your Danskin Headquarters Manor East Mall 779-6718 Te >Cv\S o Prescriptions Filled Glasses Repaired 216 N. MAIN BRYAN 822-6105 Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. 8 a.m.-1 p.m. “No other large industry is totally free from federal anti trust laws,” he said in a state ment. “Thus, cartels still set rates for many companies, wholesalers (the companies) set the retailer’s (agent’s) prices and efficient agents can’t pass along savings to their clients-j. anti-rebate laws preventit, “States have also passed^ making it illegal for lo». : group auto insurance tol)e t This noncompetitive ^ needs thorough reform," The Best Pizza In Town! Honest WE DELIVER 846-3412 Mr. Gatti's Pizzamat AFTER 5 P.M. — MIN. $5.00 ORDER Miller times starring Miller High Life today follow i 194 people ft of martial la' The derm city of Pozna response to dissidents fo against the i took place E Saturday. In view c cars have be streets starlit rnm Po car r 'G-ee> it be great Ip be -/Vaterhitcj?' 1 Unite LAGOS, I' ll’s appeal t< gious tolerai and the po northern Ni ity threat, V The mee was to have five-day visi Matt b The Uni stop Soviet Soviet Uni what it taki former Mo -Washingto Peter G of the 27t National A dent Centi “It is ci out it ver States has Soviet Un still feel tl The Ui to feel sec “It is and there and how clare tha tained,” 1 If con makes Pr tration ai confiden United S to accept Soviet po the Kren do, that and puff down. Osm The! not hav the 13t] a&m Chairrn n °t woi “I’rr the mo tant to i svorks f 'he Un