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Article published January 16, 2004
Mayor offers aid to retain Farmer Jack
By JON CHAVEZ
BLADE BUSINESS WRITER

Toledo Mayor Jack Ford yesterday said he is prepared to provide unspecified economic development incentives to Farmer Jack to help the company keep open its three stores in Toledo.

The grocery chain, which is owned by the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co., said in December it is undergoing financial restructuring and needs to make changes with the three stores plus three others in the Toledo suburbs. The options inlude closing, selling, or converting the stores to a discount grocery format.

‘‘ ... At the end of the day, I’d like to see the stores remain in place,’’ the mayor said at a news conference. He said he is particularly concerned about the store on Cherry Street at Bancroft Street, a part of the city which for years was without a full-service grocery store until Farmer Jack arrive in the last year or so.

Neither the company nor the employee union, United Food & Commercial Workers Local 911 has revealed what has been discussed between them in the past few weeks.

But the mayor said he has spoken with both parties, and the company is seeking wage concessions. Farmer Jack received wage concessions last month from a union representing 10,000 workers at its Michigan stores, savings the company said would curb store closings. The firm then said it would close 13 Michigan stores, and this week said 10 of those will be converted to Food Basics, a no-frills grocery concept that A&P runs primarily in Canada. Food Basics stores are about half the size of Farmer Jack stores.

Mr. Ford said he has offered to "open up our economic development toolbox’’ to help the troubled chain look more favorably at Toledo. The company told him to consider the Food Basics concept, a suggestion that could mean the company plans to convert some local stores.

Local Farmer Jack workers have been on edge for weeks, with some believing their stores will close any day. The company has not restocked some shelves in its stores, but others are empty or nearly empty, such as fruits and vegetables, and health and beauty aids.

Company spokesman Maria Ward said yesterday no workers have been laid off, and she insisted the firm hasn’t decided what it plans for the Toledo area stores.