Three generations have been at the helm of family-owned Geissler’s Supermarkets since the first Geissler’s opened in the East Windsor village of Broad Brook in 1923, and there are no plans to change the small chain’s management structure anytime soon.
With a younger generation poised to take over, Geissler’s has been selected as a model family-owned business by the Small Business Administration’s Connecticut office. Geissler’s and its owner and managing partner, Jim Nilsson, have been named 2011 Jeffrey Butland Family Owned Business of the Year.
Geissler’s — with stores in South Windsor, Windsor, Granby, Bloomfield, Somers and Agawam, Mass. — has stayed true to the store’s original focus on customer service.
“That’s the way my grandfather started it — he tried to take care of the customers,” Nilsson said. “Everyone was on a first name basis.”
Geissler’s took customer service seriously, even when the chain only consisted of the one store in Broad Brook. Even in the 1920s, the store made deliveries to customers.
“We were here before (Stop & Shop’s delivery service) Peapod,” Nilsson said.
Geissler’s has always focused on getting its products to the elderly, who have a hard time getting to the store. The company works closely with the Hartford Food System, which focuses on fighting hunger and improving nutrition, to assist the needy in getting the food they need. Nilsson said the collaboration allows the recipients to have their food delivered at no extra cost.
“A lot of the seniors can’t get out, and if they didn’t have their groceries delivered to their homes and apartments, they would have to go to assisted living,” Nilsson said. “It keeps them home as long as possible, and it gives us contact with people to make sure they’re okay.”
Nilsson said Geissler’s has phone numbers for the recipients’ relatives, in the event that they need to be contacted in an emergency. Today, the company has more than 400 customers on its regular delivery roster.
In addition to home-bound seniors, Geissler’s also makes deliveries to the general public, through phone or internet orders, making the chain able to compete with the larger chains.
Even with the growth to seven stores, Geissler’s doesn’t stray far from its roots as a hometown store with one-on-one customer service.
“We try to keep the same staff in each store, so they get to know the customers very well,” Nilsson said. “We have a lot of full-timers, and even some of the part-timers have been here a long time.”
Geissler’s is always willing to take special orders and customer requests for products. Nilsson said he has received many letters over the years commending his staff for their assistance to customers.
“I just got a card from the Windsor store that said the staff there was so great,” he said. “She went in and she needed sandwiches and mini-muffins at the last minute for an event, and the grocery (employee) ordered the items and had it there for her. She was just very happy.”
Nilsson said Geissler’s quality produce and meats keep customers coming back. Homemade salads at the deli are also a big draw.
“You make sure you have good vendors,” he said. “You buy from quality people and quality vendors that demand the best. That’s what our buyers do.”
Steve Traun, sales director of Geissler’s main supplier — Cheshire-based family-owned Bozzuto’s Inc. — said Geissler’s demands the best.
“Certified Angus beef is the highest quality beef available and that’s what they buy,” Traun said. “Over the last few years, they’ve upgraded the bakery, deli, meals-to-go and prepared foods. Those are the categories doing so well, and they’ve done a nice job as an independent keeping up in those areas.”
Traun said customers with high expectations are not disappointed shopping at Geissler’s.
“They’re very consistent; that’s part of their success,” Traun said. “The customer walking through the door, they know what they’re going to be in for.”
While customers may know what to expect, that doesn’t preclude change.
“As a family-owned business, you can react faster to the economic trends and changing customer buying habits,” Nilsson said. “We can move faster than the (large) chains.”
Geissler’s smaller size also makes it easier for the company to get involved in the communities it serves.
Jane Garibay, executive director of the Windsor Chamber of Commerce, which nominated Geissler’s for the SBA award, said the grocer is very much a part of the local scene.
“They’re a great employer of the teenagers in town; they’re involved in the community and the Chamber and in helping to sponsor different events,” Garibay said. “They’re always willing to help different organizations.”
Garibay said Geissler’s really listens to its customers.
“They’re willing to change things up for their customers,” she said. “You have direct contact with the owners. He is hands-on; he knows what’s going on in his stores and in the communities where his stores are located. They’re good people with a good business sense.”
Big management changes aren’t likely in the near future for Geissler’s. Nilsson’s two daughters and three nephews represent the future of the family-owned business.
“With the economy the way it is, we’re just making sure we’re taking care of what we have and making sure we do a good job,” Nilsson said.
