History Behind Coborn's Inc.
 
Determination, hard work, pride, and a vision - those are the words that best characterize the owners and employees of Coborn's Incorporated for the past 88 years.

The legacy of Coborn's began in 1912 when Chester Coborn opened a single produce market on Broadway Avenue in Sauk Rapids, Minnesota. Eventually, dry goods and other merchandise were added to the store's offerings as Chester tried to meet the needs of his customers. Coborn's was incorporated in 1921. In 1936, the company took another big step when it added a meat market to the store.

    

As time passed, the store continued to evolve, adding shopping carts and checkout lanes in the 1940s. In 1952, the store adopted the "cash and carry" concept that is prevalent in today's marketplace.

In 1970, Coborn's opened their first liquor store. A good complement to the food stores, today there is a liquor store either within or located close to many of the Coborn's and Cash Wise operations.
A true pioneer in the grocery industry, Coborn's Inc. was the first grocery retailer in the state of Minnesota to utilize scanning at its front end checkouts in 1972.

Recognizing the potential for what, at the time, was termed a "warehouse" or "discount" grocery store, Coborn's opened its first Cash Wise Foods store in Willmar, Minnesota in 1979. While the Cash Wise stores traditionally do not provide bagging services, they are priced well below conventional grocery stores, making them very attractive to a large number of consumers. Coborn's currently operates nine Cash Wise Foods stores throughout the upper Midwest.

Seeking to fill yet another niche, Coborn's opened its first convenience store in 1986. Little Dukes, named in honor of Duke Coborn, father and grandfather of the present owners, has grown to over 19 in number. The stores, located in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, pride themselves on cleanliness, friendly service and competitive gas prices.

Capitalizing on the opportunity to offer both unique and quality products at a very competitive price, Coborn's added a number of "backstage" operations in the late 80s and early 90s. The Central Bakery, Central Commissary, Central Dry Cleaning and Grocery Distribution Center all provide the stores with consistent, top quality product.
In 1999, Coborn's acquired three conventional grocery stores named Randall's. Two of the Randall's stores, located in Mitchell and Huron, South Dakota, were converted to Coborn's in February of 2001. The third store, located in New Ulm, Minnesota, merged with our Cash Wise store in August of 2001.

Coborn's prides itself on being a good corporate citizen in all communities in which they do business. Educational grants, financial and product donations, along with employee volunteerism, are corporate trademarks.