Writer: Seth Johnson
Photographer: Ron Wise
For several months, Zionsville natives were without a convenient place to buy groceries. But thanks to the new Kroger location at Boone Village, that problem has now been solved.
Located in the former Marsh building at 5 Boone Village, the Zionsville Kroger had its grand opening on Jan. 25, much to the delight of customers. A 26,000-square-foot space, the new store went through a great deal of revamping before opening its doors.
“Kroger put in almost $4 million into this remodel, and a big chunk of it is technology,” says manager Steve Carroll. “The decor in the store is brighter with the new LED lighting too. It just seems larger than what it was. We didn’t expand the walls at all — it just seems bigger because of the way it was remodeled.”
Having worked in supermarkets since the age of 16, the 60-year-old Carroll was originally drawn to the business through his father Jerry.
“My dad was with Marsh for 25 years, and his work ethic and the way he took care of his customers just drove me to the business,” Carroll says. A longtime employee of Marsh prior to coming to Kroger, Carroll even worked as a manager at the former Marsh location in Zionsville between the years of 2007 and 2013.
“I love the business,” Carroll says. “My previous boss with Marsh had gone to Kroger several years prior. I just wanted to stay in the business and get back into management with Kroger. So I sought him out, and he gave me directions on what I needed to do to get hired on at Kroger.”
In particular, he’s thankful for the training he received from Kroger before entering his position.
“They’ve given me a lot of tools,” Carroll says. “Of course, I’m still learning them, but they’re helping me do my job better and helping me to be a better manager, and to train and teach.”
As with any managerial position, a big part of his role at the Zionsville Kroger is to seek out employees who will blossom into excellent leaders in the future.
“A big part of my job is training and teaching others and moving people on that are promotable,” Carroll says. “In order for the company to grow, we’ve got to have those future leaders, and we try to find that in these young men and women that we hire.”
Currently, his location is still hiring new employees. “We can always use more good people,” Carroll adds. This will only continue as another Kroger location is set to open up at 106th Street and Michigan Road.
“We’ll continue to hire going forward because we will be opening a store over at 106th and Michigan coming up later on in the summer,” Carroll says. “So, we’re not over-hiring, as much as there will just be another place for folks.”
Already since opening, he’s noticed that customers are enthusiastic about this Kroger location.
“People are just excited that we’re open again, and we’re close,” Carroll says. “They don’t have to drive so far to get their groceries. The biggest thing with us being here is the convenience.”
Personally, Carroll has been reaping the benefits of the new store as well.
“I’m enjoying the fuel points and the cheaper prices, too, as a consumer,” he says, laughing.
The new Zionsville Kroger location is located at 5 Boone Village, or you can give them a call at 317-873-2366.
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