VOORHEESVILLE — Kevin Smith, the grocer who is buying Nichols’ Market, Voorheesville’s independent grocery store, grew up in Maine.
He was raised "way north," he said, about 10 miles from the Canadian border, the son of a farmer.
"That’s why you have such a good work ethic," said Elaine Nichols, who has run the Voorheesville store with her son, Jaret, since her husband died in 2002.

She was introducing Smith to the local press on Thursday morning.
Smith started working at a Hannaford Market, bagging groceries, when he was a college student at the University of Maine at Presque Isle. He majored in criminal justice, but, he said, "The career in retail was more promising."

The Hannaford supermarket chain was founded in Portland, Maine in 1883 when Arthur Hannaford opened a small produce store on the waterfront. He was then joined by his brothers, and the company became a leading wholesaler for produce in northern New England.

Retail outlets followed and, by 1971, earnings for Hannaford Bros. topped $1 million. Expansion continued and, by 1987, sales hit $1 billion. The Hannaford name took over for Shop ’n’ Save on private labels in 1996 and in 2000 Delhaize America, part of the Belgian Delhaize Group, bought Hannaford.
Smith worked his way up at Hannaford. "That sounds just like Jim," said Nichols of her husband, who opened the Voorheesville store on Maple Avenue in 1995, filling a long-vacant building.
"If you work hard, you always move up," said Jaret Nichols.

Elaine Nichols had told The Enterprise last week that the transition will take place at the end of January and she will stay on for six months or more to ease the way. It is time, now, she said, for her son Jaret to follow his own dreams.

Jaret said Thursday he does not know yet what he will pursue.
"He did the right thing for the family," said Elaine Nichols, noting Jaret stepped up after the death of her husband. Jim Nichols died while on a Cayman Island vacation with his wife; he was snorkeling.
Smith is himself a family man. He and his wife, Cheryl, who live in Ballston Spa, have a daughter, Lindsey, 19, and son, Kyle, 21. Smith said his son may "possibly" have an interest in the grocery business. "It changes," he said with a shrug and a smile.
Asked how the sale of Nichols’ market came about, Smith said that he had known Elaine and Jaret Nichols "for several years," and he went on, "It just came about in casual conversation."

Both Smith and Nichols declined to name the selling price.

"Hard to fill their shoes"

Smith moved to the Capital Region because he was looking for a challenge.
"I was bored after I became a store manager," he said. So, in 1988, he moved his family to Albany to help with Hannaford’s expansion here, overseeing the opening of several area stores. The chain has over 1,500 stores on the east coast.
In 1999, after 23 years of working for Hannaford, Smith made the plunge to buy his own store — Miller’s in West Sand Lake. He kept the name "Miller’s" just as he will keep the name "Nichols’" and added Shop ’n’ Save.

Since then, Smith has added two other Shop ’n’ Save stores; Nichols’ Shop ’n’ Save will be his fourth and final, Smith said.

When The Enterprise asked if he would expand beyond the four stores, Smith gave an immediate and emphatic, "No."
"It’s like after you’ve had a new baby," said Elaine Nichols, "and people ask if you have plans for another."

Hannaford supplies independently owned and operated franchises in the Northeast with Shop ’n’ Save merchandise. Those stores are usually in smaller markets.
"The ones I have are the only ones in New York," said Smith. The price structure for the Shop ’n’ Save stores is set by Hannaford and the ad program for Nichols’ will be Hannaford’s, said Smith.
"We have a store manager for each store," said Smith. He is keeping the current Nichols’ Market staff members, who number just under 100.
"Good staff is hard to find," he said.

Smith anticipates the store management at Nichols’ will continue to be active with community projects.
"I look for the store management to get involved," he said.
Smith concluded of the larger Voorheesville community, "I hope they give us the support they have to the Nichols family. It will be hard to fill their shoes."