On April 18, Food Lion honored 358 associates for their milestone 30, 35, 40, 45 and 50 years of
service with the grocery retailer– collectively totaling 12,320 years. Among those celebrating
milestones is Assistant Manager/Sales Executive Gregory Nelms at the Vinton Food Lion with
30 years of service, mostly in Vinton.
has been recognized for 30 years of service at Food Lion, mostly in Vinton.
Associates were recognized during an annual event where the retailer shares appreciation and
gratitude for long-term associates, presenting them with the Years of Service Award. At the
event, each associate’s name, position, location, and service milestone were read aloud and
celebrated.
“Recognizing the dedication and contributions of our associates who have served Food Lion for
many years is a true honor for us,” said Meg Ham, Food Lion president. “Their commitment to
excellence, care for our customers and impact in the towns and cities we serve is invaluable. We
are incredibly fortunate to have such passionate and dedicated associates who continue to make a
positive difference every day.”
Food Lion employs 82,000 associates at more than 1,100 stores across 10 states.
Nelms says he began working at the Vinton Food Lion in 1993 as a frozen food clerk. When the
store’s grocery manager retired in 1995, Nelms was named as grocery manager for a year, then
spent five years as assistant manager at another Food Lion. In 2000, he returned to Vinton and
has remained here ever since. He says his plan is to remain at the local store until he retires.
His duties include running the store in the absence of the store manager and running the center
store grocery department which encompasses everything except fresh produce, dairy, and meats.
He deals with trucking, product levels, inventory control, and more. He sees his job as “keeping
the store clean, full, and fresh.”
Nelms says he started off at Kroger as a teenager. After graduating from Liberty High School,
Virginia Western Community College, and earning his bachelor’s in business administration at
Roanoke College, he has been employed with Food Lion. He says Food Lion offers opportunities
for advancement and a faster track up the corporate ladder than other grocers, along with more
job stability, and fewer transfers from store to store.
He lives in Franklin County with his wife and their two children, a 17-year-old and a 10-year-
old. He loves the outdoors and anything to do with gardening– flowers, horticulture, landscaping.
Their family hobbies are camping and fishing.
Nelms says he enjoys his job, Food Lion is a good company to work for, and his co-workers are
“great.” Employees say he is “a good boss, fun, cheerful and upbeat, and easy to get along with.”
