ASHLAND – Three months ago, Indiana-based Miller’s Markets bought Hawkins Market on Claremont Avenue. Monday morning, the company celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon cutting.
Miller’s Market was started in 1958 in Wauseon, Ohio by Joe Miller. His son, Gary Miller, now owns the 12-store supermarket chain, which includes stores in Ohio, Indiana and Michigan. The third generation of Millers is also involved in running the stores now, including the Claremont Avenue location in Ashland.
Mike Miller, operations manager for Miller’s, joked about the number of emails they had received from Hawkin’s customers urging them to not change anything about the grocery store’s popular bakery.
“We appreciate you guys reaching out to us, especially Mayor Fishpaw who emailed me and said, ‘I heard Miller’s is buying the store. Please keep the bakery,’” Miller said.
Earlier Monday morning, during a press conference sponsored by the Ashland Area Economic Development Office, Mikul Burlew, Miller’s Markets director of operations, said Miller’s realized the legacy of the Hawkins name.
“We noticed the Hawkins name is what everybody recognized. It wasn’t the Geyer’s name. So we approached the Hawkins family and asked if we could keep the Hawkins name and let us call ourselves Hawkins Miller or Miller Hawkins. We’ve had it both ways and we don’t really care as long as people associate us with the Hawkins name,” said Burlew.
A number of Ashland-area politicians were on-hand Monday morning to congratulate Miller’s and welcome them to the community.
“We’re just so pleased that you’re here and you’re making all these great improvements,” Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce President Barbie Lange said.
“I would like to say thank you for coming. The store has improved 1,000 percent since you guys took over. This is great. I’ve heard nothing but great things so thank you for coming,” Ashland mayor Duane Fishpaw said.
Founder Earl Hawkins opened the first Ashland Hawkins store on Center Street in 1968. That location is now a Save-A-Lot. The Claremont Avenue store opened in 1974. In 1997, Hawkins retired and sold the grocery chain to SuperValu. Five years later, Geyer’s Markets purchased the Hawkins stores.
