H-E-B plays a unique role in shaping its business operations around the food and supply needs of Texans, especially in response to natural disasters. In February 2020, before the federal government officially acknowledged the pandemic, San Antonio-based grocery chain HEB was already running pandemic simulations based on a natural disaster business plan they began developing in 2005, with the threat of the H5N1 influenza. The plan helped them respond to the H1N1 outbreak in 2009. In 2017, H-E-B used the plan to guide recovery efforts on the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Harvey.
Join us December 9th for a conversation with Scott McClelland, president of H-E-B Food/Drug, on the company’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The discussion, moderated by Evan Smith, CEO of The Texas Tribune, will include:
- The measures H-E-B has taken to improve its supply chain resilience.
- The role analytics have played in keeping the company competitive during the pandemic.
- The biggest opportunities and threats McClelland sees to his business as a result of the pandemic.
- What parts of the business have been permanently changed by COVID-19?
About H-E-B
H-E-B may be the earliest and most successful woman-owned start-up in history. With a $60 initial investment in 1905, Florence Butt opened the C.C. Butt Grocery Store in Kerrville, Texas. Her youngest son, Howard E. Butt, took over the business in the 1920s.
Now celebrating its 115-year anniversary, H-E-B has over 400 stores in Texas and Mexico, with more than 120,000 employees and $28 billion in sales. A nationally and internationally recognized grocer and pharmacy chain, H-E-B leads the industry in progressive operations and product research. The company takes pride in serving customers and supporting education and other community activities.