SALISBURY, N.C. — Charlotte Hall, Md., Food Lion store manager Ahmed Awadalla was named Food Lion’s Ralph W. Ketner Store Manager of the Year this week at the company’s headquarters in Salisbury, N.C. Awadalla was selected from a group of more than 1,000 store managers across the company. Food Lion’s Ralph W. Ketner Store Manager Excellence Awards recognize and honor exceptional store managers who enrich the lives of Food Lion’s customers, associates and the communities we serve, successfully lead the business and support and inspire others. In recognition of Awadalla receiving this honor, Food Lion is donating 15,000 meals to the Maryland Food Bank through the retailer’s hunger relief initiative, Food Lion Feeds.
“When I joined Food Lion in 2007, I made a commitment to myself that I’m going to work hard every day, and my dream was to become a store manager, so it’s very special to be here today and receive this award,” said Awadalla. “Our team is there to serve our customers every day, making sure that they have the items they need, have a clean store and fast checkout, and have a great experience every time they visit our store.”
“Our store managers are deeply committed to their associates, customers and the towns and cities they serve, and Ahmed is a perfect example of that,” said Meg Ham, president of Food Lion. “Ahmed and the four divisional store managers of the year lead their associates with care and compassion and work every day to ensure our customers have the products and services they need to nourish their families and set them up for success in life. Today is about honoring and thanking them and showing our appreciation for all of our more than 1,000 store managers that lead our associates and nourish our communities every day.”
Awadalla began his career with Food Lion in 2007, as a part-time office assistant. Since then he has rapidly risen through the organization, holding the positions of part-time grocery associate, grocery manager, customer service manager, assistant store manager and store manager. Originally from Cairo, Egypt, his native language is Arabic. His favorite sport is soccer and he is an avid supporter of the Liverpool Football Club. Awadalla loves to travel and has visited 16 different countries.
In addition to Awadalla being selected as Food Lion’s Store Manager of the Year, four other store managers were recognized for exceptional leadership. The 2019 Divisional Store Manager Excellence Award recipients include:
- Mid-Atlantic Division: Reggie Beamon, store manager of the Food Lion located at 851 Washington Sq. Mall, Washington, N.C. 27889
- Central Division: Julius Gaines, store manager of the Food Lion located at 2526 Little Rock Rd., Charlotte, N.C. 28214
- Southern Division: Parrish Harvey, store manager of the Food Lion located at 1610 Highway 17 S., Surfside Beach, S.C. 29575
- Norfolk/Richmond Division: Leah King, store manager of the Food Lion located at 7465 Hargett Blvd., Gloucester, Va. 23061
About Food Lion
Food Lion, based in Salisbury, N.C., since 1957, has more than 1,000 stores in 10 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states and employs more than 63,000 associates. By leveraging its longstanding heritage of low prices and convenient locations, Food Lion is working to own the easiest full shop grocery experience in the Southeast, anchored by a strong commitment to affordability, freshness and the communities it serves. Through Food Lion Feeds, the company has donated more than 500 million meals to individuals and families since 2014, and has committed to donate 1 billion more meals by 2025. Food Lion is a company of Ahold Delhaize USA, the U.S. division of Zaandam-based Ahold Delhaize. For more information, visit www.foodlion.com.
