As we enter our 75th year, the word "fun" comes to mind as I look back. I know that "fun" doesn't sound very business-like, but the truth is that it doesn't feel like 75 years at all. I'm grateful for the wonderful people who have been a part of the journey—my entire family, DLM associates, our vendors, and the community of customers who make it all possible. Together, we've not only served up great food traditions, but we've had a lot of fun doing it along the way. We've always tried to create faster than the competition can steal. As a result, we try things that others won't, and that leads to not only unique promotions and business practices, but items like the Killer Brownie® and our killer strategy to develop signature favorites in every aisle and department. Our endless quest to innovate breeds excitement.

But the awe of the grocery industry for me started when I was just a young boy. Some of my earliest memories were at the market with my mother and father, Calvin D. and Vera Jane Mayne. It filled me with wonder to see 100 lb sacks of potatoes and towering crates of cantaloupe. I vividly recall the knife that my dad used to cut the bananas off the stalks. The blade was curved and to a kid, it looked like an eagle's beak. Every Thursday morning, my dad would get in the car and drive by other markets to see the posters being hung that featured new weekly ad items. If the competition had Folgers Coffee on sale for 49¢ per lb, he'd hurry back to our store and lower the price to 39¢ per lb. 

That spark of excitement carries on with folks who also love DLM dearly, like my family and our fellow associates, including multiple generations who have worked side-by-side over the years. As we celebrate our 75th anniversary, we are looking back on our history and we also are looking forward toward a future that is very bright. I am grateful for our world-class associates and the great care that they extend to our customers, our friends. As the year progresses, keep an eye out here for more updates and memories shared from leaders in our company and my family.