Retirement party Friday will celebrate Sam Turner, longtime Food City manager
Clinton Food City Manager Sam Turner looks over the for- mer bank branch site inside the store that was remodeled into a new display area for health and beauty products in 2022, in this file photo taken in July 2022. Turner retired from Food City in mid-May after 24 years of service at the store. (photo:G. Chambers Williams III )
A sign posted in the store after Turner’s retirement sought cards for him from customers and friends, and noted that Clinton Food City was saying “goodbye after 24 years under Sam.”
During his tenure, Turner served in a variety of roles at the store, at 507 S. Charles G. Seivers Blvd., starting as a night stock manager and working his way up to store manager.
He is well-known in the community both as the Food City manager and for his work in various charitable causes.
Most recently, he oversaw a major remodeling and reconfiguring of Food City’s interior, beginning in June 2022, that resulted in the opening of an in-store Starbucks kiosk in mid-2023 that added 15 jobs to the store.
The Food City Starbucks is open seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., and offers the same coffee drinks found at other Starbucks locations.
That remodeling also included adding a sushi bar; new cases and coolers, stove, and ovens in the bakery/deli; a new décor package; and general painting and updating of the rest of the interior.
Additionally, Food City expanded its health and beauty-care product displays into the area formerly occupied by the in-store bank branch, which closed in early 2022.
In a letter to the store’s employees and the Clinton community, Abingdon, Virginia-based Food City President/CEO Steven C. Smith praised Turner and his accomplishments during his tenure in Clinton.
“We would like to thank Sam Turner for his dedicated service to our company,” Smith wrote. “We’ve enjoyed a great relationship for more than 23 years, during which Sam has served in a number of key roles, including night stock manager, assistant manager trainee, assistant store manager, grocery supervisor, and store manager.
“He has also been very active within his local community, working to help make Clinton and Anderson County a better place to live, work, and educate your children.
“Having participated in the Food City retirement plan throughout his career, after his many years of dedicated service, Sam has chosen to retire and spend more time with his family,” Smith said. “While Sam will be greatly missed, we certainly wish him all the best on a well-deserved retirement as he enters this next chapter of life.
“Many times, people who retire later decide to return to work either part-time or fill-time in a different role,” the letter continued.
“Should he wish to do so, we would certainly welcome Sam’s return to our store operations team in whatever capacity would be mutually beneficial. We consider Sam to have not only been a wonderful asset to our company and his community, but a friend as well.”
The announcement of the retirement party said that food and beverages would be served. The Community Center is at 101 S. Hicks St.
Anyone wanting to attend the party is asked to register by email at jamesb@foodcity.com.