Nick Wilson/Daily Mining Gazette Grocery shoppers exit Tadych’s Econofoods in Houghton on a snowy Monday afternoon.

HOUGHTON — Tadych’s Econofoods will soon have a new name and a new owner. Coborn’s Inc., a Minnesota based grocery retailer, is in the process of purchasing the Houghton grocery store, as well as five other Tadych’s Econofoods outlets in the U.P. and Wisconsin.

On Monday morning, representatives from the two companies met to finalize the ownership transition. In addition to the Houghton location, Coborn’s will acquire Econofoods stores in Marquette and Iron Mountain, as well as three locations in Wisconsin.

After the acquisition is finalized, the store’s name will change to Tadych’s Marketplace Foods. While the stores will continue to operate under the Tadych name, the Tadych family’s business, T&C Markets, will play no role in managing the stores.

Coborn’s will continue to employ the approximately 800 people who work at the six store locations.

Jon Dittmann, store manager at the Houghton location, said that customers are unlikely to notice changes for the first six to 12 months of new ownership. Signage bearing the store’s new name will be put up on the outside of the building, and updates to the interior and exterior of the building may be completed in the future.

“I’m not sure what they have in mind for changes. Right now, they’re just trying to get all of the behind-the-scenes stuff taken care of,” said Dittmann. “I would say probably late summer, or early fall, is when customers will actually be able to see changes.

Dittmann expressed confidence in the new owners and optimism about the future of the store.

“It’s in good hands. It’s another employee-owned company, I actually feel really good about the transition,” he told the Gazette on Monday. “We’ll be able to keep the employee-owned family business feel, instead of becoming more of a corporate type.”

“The name on the building has changed, but the internal workings, the customer service in stores, is going to stay the same,” he continued.

Founded in 1921, Coborn’s Inc. is an employee-owned company that operates grocery stores across Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The purchase of Econofoods marks the company’s first venture in Michigan.

With this acquisition, Coborn’s grocery store lineup will grow to 66 locations, operating under the banners of Coborn’s, Cash Wise Foods, Marketplace Foods, Hornbacher’s, and now, Tadych’s.

Coborn’s also operates a number of convenience stores, pharmacies, and liquor stores. It owns a total of about 130 outlets between its grocery stores and other retailers. To support all of these stores, the company has its own central bakery, grocery distribution center, and dry-cleaning facility.

In an October press release, Chris Coborn, the chairman, president and CEO of Coborn’s Inc. addressed the acquisition:

“The Tadych family has run their family of stores with great care and is a highly-respected retailer. We look forward to extending the same operating philosophies in these locations that have made us successful for 100 years – investing and training for our people, supporting our communities and investing in our stores to improve the experience for our guests. We look forward to having the entire Tadych team join our team to learn more about their operations and communities.”

The Tadych family has owned and operated the Houghton Econofoods for more than 25 years. The Tadych’s brand was founded by James Tadych, who purchased his first grocery store in 1968 after gaining early experience working in his father’s store.

Over time, the Wisconsin-based company expanded, opening additional stores in Wisconsin and Michigan. The business is now owned by James’s son, Mike.

“This sale makes perfect sense for our family and for our employees,” said Mike Tadych in an October statement. “We are grateful to all of our customers and employees who have helped us build our business over the past five decades. I know our communities and employees are in good hands as we make this transition.”