Ralph Ketner facts for kids

Ralph Wright Ketner (born September 20, 1920 – died May 29, 2016) was an American businessman. He was also known for his generous giving to good causes, which is called philanthropy. He is most famous for starting the grocery store chain Food Lion in 1957. It was first called Food Town.

Early Life and Learning

Ralph Ketner was born in Rimertown, North Carolina, on September 20, 1920. His parents were George Robert Ketner and Effie Yost Ketner. Growing up, Ralph sold newspapers and almanacs. This helped him learn important "street smarts" about business.

Even when he was young, Ralph was very good with numbers. He once said he could "out add any adding machine!" As a teenager, he worked at his brother Glen Ketner's grocery store in Kannapolis, North Carolina. This was his first experience in the grocery business.

In 1937, Ralph finished Boyden High School. He then went to Tri-State College (now Trine University) in Angola, Indiana. He studied accounting there. He was excellent in his accounting and business law classes. However, he had to drop out of a public speaking course several times because he ran out of money. Later, with help from Toastmasters International, he learned to overcome his fear of speaking in public.

After college, he worked as an accountant at Cannon Mills. He eventually became an auditor there. When the Attack on Pearl Harbor happened in 1941, Ralph joined the U.S. Army. He served for 36 months in Africa and Europe during World War II.

Starting Food Town, Later Food Lion

On December 11, 1957, Ralph Ketner, along with Brown Ketner and Wilson Smith, started a new grocery store chain. They called it Food Town, and it was in Salisbury, North Carolina. Ralph Ketner was the President of the company. He later became the CEO, Chairman, and Chairman Emeritus.

Over time, Food Town grew into the well-known grocery chain we know today as Food Lion. Like many growing companies, Food Lion faced some challenges. They worked hard to improve their operations and ensure customer trust.

Personal Life

Ralph Ketner had two children with his first wife, Ruth Jones. Their children are Linda Ketner and Robert Ketner. Later, he married Anne Blizzard.

His faith was very important to him. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Salisbury for more than 83 years.

Ralph Ketner passed away on May 29, 2016, at the age of 95. He died in Salisbury, North Carolina, due to complications from colon cancer.

Giving Back: Philanthropy

After he retired from Food Lion, Ralph Ketner spent a lot of his time helping others. This is called philanthropy. He supported many different causes. These included higher education, housing, helping people without homes, children's programs, and hunger relief.

In 1989, he helped build the first building for Rowan Helping Ministries. He gave half the money needed and raised the other half. On his 94th birthday, he donated $94,000 to Rowan Helping Ministries.

Awards and Special Recognitions

Ralph Ketner was honored by two business schools that were named after him. One is the Ketner School of Business at Trine University, which was his old college, Tri-State College. The other is the Ketner School of Business at Catawba College. At Catawba College, he also gave free business advice to students and the community.

In 1990, Ralph Ketner was recognized for his business achievements. He was inducted into the North Carolina Business Hall of Fame.

In 1992, the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce gave him an award for Distinguished Citizenship. This was for his amazing work as a business owner, a generous giver, and a community helper.

He received the Wilson L. Smith Philanthropic Award in 2012. This award was from the Rowan Regional Medical Center Foundation.

In 2015, Ralph Ketner received the Ally Award from Salisbury Pride, an LGBTQ advocacy group. He was also a long-time supporter of Alliance for Full Acceptance.

In August 2015, North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory honored Ralph Ketner with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine. This is the highest award a civilian can receive in the state. This special event happened at the premiere of a documentary about Ketner called “Lessons in Leadership.” The film showed his business life and ideas.

See also

In Spanish: Ralph Ketner para niños