Harps opening store in Greenwood, acquires CVs in Fort Smith

Springdale-based Harps Food Stores said Friday it will hold a grand opening at 10 a.m., April 27 for their newest store at 301 W. Center St., in Greenwood. The location, which was once a CVs Family Foods store, will be the 12th Harps store in the Fort Smith metro.

Sarah Thacker, Harps’ director of advertising and communications, said the 25,000-square-foot store will open with 18 part-time and 11 full-time employees. She also said the grocer is adding more than 100 items and reducing prices on at least 1,000 items as part of the store’s opening.

Also, Harps now has its signage on the former CVs grocery store in south Fort Smith at 9401 Highway 253 S., but because of legal reason Harps cannot discuss acquisition of the location. Harp’s 12 stores include four in Fort Smith.

Harps recently named Ed Kirkland as district manager for Harps stores in eastern Oklahoma. Kirkland began his career with Harps in January 1989 as a part-time student stocker at the Price Cutter in Poteau, Okla.

The grocery company on April 27 is also holding a grand reopening of a 36,000-square-foot store in Thayer, Mo. Harps is closing a second location in Thayer to consolidate in the larger space.

Harps is a 100% employee-owned company which operates 135 stores in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Harps is the largest employee-owned company in Arkansas. Harps was founded by Harvard and Floy Harp in Springdale in 1930. Since then, the company has grown to employ more than 6,900 workers.