Newport Avenue Market Executives Honored with FMI Innovation Award

CHICAGO – Today, in front of several hundred of the next generation of industry leaders, Food Marketing Institute (FMI) awarded Debbie and Rudy Dory of Newport Avenue Market in Bend, Oregon its Robert B. Wegman Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence. With focus on a healthy diet and a sense of humor, the Dorys’ single-store, employee-owned operation epitomizes this award for grocery innovators.

FMI President and CEO Leslie G. Sarasin said, “Rudy and Debbie are as colorful as the vision they have for their community and they have kept their shoppers in Bend, Oregon, guessing since 1991. They are a small operation, but mighty in spirit, and they embolden their industry peers to push boundaries and delight consumers in inventive ways.”

Sarasin continued, “I would argue that the store’s creative appeal stems from Debbie’s professional background as a florist, and the Dorys’ double-digit growth for five of the last six years could be attributed to the store’s diverse mix of specialty food offerings, housewares and a hands-on approach to delivering fresh products to the consumer.”

Rudy and Debbie epitomize shopper trends with a hyper-focus on local products, featuring more than 200 artisanal items. They remain at the forefront of technology, investing $2.5 million over the course of five years. These investments yielded digital shelf tag technology in the aisles, energy-saving refrigeration technology and total store lighting, and giving their shoppers secure payment options like Apple Pay. The company is also a trailblazer with regard to equal wages and most recently became an employee-owned company in 2015, which provides workers with an ownership interest in Newport Avenue Market.

The two are greatly engaged in the community through environmental, community and industry stewardship. The company reduced its landfill waste by nearly 60 percent in 2012, and it continues to be involved in hunger prevention, fundraising more than $200,000 for the Hunger Prevention Coalition of Central Oregon. In addition to his FMI tenure on the board of directors, independent operator committee and past chair of the public affairs committee and share group, Rudy has been a past board member of the United Way, the Bend Chamber of Commerce, and Rotary Club; and in 2000, he was named the Deschutes County United Way Volunteer Citizen of the Year. In addition, Newport Avenue Market was named Business of the Year by the Bend Chamber in 2014.

Debbie and Rudy have one daughter, Lauren Johnson, who holds the title of CEO at Newport Avenue Market and regularly earns acclaim in her own right.

For Media: Download Image From Awards Presentation