Foodland, with four stores in the Parkersburg area, has always worked to live up to its slogan, "Close to Home," said Jim Oppe, owner and president of the local Foodland franchise.

While Foodland the company celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2008, Oppe said he became involved in 1995 when he purchased his first store.

He owns four stores in Parkersburg, one in Spencer and one in The Plains, Ohio. Overall, Foodland has 44 stores based in West Virginia, he said.

Foodland was chosen this year as the Readers' Choice in the Grocery/Supermarket category of the second annual The Parkersburg News and Sentinel Readers' Choice Survey.

Foodland was also recognized in 2007 in the first Readers' Choice survey, in the category of Freshness and Service, Oppe said.

"I feel very honored by the readers, that they have chosen us two years in a row," he said.

The local Foodland stores are located on Plum Street and Emerson Avenue in Parkersburg and 23rd Street in Vienna. The south Parkersburg store was relocated in October 2007 from its longtime location on West Virginia 95 to the new location in the Gihon Village Plaza off Gihon Road.

Oppe said one of the reasons for the change was a shift in traffic patterns due to Corridor D's construction, which moved some traffic off W.Va. 95.

The new space available in the former Big Bear building, which also houses Ollie's Bargain Outlet, was more than double the original building. That provided more space for specialty foods, frozen foods, produce, seafood, meat and other sections of the store.

"The store is doing very well. We're pleased with sales and continuing to grow," Oppe said of the new location.

Foodland is a full service grocery store. Among its services are its fresh-cut meat daily, a service Oppe believes is declining elsewhere. During the proper seasons, Foodland gets a lot of produce locally from area farmers. The company also works to support local businesses and organizations, such as stocking the locally-produced Broughton Milk products.

"We're the local guys. This is home to us," he said.