Alex Lee Inc.
Alex Lee Inc. is a privately held American food-distribution and grocery-retailing group headquartered in Hickory, North Carolina.
Last updated August 31, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Alex Lee Inc. is a privately held American holding company focused on grocery distribution, foodservice distribution, and supermarket retailing. Based in Hickory, North Carolina, the group operates through Merchants Distributors, Inc. (MDI), Institution Food House (IFH), and Lowes Foods, while also incorporating additional wholesale and retail businesses acquired or developed over time. Its distribution operations supply independent supermarkets and other food retailers with grocery and non-food merchandise across much of the Southeastern United States. The company’s roots reach back to approximately 1920, when A.C. Kelly took control of Merchants Produce Company of Hickory, a wholesale fruit and produce business. In 1931, Shelby, North Carolina grocer Moses George acquired the company and operated it with his sons Alex and G.L. George. As chain stores expanded and small independent grocers needed more efficient purchasing and logistics, the business broadened its role as a distributor. It adopted the name Merchants Produce and Grocery in 1938 and became an important supplier to independent stores in North Carolina and South Carolina. Following Moses George’s death in 1947, Alex and Lee George, together with their sister Josephine, continued the business. The wholesale operation was renamed Merchants Distributors, Inc. in 1956. By 1960, MDI had more than 130 employees and supplied approximately 400 grocery stores within a 150-mile radius of Hickory. The company subsequently expanded into institutional foodservice. In 1965, it began selling to schools, and its foodservice activities were later combined with James Wholesale Company to form Institution Food House. IFH became a subsidiary of MDI after the George family acquired the interest of James Wholesale following the death of Norman James. In 1992, MDI reorganized as a holding company named Alex Lee Inc., using the names of brothers Alex and Lee George. The reorganization placed MDI, IFH, and Lowes Foods within the group. This structure allowed Alex Lee to combine wholesale distribution with supermarket operations and institutional foodservice rather than relying solely on a traditional grocery-wholesaling model. MDI has supported independent retail formats through supply, merchandising, advertising, and distribution services. Its relationships have included stores affiliated with Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA), Galaxy Food Centers, and other regional operators. The company has also developed and supported retail businesses under the Lowes Foods and KJ’s Market banners. According to the cited reference material, MDI supplies more than 600 stores in eleven states, primarily in the Southeast. Alex Lee expanded through acquisitions in the late 2010s and early 2020s. In 2019, it completed the purchase of W. Lee Flowers & Co., a South Carolina wholesaler serving IGA and KJ’s Market locations. In 2020, it announced the purchase of 20 BI-LO stores in South Carolina and Georgia from Southeastern Grocers. Fifteen locations were intended for conversion to the KJ’s Market IGA banner, while five were intended to operate under Lowes Foods. These transactions strengthened Alex Lee’s position in both grocery wholesale and regional supermarket retailing. The group’s present identity is therefore that of a regional food-supply and grocery-retail enterprise. It serves independent retailers through distribution while operating its own supermarket banners and foodservice activities. Alex Lee is not publicly listed, and detailed current ownership, financial, and executive information is not established in the supplied reference material.
History
Alex Lee Inc. developed from Merchants Produce Company of Hickory, a wholesale fruit and produce business whose roots are traced to approximately 1920. A.C. Kelly initially operated the business. In 1931, Moses George, a grocer from Shelby, North Carolina, purchased the company for $17,000 and ran it with his sons Alex and G.L. George. The business benefited from the growth of chain-store grocery retailing, as independent stores increasingly relied on wholesalers for purchasing, assortment, and delivery. In 1938, the company adopted the name Merchants Produce and Grocery. Its role expanded beyond produce as it supplied merchandise to independent grocers in North Carolina and South Carolina. After Moses George died in 1947, Alex and Lee George, along with their sister Josephine, continued the enterprise. The wholesale operation became Merchants Distributors, Inc. in 1956. By 1960, MDI employed more than 130 people and supplied about 400 grocery stores within 150 miles of Hickory. It also invested in larger facilities to support its expanding distribution activity. MDI entered institutional foodservice in 1965 by selling to schools. Its foodservice operation was combined with James Wholesale Company, another Hickory business, to create Institution Food House. Lee George served as IFH’s president, with Norman James as vice president. Following James’s death, the George brothers acquired his ownership interest, and IFH became an MDI subsidiary. Lee George retired from active management in 1980 but continued as chairman. In 1992, MDI reorganized into a holding-company structure called Alex Lee Inc., named after Alex and Lee George. MDI, IFH, and Lowes Foods became subsidiaries or principal operating businesses within the new group. Boyd Lee George, a grandson of Moses George, became chairman and president of Alex Lee while also remaining chairman of MDI. The reorganization formalized the combination of wholesale distribution, foodservice, and supermarket retailing. The group continued to expand its support for independent supermarkets. In 1993, MDI became a distribution center for Independent Grocers Alliance. The arrangement provided IGA stores with merchandise and enabled the organization to use MDI’s advertising and merchandising capabilities. MDI also supplied Galaxy Food Centers, a regional grocery operation founded in 1979. In 1995, MDI announced a planned $60 million distribution facility in Caldwell County. Local governments offered economic incentives totaling $5.5 million, and the proposal became controversial because of broader legal questions surrounding public incentives for business retention and development. The facility was completed roughly two years later. Some nearby residents subsequently complained about noise, while others alleged that construction had damaged their homes. The supplied reference does not establish a final legal determination regarding those complaints. Alex Lee later pursued growth through acquisitions. In October 2019, it completed the purchase of W. Lee Flowers & Co., based in Scranton, South Carolina. W. Lee Flowers supplied approximately 75 IGA and KJ’s Market stores, including stores it owned. In September 2020, Alex Lee announced its purchase of 20 BI-LO stores in South Carolina and Georgia from Southeastern Grocers. The stated plan was to convert 15 locations to KJ’s Market IGA and five to Lowes Foods. Through MDI, the group has supplied more than 600 stores in eleven states, mostly in the Southeast. Alex Lee’s business model combines wholesale scale with regional retail banners, allowing it to serve both independent grocers and stores operated under brands associated with the group. It remains a private company headquartered in Hickory, North Carolina.
- 2020
BI-LO store acquisition announced
[1]Alex Lee announced plans to acquire 20 BI-LO stores in South Carolina and Georgia and convert them to KJ’s Market IGA and Lowes Foods locations.
- 2019
W. Lee Flowers & Co. acquisition completed
[1]Alex Lee completed its acquisition of the South Carolina-based wholesale distributor W. Lee Flowers & Co.
- 1995
Caldwell County distribution facility announced
[1]MDI announced a planned $60 million distribution plant in Caldwell County, North Carolina.
- 1993
MDI becomes an IGA distribution center
[1]MDI began distributing merchandise to stores affiliated with Independent Grocers Alliance and supporting them with merchandising and advertising capabilities.
- 1992
Alex Lee Inc. holding company formed
[1]MDI reorganized as Alex Lee Inc., bringing MDI, Institution Food House, and Lowes Foods into a holding-company structure.
- 1965
Entry into institutional foodservice
[1]MDI began supplying schools and later combined its foodservice activities with James Wholesale Company to form Institution Food House.
- 1956
Merchants Distributors, Inc. established
[1]The wholesale company changed its name to Merchants Distributors, Inc., commonly known as MDI.
- 1938
Name changed to Merchants Produce and Grocery
[1]The business adopted a broader name as it developed into a merchandise distributor for independent grocery stores.
- 1931
Moses George acquires Merchants Produce
[1]Shelby grocer Moses George purchased Merchants Produce and operated it with his sons Alex and G.L. George.
- 1920
Business roots in Hickory wholesale produce
[1]The company’s predecessor, Merchants Produce Company of Hickory, traces its roots to approximately 1920.
Products and positioning
Regional food-supply-chain group combining wholesale distribution, institutional foodservice, independent-grocer support, and supermarket retailing.
Wholesale grocery distribution · 1956
Merchants Distributors, Inc.
MDI is Alex Lee’s principal wholesale-distribution business. It supplies independent supermarkets and affiliated retail groups with grocery merchandise, non-food products, and related retail support. Its service model includes distribution, merchandising, and advertising support, and its network extends across numerous Southeastern states.
Institutional foodservice distribution · 1965
Institution Food House
Institution Food House was created through the combination of MDI’s foodservice operation and James Wholesale Company. It serves institutional customers, including schools and other foodservice accounts, and forms part of Alex Lee’s distribution and supply-chain portfolio.
Supermarket retail
Lowes Foods
Lowes Foods is Alex Lee’s supermarket banner and one of the group’s principal retail businesses. It operates in the Southeastern United States and has also been identified as the intended banner for selected stores acquired from BI-LO.
Supermarket retail
KJ’s Market IGA
KJ’s Market IGA is a regional grocery banner associated with Alex Lee’s wholesale and retail activities. The company planned to convert 15 acquired BI-LO stores in South Carolina and Georgia to this format.
Brand decisions
2020
Purchase and planned rebranding of BI-LO storesM&ABackground
Southeastern Grocers was selling 20 BI-LO stores in South Carolina and Georgia.
Action taken
Alex Lee announced plans to acquire all 20 stores, with 15 intended for conversion to KJ’s Market IGA and five for conversion to Lowes Foods.
Aftermath
The plan was intended to enlarge Alex Lee’s regional supermarket footprint and strengthen its retail banners.
2019
Acquisition of W. Lee Flowers & Co.M&ABackground
W. Lee Flowers & Co. was a South Carolina wholesale distributor serving IGA and KJ’s Market stores.
Action taken
Alex Lee completed the purchase of W. Lee Flowers & Co.
Aftermath
The transaction expanded Alex Lee’s wholesale-distribution presence in the Southeast.
1992
Reorganization as Alex Lee Inc.StrategyBackground
MDI had expanded from wholesale grocery distribution into institutional foodservice and supermarket retailing.
Action taken
The company created Alex Lee Inc. as a holding company for MDI, Institution Food House, and Lowes Foods.
Aftermath
The structure established the group’s enduring combination of wholesale, foodservice, and grocery-retail operations.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/alex-lee-inc · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled