The Andersons, Inc made today's paper..

Really like the Andersons. :) good karma to them.

Not bad for what started out as a grain business and farm supply store. I think that what makes Andersons unique, besides decent merchandise at decent prices, is the product mix. Where else can you get a pork roast and a fence post under the same roof?

Heh - I see they are trading now at $46.46 a share. I held 200 shares in 2002 and dumped them at about $8 a share, which may have been one of my all-time worst financial decisions. Well, beyond burning through a ton of cash in the pizza business, that is.

Do not trust me for stock tips if I should venture into such territory. :-)

You would have been doing really well when the stock went over $100 a share and then split. I'm thinking around 06 or 07. When the ethenol craze started.

Yep - I forgot about the split, slowsol. My potential gains are much larger. Another testament to my lack of stock genius: I also bought Boston Market at about three bucks a share, thinking it had bottomed out (it had been trading around $30), only to see the company go into bankruptcy a few months later.

These days I let professionals invest for me. Playing stocks is as unpredictable as casino betting for the average investor, unless you devote hours a day to research. Even then, one bad tip can result in huge losses.

I've always thought that Andersons was ingenious for outsourcing the meats and honey hams. I think their model could prove to be very influential in constructing the perfect supermarket in the future.

I'd love to see a market where individual businesses control the meat, deli, cheese, wine, bakery -- and other specialty areas.

Incase there's confusion, The Andersons is still a grain company first. Most people know them for their stores, but those are basically second fiddle to the grain side.

I hope they keep the amount of locations small (there are 4 in Toledo area and 2 in Columbus, right?)...I think it keeps them much more in tune with customers.

Johio is right about their priorities--if you haven't before, visit the Andersons Inc. website and check out all the agribusiness they are involved in. Pretty amazing. Retail is small potatoes comparatively.