New book released on life of Fred Meijer

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. A new book on the life of grocer Fred Meijer was released this week. "Fred Meijer: Stories of His Life" features a variety of interesting tales about the pioneering retailer from a broad list of contributors ranging from former presidents and ambassadors to clerks at the checkout.

Authors Bill Smith and Larry ten Harmsel spent several years talking with more than a hundred and fifty people to capture anecdotes about Fred, many told for the first time. "I continue to be amazed at how many people Fred has touched in his life," said Smith, a former Meijer executive who worked with the company for more than four decades. "Every person we talked with recounted a special time or story of Fred, each one contributing to an amazing chronicle of this man."

Fred Meijer, the 89-year-old grocery entrepreneur, with his father, Hendrik, turned one store in Greenville, Mich., into a chain of nearly 200 supercenters across the Midwest.

The book will be sold at all Meijer locations and online through Meijer.com for $7.99 for the paperback edition and $11.99 for a hardcover edition that is available only in West Michigan.