May 12, 2026 | News & Press Releases
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (May 12, 2026) — The helpful smile of a Cedar Rapids Hy-Vee employee is now featured on the side of a semi-trailer to honor more than 50 years of service she has dedicated to the company.
Connie Heidemann’s picture was unveiled Tuesday morning during a celebration outside the Sixth Street Hy-Vee Drugstore where she serves as human resource manager.
Heidemann first joined Hy-Vee in 1973 as a checker at the original Sixth Street Hy-Vee Drugstore location. Throughout her tenure, Heidemann held a variety of roles at the Sixth Street Hy-Vee Drugstore, Wilson Avenue Hy-Vee and the Hy-Vee regional bakery. Heidemann retired in 2023 but returned to the Sixth Street Hy-Vee Drugstore earlier this year and is thrilled to be back.
“It feels great, I love it. I’m working with some people I have worked with before,” Heidemann said. “It’s home, that’s what it is.”
This is Heidemann’s third time on a Hy-Vee semi-truck. She was previously featured for another service milestone and for winning the Richard Jurgens Legendary Customer Service Award, the highest honor a Hy-Vee employee can receive.
Hy-Vee first started featuring long-serving employees on semi-truck wraps in 1997, and it has since become a cherished tradition at the company.
Hy-Vee, Inc. is an employee-owned corporation operating more than 560 business units across nine Midwestern states with sales of more than $14 billion annually. The supermarket chain is synonymous with quality, variety, convenience, healthy lifestyles, culinary expertise and superior customer service. Hy-Vee was recently named one of the top grocery stores in America by USA TODAY. The company’s more than 70,000 employees provide “A Helpful Smile in Every Aisle” to customers every day. For additional information, visit www.hy-vee.com.