Employee Equity

San Antonio-based H-E-B launches outstanding financial plan for employees

H-E-B employees now have equity in the company.

Photo by John Everett

Our beloved San Antonio-based grocery store, H-E-B (Central Market included), announced that it is now giving employees equity in the company. The goal? To empower and inspire its employees.

A New York Times article explains that workers — who are also referred to as partners — will receive non-voting shares valued at 3 percent of their salary, in addition to $100 in stock for each year of ongoing service.

"Under the plan, workers are able to cash out when they leave or retire from the company, and will also receive dividends based on the retailer’s earnings," New York Times writer Hiroko Tabuchi stated.

The grocery store's employees qualify if they are over the age of 21 and have worked at least 1,000 hours at H-E-B in a year. That currently applies to 55,000 employees, which is 15 percent of the entire company.

“Employees in Mexico are not eligible, for now, because federal laws that set standards for pension and health plans do not apply there,” Tabuchi said.

Started by Florence Butt in 1905 in Kerrville, Texas, H-E-B has grown to a multi-billion dollar company with more than 350 stores in the United States and Mexico. Today, Butt’s grandson Charles Butt runs the business. Forbes contributor Roger Dooley called H-E-B “the smartest supermarket you never heard of” in 2014, commending the company for its low prices, feel-good atmosphere, and friendly employees. We can attest to that.

“I learn life lessons of how to be a better person from the leadership of H-E-B almost every day. And here comes another big learning — give people your trust, responsibility, and generosity and expect good results to come,” added Leslie Sweet, H-E-B director of public affairs in Central Texas.

She explained that this new benefit will make the company stronger. “It will make us more educated about our business and more personally invested in making H-E-B the best place to shop,” Sweet said. “H-E-B partners (employees) are passionate about two things: taking care of our families and taking care of our customers. This employee stock plan will help us do both.”

The atmosphere at H-E-B is just as nice, but with happier employees.

“It’s one big party at work! I’ve had calls from friends asking me what’s going on in our stores because they are seeing the contagious excitement and energy from our partners. We’re loving the early Christmas present,” Sweet exclaimed.

Hold Your Horses

San Antonio City Council considers plan to phase out horse-drawn carriages

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A scant majority of San Antonians like the idea of ending the practice.

In a special session on Thursday, October 31, the San Antonio City Council will deliberate on possibly phasing out horse-drawn carriages. A proposal called "A Just Transition from Horse Drawn Carriages" has led to a one-to-three-year plan for replacing the horses with electric carriages.

An early project proposal in November of 2022 — written by District 2 Councilmember Jalen McKee-Rodriguez and District 3 Councilmember Phyllis Viagran — laid out concerns for the horses' wellbeing, quoting the Animal Welfare Institute. Concerns included exposure to traffic and pollution, long periods standing and walking on hard surfaces, and extreme weather, among other things. In addition to the effect on horses, the request also mentioned environmental effects from slowed traffic.

It proposed completely stopping any new use of horse drawn carriages and letting any existing permits expire. The request also mentioned pedicabs as an alternative alongside the electric carriages, but the pedicabs seem to have fallen away from the public discourse.

Following up on the proposal, a city survey that concluded in August of 2024 found that of 50,476 respondents, a scant majority (51.98 percent) said they liked the idea to "Transition horse-drawn carriages to electric carriages and pedicabs and ban horse drawn carriages completely." Other options like changing hours and location of horse-drawn carriage use were unpopular, and 29.01 percent said they wanted to continue with the current system of use.

A majority of respondents (53.83 percent) had never ridden in a horse drawn carriage at all, and an strong majority of those survey takers cited the treatment of the horse as the reason they hadn't tried it. Those who had ridden on the carriages mostly liked it for the "historical and cultural experience," with examples including feeling nostalgic and learning about San Antonio's history.

The survey did not disclose how many of the people who rode on the carriages were tourists, but tourists made up 21.66 percent of respondents.

In addition to the survey, council members also unanimously voted on August 19, 2024, to have a plan drafted by city staff that would phase out the horse-drawn carriages in one to three years.

The only item on the special session agenda (aside from approval of minutes) is a briefing and possible action on the proposal, meaning that a decision is not guaranteed.

More information about city council meetings is available at sa.gov.

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