From humble beginnings, to 'Here, Anything is Possible'

Joe Villarreal is the Director of Operations and Innovation for Joe V’s Smart Shop (JVSS) — but that’s not all, he’s also the inspiration for the name Joe V’s. His H-E-B career started in the 80’s when he worked nights cleaning floors to put himself through college. After two decades at another company post-graduation, Joe returned to H-E-B where he worked alongside Roxanne Orsak, H-E-B’s current President of Format and Joe V’s Smart Shop, to develop a new store format that would cater to Houston’s price-conscious customers. Today, Joe is the perfect embodiment of JVSS’s mantra ‘Here Anything is Possible’. He wholeheartedly believes it — because he’s lived it, and he wants others to know that it’s possible for them, too.

When did you start at H-E-B and how did you get a store format named after you?

It’s quite the story — my H-E-B career had humble beginnings back when I worked nights at my local H-E-B at North Star Mall. It was the 80’s, I was going to UTSA, and to help pay for college, I got a job in maintenance cleaning and buffing the floors at night. For about 3 years, I would leave work around 8 or 9:00 in the morning, grab my bag and head to school. During the summer, I’d work all day separating bottles by vendor (this was back when the soda industry used returnable bottles). Little did I know that many years later, I’d get the opportunity to rejoin this fabulous company again; much less have a format with my name!

After graduation, I worked for another company, but in 2003, I got the opportunity to return to H-E-B and join Roxanne Orsak’s team as a Regional Manager. Several years later, I was invited to work on a new project — a price format division that would target the value-seeking customer. The idea was to develop a new store format that would appeal to our frugal shoppers, while also giving H-E-B a fair return on investment. This totally new concept didn’t even have a name yet! It was an exciting opportunity, so I said “yes!”

So, then they named the store after you? 

Not exactly… when Roxanne Orsak and I started on this journey, we worked side-by-side to understand who this customer was, what they needed, and how we could meet those needs. As someone with very modest origins, I knew I could bring my own experience as an economical shopper, combined with my knowledge of how this customer shops and thinks, to help design and develop the Joe V’s format. While not everyone knew my story, they did know that there was never a job that I didn’t say yes to, nothing was beneath me, and I just kept working hard and saying yes to the next opportunity. One of the taglines we use here at Joe V’s is ‘Here Anything is Possible’ – and it’s true.

We already knew that Smart Shop had to be in the name, because we knew our customers were smart — they knew how to pinch a penny and make a dollar go far — but it needed something else. Adding a person’s name was something Charles loved because he thought it added a personal touch that would give the store a small community feeling. A lot of conversations happened behind the scenes and, unbeknownst to me, they decided to name the store Joe V’s Smart Shop – it is quite the honor and I was shocked! It’s a responsibility I don’t take lightly and is so reflective of H-E-B as a whole! Talk about ownership!

What is your favorite part of your job?

The innovation. When you’re continually developing and iterating a new store format that meets the needs of a specific customer, innovation is vital. In fact, a lot of the ideas we’ve implemented at Joe V’s are also being used at H-E-B stores across the state. It’s fun to be walking an H-E-B store and witness a cross-functional team in action, a concept that was originally piloted at Joe V’s – now we get to see these ideas work successfully across the company.I also love the opportunities to develop our Partners. Watching them work hard, get promoted, make more money that blesses them and their families, and influence others is super cool. Nothing is more fulfilling than seeing our people aim high, grow their careers, and hit their goals.

What’s the most challenging part of your job?

The space limitations. When you’re working in an environment that’s limited on space (55,000 square feet) and you’re moving a million units a week through that space, it’s challenging — and you have to get creative. And yet, despite those challenges, we remain focused on what we do best: providing the lowest prices in town, taking care of our people, and understanding that our responsibility is not just to our customers, but also to our amazing Partners.

That’s an awesome story. What’s been a memorable moment for you over your career?

When you’re working to develop a whole new store format, it’s a lot like putting a puzzle together. You’re not quite sure where to start, so you just begin by getting a lot of ideas and piecing them together. You start with what you know — in our case it was understanding who our customer was and how we could best serve them — and from there, it’s just a lot of hard work, creativity, and innovation. I’ll never forget walking the store with Roxanne on our grand opening day. We stopped at the front and just looked at each other like ‘wow… we did this. This is awesome.’ We talk about that day all the time — it’s one of those moments you just don’t forget.

What advice would you give someone who wants to work for Joe V’s?

Don’t limit yourself – challenge yourself by asking what’s possible and don’t be afraid to share your thoughts and ideas. Your voice matters! A lot of what we do in this division started as just an idea and a brainstorm session that turned into a tool or a resource we still use today. Your input is valuable and needed, that’s how we continue to grow and serve our communities well.And remember, Here Anything is Possible!