Family Express of Valparaiso, will build the first prototype of around a dozen new modular locations in Ligonier. Photo by Family Express.

News Release

VALPORAISO — Family Express Corp., a convenience store chain based in Valparaiso, has chosen Ligonier as the site of its first prototype modular building.

The new location, the first of several, will feature a car wash and full kitchen. It forms part of a $100 million investment by Family Express to make what it calls “new-to-industry” stores in around a dozen locations around the state.

“Our objective,” said Gus Olympidis, president and CEO of Family Express Corp. “is to facilitate the rapid development of our Company and to remedy, to the extent possible, weather-related delays that are typical in the upper Midwest.”

Several 7,200 square foot Family Express Stores have already been prefabricated and are ready to be delivered and erected in multiple locations. The company said they can be shipped from the controlled environment where they are prefabricated, to the construction sight where they are put together in a matter of days. This makes buildings more adaptable to local conditions and reduces construction times.

“The New FE Prototype is using various masonry materials and Nichiha exterior finishes in an effort to deliver an upscale and contemporary feel,” said Peter Andreou, vice president of development for Family Express.

Work is also in progress for new modular design stores in Nappanee, Fort Wayne, Lafayette, Marion, and St. John.

Family Express currently employs around 1,000 employees across 84 locations.