Harps Food Stores — Local services in Jay

Fire & Electrical Safety Concerns Linked to Contractor at Harps Grocery Stores

There are serious public safety concerns involving Harps Grocery locations and a third-party contractor, Custom Electronics Inc. (CEI), led by CEO John M.

On August 22, 2024, during a morning staff meeting attended by multiple team members — including Adrian S., Garrit H., and others in sales and project management — John M. allegedly directed an employee, Carter M., to “pull up at midnight to Harps to do fire alarm” because permits were not being obtained for projects in smaller towns across Louisiana Oklahoma and Arkansas, with the exception of cities like Little Rock where inspections are more likely.

According to individuals with direct knowledge, this is not an isolated incident. CEI is reportedly engaging in a pattern of performing commercial fire and electrical work without using licensed electricians, often employing untrained labor. It’s also claimed that CEI pays unrelated third parties to pull permits under different names to avoid compliance with licensing and inspection laws. One project cited is The Havens in Northwest Arkansas, in addition to numerous Harps stores across the tri-state region.

These practices raise grave concerns: Any Harps building that has had fire alarm upgrades or electrical panel replacements by CEI could be operating without proper permits, inspections, or adherence to code. This puts customers, employees, emergency responders, and insurance providers at heightened risk in the event of a fire or electrical malfunction.

A recent fire at the Harps location in Clarksville further emphasizes how critical proper fire safety systems are — and how devastating the consequences can be when corners are cut. Insiders suggest that permits are only reliably pulled for new construction projects where inspections are guaranteed, while retrofit work often goes undocumented.

We urge: • Local fire marshals and city officials to audit permit and inspection records at Harps and CEI-related job sites. • Insurance carriers to reexamine liability exposure at these properties. • Local media outlets, including KNWA, to investigate these ongoing threats to public safety.

Harps must take immediate action to ensure that its contractors follow all applicable fire, electrical, and safety codes. This is not merely a compliance issue — it’s a matter of public trust and...

Staff is very friendly at this location. Prices are reasonable and they itemize the taxes (as they should) on your receipt.

There are very limited processed gluten-free options. As a Celiac who has to eat gluten-free, I'm glad I packed a 50 lb suitcase and an additional insulated carry-on with both fresh and processed gluten-free groceries from my home in Las Vegas. If you have no dietary restrictions, you will find the basics at this grocery store. Don't expect anything too exotic.

While you can get fresh vegetables here, if you have any medical conditions that require you to not eat certain foods, you're better off bringing them with you and only stopping in here for fresh produce.

This location also has a $7 rotisserie chicken special on Wednesdays as of May...

Didn't shop for groceries there. Went in and got something to drink because I was meeting someone there to pick up a couple kitties that they had listed on FB marketplace. So, we rolled in to town and rolled right back out of town back to Cleveland Ok where we live. But if I lived in Jay Ok I would buy my groceries...