I’m truly honored to have worked with many of those talented people in my 47 years. As I looked at the company milestones I realized I had been with the Osco for all but the first 6; that makes me feel proud and a bit old!
I joined Osco Drug as a part-timer at Osco #813 in St. Cloud, MN in 1963. After a 4 year stint in the US Navy, Bill Mayfield promoted me into the management ranks as a 2nd Assistant in Austin, MN. Shortly after arriving in Austin I married Jane and she blessed us with two daughters; Molly and Karen. In my career I held every store management position culminating as a Market Manager at #456 Evansville, IN reporting to Bill Bates. Then it was my turn to serve on Tork Fuglestad’s staff for a couple of years as the operations and merchandising manager. I was then promoted to District Manager in New England reporting to Dick Davis. A few years later Larry Wahlstrom convinced me to take on the newly designed role as director of sales for Osco based out of Oak Brook, IL. That role let to an opportunity at American Stores Corporate as the director of Retail Operations and ultimately Arlyn White offered the opportunity to serve as the VP of Category Management and to transition the Category Management team to Salt Lake City and eventually Scottsdale in 1999. Once again Opportunity knocked on the door and in 2002 Kevin Tripp promoted me to role of Area VP for the Central Region. The sale of the drug stores presented the next opportunity and once again Kevin Tripp guided my career to SUPERVALU as the director of merchandising Services, (planogramming, space management and resets).
In April of 2011 I joined the Osco/Sav-on Alumni Club Board of Directors as Vice President. In this role I’m able to stay in contact with many of my lifelong Osco friends. The memories are many and everlasting. Those memories are rekindled each time I come into contact with our Alumni; it’s interesting how the few tough times in our careers are completely overshadowed by all of those wonderful days living and working with people who truly cared about Osco Drug.