Flashback to the summer of 1963.... John F. Kennedy was president, The Dow Jones Average was 760, the average cost of a new house was $12,650, the average US annual income was $5,807, gas per gallon was 29 cents, the average cost of a new car $3,233, a loaf of bread was 22 cents and Osco Drug #813 in St. Cloud, Minnesota hired Gary Hunstiger on August 29. Now some 47 years later, Gary has retired from Supervalu, effective July 31, 2010.
Gary began his career with Osco as a part-time clerk. After returning from a 4 year stint in the US Navy, store manager Bill Mayfield convinced him to join the Osco management ranks as a second assistant in Austin, Minnesota. Shortly after arriving in Austin, he married Jane. Gary and Jane were later blessed with two daughters, Molly and Karen. Gary held nearly every store management position in Osco culminating as a Market Manager at #456 in Evansville, Indiana. In 1987, he served on Tork Fugelstad’s Central Region staff for two years as the regional operations and merchandising manager. In 1989, he accepted a position in New England as a District Manager, reporting to Dick Davis.
1986: Terry Maloy, Wanda White, Gary Hunstiger
A few years later, Larry Wahlstrom convinced Gary that a tour of duty as the director of sales for American Drug Stores based at 1818 in Oakbrook, Illinois was an opportunity not to be passed up. That role led to a short stint with American Stores Company as director of Retail Operations. Arlyn White offered Gary another opportunity to serve as vice president of Category Management, at a critical time when the Category Management team (buyers) were being transitioned from Oak Brook to Salt Lake City, Utah in 1997. Gary later spearheaded the transition of the Category Management group from Salt Lake City and to Scottsdale, Arizona after the acquisition of American Stores by Albertsons in 1999. In 2002, Kevin Tripp provided Gary with yet another opportunity - the position of Area (Regional) Vice President for Osco's Central Region. After the sale of the freestanding Osco Drug and Sav-on drug stores to CVS in 2006, Gary moved on to a new position at Supervalu in Minnesota as the director of Merchandising Services, (plan-o-gramming, space management and resets).
After 47 years of hard work, 14 relocations and moves and major contribution to Osco and the successor companies, Gary has hung up the retail smock for the last time. In retirement, both he and Jane will remain in Minnesota and indicate they look forward to enjoying time with the extended families, especially their two grandsons, Matthew and Andrew. Gary also tells us he plans to enjoy the winter months in Scottsdale, Arizona and looks forward to his favorite hobbies of woodworking and fishing.
The Alumni Club thanks Gary for his many years of dedicated service to Osco. The Club especially appreciates the routine business updates Gary provided to Alumni about American Stores, Albertsons, and Supervalu throughout the years. We wish Gary, Jane and his family the very best in retirement.
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