Redners Market opened today to much official fanfare and throngs of inquisitive shoppers wanting to explore the expansive new grocery store.
Chamber of Commerce, county and town representatives, along with Redner officials, were on hand to cut the grand opening ribbon at 8:00 a.m. and open the doors.
“This has been in the works for eight years, just waiting for the right time and combination of events,” says Gary Redner. Executive Vice President. The right time came this year for both Redners and Chestertown.
Redners was founded in 1970 by Pennsylvanians Earl and Mary Redner who opened two supermarkets in Reading. Five years later, the Redners inaugurated what would be the first employee-owned market in the state.
“Earl was my grandfather. Even today he’s called Earl “The Chief” Redner, and although he’s in his 90s he was here last night to help with the opening,” Redner says. “He likes to stay involved.”
But the backstory of Redners is classic Americana.
For 30 years, Earl Redner had been working for a large supermarket chain in New York, the Grand Union Tea Company, including a stint as superintendent of stores in Washington, DC. As he watched the relationship between the employees and management deteriorate be began thinking of ways to do things differently.
He decided to start his own market.
Determined to break away from the business culture he experienced, Redner borrowed money from his wife Mary, a school teacher with a Masters Degree in Education, and combined with his own pension money and stock from his previous employer, bought two small grocery stores.
“He was determined. He even lived in back of the store for six months while their house was being built,” Redner says.
Four decades later, Redners now employs 5,000 people in more than 40 stores and 20 Quick Shoppes throughout Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland.
“He wanted to give back to the employees through stock ownership, bonuses, and other incentive structures,” says Eric White, Redners Consumer Specialist. “He wanted to reinvest in his employees so that they were a part of its success.”
It couldn’t be a more timely subject for today’s workplace. Invest in your employees, and flourish.
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