When Earl Redner opened the doors to his first two supermarkets in Reading, he had no plans to grow it into the community keystone that it is today. But for the love of his family — his wife, sons, and his employees — the local entrepreneur began a story that would span generations and affect the lives of countless others.
For the Love of Family
The Redner family’s story began in 1940 when Earl started his career in the food industry. At 16, he took a job as a potato bagger at the Grand Union Tea Company in Middletown, NY. Over the course of 29 years, he worked his way up to assistant store manager, then to district sales manager, division grocery sales manager and eventually even to superintendent of stores in Washington, DC. His climb up the ladder of the retail food industry was a swift one – Earl still holds the Grand Union record for youngest manager, district store manager, and store superintendent.
But after 30 years, Earl was ready to start his own business, something he could share with his family. In 1970, he learned of two supermarkets in Reading that were floundering, and after touring the area he and his wife Mary decided to combine their savings to purchase them. Under Earl’s expertise the stores enjoyed success from the beginning, but, initially the Redners had no intentions of expanding. It was only later, when their two sons – Richard and Gary – decided to the join the family business, that they decided to grow.
Not only did they want to grow Redner’s enough to support all three families, they also wanted to create more potential for their new family: their employees. In 1975, Earl, Richard and Gary formed Redner Development Company through which they purchased real estate to lease buildings for more Redner’s supermarkets. In no time at all, the family-oriented retail food company became a household name in the local community.
A Family Affair
After Earl’s retirement in 1990, Richard and Gary assumed management and began writing their own chapter of the family’s story. Sadly, Gary’s story was tragically cut short in 2008, but Richard continues to serve as president and chief executive officer and has overseen Redner’s greatest period of growth. The company has grown from two local supermarkets to more than 39 stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware.
Now, Earl’s grandsons – Ryan and Gary Jr. – are poised as the next generation of leadership. Ryan joined the organization in 1999 as its chief operating officer and Gary in 2001 as its executive vice president. “The family has always been a part of the business and with our second and third generations actively involved, it is our hope that our fourth generation will take the same interest in being a part of the company,” Gary says.
Family Owned and Operated
As Redner’s Warehouse Markets and Quick Shoppes have grown, so has the Redner’s family. Earl Redner not only grew the company to support his family and their growth, but also the growth and development of his employees. In 1975, Redner’s became the first supermarket in the state to be employee-owned with the launch of the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). Under the ESOP, every employee working more than 20 hours per week earns stock after one year of employment. “He felt that during his past employment with big chains that the employee was forgotten. He wanted each of the employees to share in the growth and the profitability of the company,” Ryan says of Earl.
Company CEO Richard Redner also says this of the ESOP: “The employees, along with our customers, are the backbone of our business. So why would we not want to give them a stake in the company and instill a level of pride in their work?”
Not Your Average Family Traditions
The entire Redner’s family has certainly found pride in its work, and in its community. The company has always been committed to supporting the communities surrounding each of its stores through a variety of supportive partnerships and enrichment programs.
The passion for giving back started with Earl and Mary in the first stores with the 1 percent Save-A-Tape program, which is still being honorably maintained today. Under the program, nonprofit organizations can collect receipts from their members to submit for a 1 percent rebate back to their organization. Annually, the stores issue donations of up to $700,000 to local groups.
The stores also currently participate in three organization-wide causes each year: the United States Marine Corps Toys for Tots Program, the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, and Feeding America’s Bag Hunger program. “Though they are all national organizations, the money raised and items collected must specifically come back to benefit people in our store’s communities,” Richard explains.
Every November since 1981, each Redner’s store has placed donation bottles at check-out counters to collect funds and toys for the Marine Corps Toys for Tots Drive. With the help of their customers and suppliers, they collect approximately $100,000 and at least four tractor-trailers loaded with new toys to be donated to local children annually. “Our partnership with Toys for Tots dates back 35 years and we have always felt that during the winter holiday this program succeeds in fulfilling a need for less fortunate children near all of our stores,” Gary says.
Each spring, the Redner’s family embarks on a “purple mission” as a corporate team partner of the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. They also fund more than 30 teams from across their many stores. The partnership with the American Cancer Society dates to the days when Earl was president. Then, each store would host the Check Out Cancer drive, during which they would offer a percentage of sales to the charity. “Relay is an awesome day and it’s a way for us to involve all of our employees,” Richard says. “We offer the paper pin-up sales at each register, but also encourage each of our stores to form a relay team and take part in their local Relay for Life event. Cancer, as with our other programs, affects everyone and it is our hope that by being able to contribute to this fight we can play a part in ending it!”
For Hunger Action Month in September, the stores partner with Feeding America for the Bag Hunger program. “Our partnership with Feeding America food banks is a natural fit, as it is the number one product we offer and fills a large need in each community. With hunger affecting our country at a growing rate, the money and the food is critical,” Gary says. Each location collects donations and runs campaigns to spread awareness about the nation’s food crisis, and to feed the hungry within their communities.
Finally, although the Redner’s family takes part in these national campaigns each year, they never forget about their employees and their customers. Through a variety of fundraisers and sponsorships, the company lends a hand to many nonprofits in their store’s neighborhoods, including: Girl and Boy Scouts, the Salvation Army, Lions Clubs, Shrine Clubs, Rotary, churches, local fire companies, youth sports programs, and many more.
The desire to give back is one that started with Earl and has been passed down through the generations. “Our philosophy is that if we are to remain a locally-focused company we must give back to local organizations,” Richard says. “By supporting smaller, focused community groups at our stores, it is our hope to strengthen the ties with these groups where other retailers have closed their doors.”
And it does not look like Redner’s has plans to close their doors any time soon. “We live, as do our employees, in the same areas where they work or our store is located. By giving back to their community, we hope our customers see that we are invested and, in turn, choose to shop in the store where they know their neighbors work and are taking pride in being an employee owner,” Richard says.
As with everything else, volunteerism is also a Redner family affair. In addition to the incredible amount of work Redner’s Warehouse Markets and Quick Shoppes do for others, Richard, Ryan and Gary still find time to participate within their own communities. Richard’s passions lie in ending the fight against hunger, and he currently sits on the boards of the Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association, the National Grocer’s Association, and the Food Marketing Institute. Ryan further supports his family and local youth as a coach and the vice president of the Wyomissing Area School Board, as does Gary as a board member for the Olivet Boys and Girls Club of Reading and Pottstown, and as a Wilson youth coach.
For three generations and counting, the Redner family has shown that love and commitment can make a substantial difference in the lives of everyone around them. For the sake of the community, the employees, and of course their loyal customers, we hope to see this local institution passed down through many more generations to come.
By Ali Bechtel | Photos by John A. Secoges, Secoges Photographics
