Rosauers
Encyclopedia
Rosauers Supermarkets, Inc. is a chain of supermarkets based in Spokane, Washington
. After the company's founder, J. Merton Rosauer, sold Rosauers to Spokane-based URM Stores in 1984, it eventually grew to 21 stores under the Huckleberry's Natural Market, Rosauers, and Super 1 Foods
brands. Rosauers' stores are located in Idaho
, Montana
, Oregon
and Washington.
after obtaining a $1,000 loan from his parents. By 1938, Rosauer sold his first store and invested in another grocery store. After selling off his second store, Rosauer opened his and Spokane's first supermarket
in 1949.
In 1984, prior to retiring, Rosauer sold the company to URM Stores, a grocery supplier based in Spokane. By June 1986, Rosauers was operating 25 stores in four U.S. states with about 1,500 employees.
In September 1989, the Board of Directors for URM Stores made the decision to sell of the Rosauers chain. URM Stores agreed to sell 15 of the 24 Rosauers stores through an employee stock ownership plan in February 1990.
On April 10, 1990, Spokane employees of Rosauers voted to accept amendments to their labor contracts that would allow the employee purchase of the company. With 425 of the 700 eligible employees voting, the final count was 377 for and 48 against the company's sale. The sale was completed on July 27, 1990, with the company's 1,250 employees receiving ownership of 15 supermarkets, one freestanding pharmacy, an ice cream plant, and the corporate office building.
On November 17, 1993, Rosauers was assessed $50,450 in civil fines for violating federal child labor laws at eight of its Spokane-area stores. Rosauers president Larry Geller said most of the violations involved one or two hours over the 18-hour weekly limit set for employees under age 16.
(2002) and Bozeman, Montana
(2007)
In December 2008, Rosauers was forced to temporarily close its store on Francis Street in Spokane after 25000 square feet (2,322.6 m²) of the store's roof collapsed. Spokane fire officials said no one was trapped in the debris and only a minor injury to a Rosauers employee was reported. The damage estimate for the roof collapse at the Francis Street location topped $1 million.
In March 2011, Rosauers announced its plans to enter southern Idaho in 2012 with a store in Meridian, Idaho
. The Meridian store will feature a Huckleberry's Natural Market and a cooking school. If the expansion is a success, Rosauers said additional stores will be proposed in the Treasure Valley
, but no locations have been determined.
in December 1996. The Spokane Valley store was eventually closed while the South Hill store remains in business. Since 1996, Rosauers has added Huckleberry's Natural Market sections to its new and existing stores..
Spokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
. After the company's founder, J. Merton Rosauer, sold Rosauers to Spokane-based URM Stores in 1984, it eventually grew to 21 stores under the Huckleberry's Natural Market, Rosauers, and Super 1 Foods
Super 1 Foods
Super 1 Foods can refer to four different supermarket chains in the United States:*Super 1 Foods, a chain owned by the Brookshire Grocery Company with stores in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas....
brands. Rosauers' stores are located in Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
and Washington.
Founding; Sale to URM Stores
In 1934, J. Merton Rosauer purchased a small grocery store in Spokane, WashingtonSpokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
after obtaining a $1,000 loan from his parents. By 1938, Rosauer sold his first store and invested in another grocery store. After selling off his second store, Rosauer opened his and Spokane's first supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
in 1949.
In 1984, prior to retiring, Rosauer sold the company to URM Stores, a grocery supplier based in Spokane. By June 1986, Rosauers was operating 25 stores in four U.S. states with about 1,500 employees.
In September 1989, the Board of Directors for URM Stores made the decision to sell of the Rosauers chain. URM Stores agreed to sell 15 of the 24 Rosauers stores through an employee stock ownership plan in February 1990.
On April 10, 1990, Spokane employees of Rosauers voted to accept amendments to their labor contracts that would allow the employee purchase of the company. With 425 of the 700 eligible employees voting, the final count was 377 for and 48 against the company's sale. The sale was completed on July 27, 1990, with the company's 1,250 employees receiving ownership of 15 supermarkets, one freestanding pharmacy, an ice cream plant, and the corporate office building.
On November 17, 1993, Rosauers was assessed $50,450 in civil fines for violating federal child labor laws at eight of its Spokane-area stores. Rosauers president Larry Geller said most of the violations involved one or two hours over the 18-hour weekly limit set for employees under age 16.
Present operations
On June 13, 2000, Rosauers announced URM Stores had completed the purchase of Rosauers after more than 1,800 of Rosauers' employees voted in favor of the sale. During June 2000, Rosauers was operating 19 stores in the Inland Northwest. Following the acquisition, URM Stores became the fourth-largest employer in Spokane County. Since the sale to URM, Rosauers has opened two more stores in Yakima, WashingtonYakima, Washington
Yakima is an American city southeast of Mount Rainier National Park and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, United States, and the eighth largest city by population in the state itself. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 91,196 and a metropolitan population of...
(2002) and Bozeman, Montana
Bozeman, Montana
Bozeman is a city in and the county seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. The 2010 census put Bozeman's population at 37,280 making it the fourth largest city in the state. It is the principal city of the Bozeman micropolitan area, which consists...
(2007)
In December 2008, Rosauers was forced to temporarily close its store on Francis Street in Spokane after 25000 square feet (2,322.6 m²) of the store's roof collapsed. Spokane fire officials said no one was trapped in the debris and only a minor injury to a Rosauers employee was reported. The damage estimate for the roof collapse at the Francis Street location topped $1 million.
In March 2011, Rosauers announced its plans to enter southern Idaho in 2012 with a store in Meridian, Idaho
Meridian, Idaho
-History:The town was established in 1891 on the Onweiler farm north of the present site and was called Hunter. Two years later an I.O.O.F. lodge was organized and called itself Meridian because it was located on the Boise Meridian and the town was renamed...
. The Meridian store will feature a Huckleberry's Natural Market and a cooking school. If the expansion is a success, Rosauers said additional stores will be proposed in the Treasure Valley
Treasure Valley
The Treasure Valley is the area of the Western United States where the Payette, Boise, Weiser, Malheur, Owyhee, and Burnt rivers drain into the Snake River. Treasure Valley includes all the lowland areas from Vale, Oregon on the west to Boise, Idaho on the east. Formerly, the valley had been known...
, but no locations have been determined.
Huckleberry's Natural Market
In 1996, Rosauers opened the first Huckleberry's Natural Market on Spokane's South Hill. After proving to be a success, Rosauers opened another Huckleberry's in Spokane ValleySpokane Valley, Washington
Spokane Valley is an incorporated city in Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is located east of Spokane and west of Coeur d'Alene. It surrounds the town of Millwood on three sides...
in December 1996. The Spokane Valley store was eventually closed while the South Hill store remains in business. Since 1996, Rosauers has added Huckleberry's Natural Market sections to its new and existing stores..