For 43 years the Liebel family called the local Jack and Jill's food store their family business.
The store's history dates back to February of 1970 when Robert Hallesy and Earl Liebel purchased the hometown Piggly Wiggly grocery store from Mervin Johnson. At the time, Earl managed the store with his wife, Verena.
In 1980, Earl's sons Bill and Lonnie decided to buy their father's store, recognizing a solid business opportunity. Up until 2013 they ran the store as partners alongside their wives, Cari and Monica. Together, they managed the everyday tasks of the business while shouldering all of the business decisions collectively.
But, the family history of owning a local hometown market actually dates back to a time when the Liebel brothers' grandfather, George, owned and operated the grocery store in Parshall N.D., before moving to Medicine Lake where he ran that local grocery store for years. Bill recalls stories told by his grandfather about the business that dated back to the Great Depression; a time when a firm handshake and a promise were as binding as a legal contract. In those early days, people ran tabs on good faith. "Times got tough and no one could pay their debts so they quit coming to the store because they were so ashamed. People were so responsible back then. To keep the business open during those tough years grandpa forgave all debts and asked folks to just come back and patronize the place," he recalled. From then on, he ran his business with a no-credit policy until he arrived in Watford City. As technology improved, they decided to let businesses have charge accounts.
For decades the Liebel brothers spent their days working in the heart of community, knowing nearly everyone who came through the front door. With the oil boom that has captured the area in the last few years, the co-partners began to realize it was time to start making some changes.
In recent years the store has changed considerably in an effort to meet the demands of a growing community. "When the oil boom started I don't think there was a business in town that had the space or the staff levels it needed. But we all survived. I think everyone realized adjustments had to be made and the towns' people were all pretty understanding of that," he said.
In a short amount of time he went from employing 18 employees to having a staff of 50 with a faster pace of turnover than he had ever experienced before. Deliveries increased too, with the store needing three truck deliveries a week, instead of the usual two.
In a changing community Liebel found himself for the first time looking for advice about what to order to better serve his community. "I was ordering collard greens and mustard and hot sauces I couldn't even pronounce," he laughed. "But that's how it is when a community grows and becomes more diverse. You want to make sure everyone is comfortable and has what they need to feel at home," he said.
Last June the Liebels sold the family business. "Our family never really considered this a family tradition. It was simply a business opportunity that presented itself when my brother and I took it over from my dad. I never had any expectations of my children doing the same," he said.
Today the store is owned and operated by Ken Jedneak of Minnesota. Bill said it took him a few months to adjust to retirement and not having the social interaction of hundreds of people every day. "Living in this community for so long it was hard to all-of –the-sudden not know everyone who came through the door. These are exciting times in our community and I am glad I was a part of that businesss growth," he said.
Reader Comments(0)