Bagley – This month has marked a new chapter for the old Kubiak’s Family Foods building, located at 46 Spensify Ave. SW in Bagley.
Long under this name, Mason Brothers, based in Wadena, Grocery in wholesalers bought the company from Keith Kubiak in December 2021, but kept the homonym intact.
Following a commercial transaction on February 28, however, Kubiak would reopen while the Galen’s fresh food market once March 3.
Such a transition underlines the love of the owner Greg Leintz for his work.
“I have always appreciated the company and the variety of work you can do in business,” said Leintz. “It’s pleasant from several points of view.”
The opening in 1986, Leintz’s father, Galen, acquired the super value store of Clearwater, who renamed the super value of Galen located at 19 Main Ave. In downtown Bagley. Thanks to certain variations over the years, this initial location would later become known as the Galen fresh food market.
Having grown up in the grocery store, Leintz would work alongside his father through years of expansions and renovations. In accordance with Galen’s retirement in 2002, Leintz bought the store in Galen and continued to note sales and increased business.
Daltyn Lofstrom / Bemidji Pioneer
A major development occurred in 2018 when Galen bought Hardware Hank.
“It was a family business for over a hundred years, and the building itself was almost at the end of its useful life,” said Leintz, “we therefore destroyed this construction and extended the store to 10,000 square feet and added a parking lot for the first time in our history.”
With the acquisition of Kubiak, a majority of Galen’s grocery operations will move to its new location. The location of the city center – to be renamed “Galen’s Do It It Best Home and Hardware” – will be renovated and will mainly include equipment, although certain convenience foods will always be sold.
The new location will include an extended selection of fresh meat, exclusively Angus-level quality beef from the USDA as well as pork and chicken. Extended offers will also be available in cold meats and its fresh product department should double.
“We are a full service store, so we offer 100% control roads with transport aid if necessary,” added Leintz.
Contributed
Large rewards are planned for new places and the city center in May and end, respectively.
Although Leintz settled in northern Minnesota where he grew up, it took a job in Denver to remind him where he belongs.
“I worked for a company that built a new Cub Foods and I had the opportunity to go there and help them operate this store,” recalls Leintz. “It was a precious experience and I appreciated Denver, but as they say, there is no place as at home.”
Leintz and his wife, Marsha, have been married for 39 years and have three children. Illustrating the concept of a family affair, Leintz’s son Aaron manages Galen’s new location.
As a second generation to own Galen, Leintz highlighted the multi-generational nature of his work as well as that of his employees.
“After 38 years, we have second generation employees. Parents may have worked as stockers or cashier when they were in high school and now their children work for us, “he said. “We have had hundreds of large employees who helped us arrive where we are today.”
With brief objectives for the future, Leintz aims to continue his father’s inheritance when he observes his love to interact with customers, to work with products and to design store arrangements to ensure an exceptional customer experience.
“This is our goal of being the best grocery that has ever been in Bagley,” said Leintz, “and serving our customers the best way we know how.”
Contributed
