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Progress
Sunday, March 24, 2002
THE BUSINESSES: RUTH LONGORIA THE OLYMPIAN
RAINIER -- Don't expect the reader board outside the Rainier Market to let you know just what's on sale inside the market.
The sign is more likely to offer a laugh or a glimpse into the family atmosphere of the hometown, full-service grocery store.
During the 15 years that Homer Sheets has owned the downtown landmark, the store has become not only a thriving marketplace but a friendly place to visit with friends.
"We try to be the town's big family," Sheets said.
Sheets purchased the market after he retired from operating vending machine routes for Tom's Snacks in Lacey.
"You start thinking about retirement when you get past 60, but I couldn't retire completely, that's why we bought this place. And now I'm 76 and I still can't retire," he said.
Sheets and his wife, Wilma, live in Spanaway. Their daughter, Karen Sheets, 46, lives in Rainier and helps out with bookkeeping and other duties at the store.
The market's inner circle extends beyond the Sheets family and their 16 store employees, said former store manager Ross Rutledge.
Rutledge, 44, of Centralia occasionally helps out at the store, although he is no longer an employee. He is a candidate for a community service officer position with the Tumwater Police Department.
"The Rainier Market is a hard place to leave," Rutledge said. "The store has such a family atmosphere. I know most of the customers by name, and most any morning you can come in and have townspeople standing around drinking coffee and talking with you."
Changes
There have been many changes at the store since Homer Sheets became the owner, Rutledge said.
"I was the manager at the store for about six months before Homer took over, and it was a different place then," Rutledge said.
Sheets added a delicatessen that Wilma Sheets manages.
He also added more pumps to the outside gas station, going from two handles to 27 handles, Rutledge said.
"There's not many stores like this; it's not just a convenience store, although it has gas and a deli," Rutledge said. "Most stores go either convenience store or super-supermarket. This is kind of a unique place."
Sheets agrees.
"We try and have a lot of fun here; I have an air horn that I shock the employees with, and we try and keep the reader board lively," he said.
Many of the comments on the reader board are good-natured jests about Homer Sheets.
Previous signs have read, "Homer didn't come over on Columbus' ship -- but he met it," and "Homer started with nothing and he still has most of it."
Rutledge is responsible for many of those signs. After putting up a joke sign on Sheets' birthday about seven years ago, Rutledge received so much positive feedback from the community that he has kept up the jovial attempts.
"We try to come up with humorous things or things that have to do with the community," he said. "Right now we have a sign that congratulates the girls' basketball team for making it to state. We spelled congratulations wrong and have had several people come in to let us know. But, I just left it that way because it's been fun to see who notices."
Wilma Sheets said she enjoys working at the store.
"Especially with the young people. They come in every day at lunchtime, and I really love the kids. They make this a good place," she said.
Business at the Rainier Market isn't as good as at a major grocery store chain, but it's pretty good for a small-town grocery store, Homer Sheets said.
"It's enough to keep us in business," Sheets said. "And I plan to stay in business for a long time."
Ruth Longoria covers Rainier for The Olympian. She can be reached at 360-754-5435
or rlongori@olympia.gannett.com.
The Olympian Copyright 2002
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