Grocery store bids farewell to long-serving manager

A local grocery store bid official farewell to its manager of nearly 50 years.

Since March of 1968, Chet Powell made sure the shelves at Wrangell's City Market were properly stocked and its employees kept busy helping customers. Originally from Springdale, Arkansas, Powell first got into the grocery business at the age of 14, coming to work for his uncle, William Norton, at his market in the Seattle area.

"He was the one that taught me the grocery business," Powell recalled, getting his start first as an errand boy, then moving up into produce before getting into management. "Eventually I bought one of his stores, and we bought another one after that."

In business with his brother for themselves, by 1964 Powell sold him his share of the business and went strictly into management for Washington grocers.

"I had a couple of chances to come up to Alaska, but never did it," he said of that time. Finally, in early 1968 he investigated some job openings for stores in Wrangell, Petersburg and Juneau, visiting each community in turn. He ended up returning to Wrangell, bringing along his first wife and four children.

"What it was, I spent five days here. It was the people in Wrangell," that had brought him back, Powell explained. "The way I was greeted here in town, it was just phenomenal."

He went to work for Roland Curtis, or Curt to his friends, the owner of City Market. Enjoying the store and the community, Powell and his family settled in to stay. After Curtis passed away the store went to his son, Benn Curtis, for whom Powell continued as manager and eventually vice-president.

"We've made a good team," Powell commented.

The pair saw to the founding of Sentry Marine Hardware in 1988, shortly before the downturn in the lumber industry. That change came to a head in 1994 with the closure of the Alaska Pulp Company mill, after the Forest Service voided a 50-year timber contract with the firm. At the time, the Wrangell sawmill employed over 230 people, and the effects were immediate.

"It was devastating to the whole community, not just to the businesses but to the people themselves," Powell recounted. The population lost around 850 residents over the next 12 years after the loss of those jobs, impacting schools and social organizations, as well as the businesses that had developed to accommodate the community.

"It was quite a struggle," said Powell. Development of the maritime and visitor industries in ensuing decades has seen a revival of the city's prospects, however, with a little less than half of the lost residents recouped in the last decade. "We tightened our belts up a little bit and we made it through it. We hope that Wrangell will continue to grow."

With a rebounding population and redeveloping industry, changes at the grocery store itself have taken place over the past few years, with new freezing units and expanded office space accompanying a new deli. Powell explained these were needed changes, but also prepared the store for continued growth.

Nearing 50 years of service, Powell finally hung up his apron on July 30. His children and step-children are themselves grown with families and businesses of their own, so he and his wife are in Wrangell to stay.

"I've been very fortunate being in Wrangell," he said. "I couldn't have done it without the people here, and their support."

Reflecting on his years in the grocery business, Powell felt the most important lesson is to "listen to your customers." Whatever its trade, he said, a business can only be successful if it caters to the wants of their clientele, and to accommodate and treat them fairly.

Over the weekend, the store wanted to publicly thank Powell for his years at City Market. "They wanted to do something for me, and I wanted to do something for the people," he explained. A free hot dog feed with snacks, cake and Frisbees was held at the store during Saturday's lunch rush. Powell and new manager Jay Hepner doled out meals to customers, at least a few of whom Powell has been serving since day one.