Ron and Lori Luke have been active members of the community and the Garretson Commercial Club for the last two decades.
“We bought the grocery store here in Garretson in 1996, so yeah we’ve been here for 23 years,” said Lorie Luke. “Ron has been working in the grocery business for most of his adult life, starting at the Marion grocery store.”
“I was a senior in high school when they hired me, and I worked there for about seven years,” Ron Luke said.
From there, he worked in sales, all the while looking, keeping an eye out for a store that he could buy and that he and Lori could own and operate.
“We were living in Sioux Falls and we wanted to raise our family in a small town too,” Lori said.
Garretson was the right opportunity.
“I’m thankful that the local bank was willing to take a chance with me,” he said. “It was a gamble for them. We didn’t have anything starting out, but they had confidence that we’d be able to make it work and I’m happy to say that we did. I’m grateful to the community who’s supported us.”
Over the years they’ve earned a reputation for excellence in service and product, earning the 2016 SD Retailer of the Year Award from the South Dakota Retailers Association. People make the drive from Sioux Falls to come up to shop, and he supplies several local restaurants. They have also been very active with the local American Legion, Commercial Club and are a constant partner working with and supplying the Garretson Food Pantry.
