Denio’s Market Celebrates Ron Myers
Author: Adrian Acosta, contributor
Editor’s Note: Here at the Merchandiser magazine, we hear lots of great stories about some amazing people in our industry. We recently received this article from the folks at Denio’s Farmers Market & Swap Meet and wanted to share it with all of you.
Ron Myers’ retirement is upon us. The date we have feared, yet anticipated for years, is February 23rd. You may be asking yourself, who is Ron Myers? If you have not had the pleasure of meeting Ron, or getting to work alongside him, he heads up special projects and is part of the Denio’s Farmers Market & Swap Meet midweek maintenance crew that works hard every week to make sure everything is safe and ready for operation on the weekend.
Ron started working full time on August 22, 1980, but that is not when Ron’s legacy at Denio’s first began. In fact, Ron’s parents owned and operated the pony ring located in the main parking lot, outside the South Produce Entrance; Ron helped operate those ponies as a young adult. In his early and mid-twenties Ron worked with and learned from Jim Denio in the market yard and on the family ranch. Later, Ron started building houses for a living, but continued to help Jim Denio with the maintenance and construction throughout the yard on the side. Eventually, Ron put the house building aside and came alongside Jim full time at the market. They did some very innovative things for our operation!
If you were to ask any employee, “What is it like working with Ron?” They would smile and probably tell you a few hilarious stories. By the end of their story, every person would say the same thing: Ron is one of the hardest workers you will ever meet. He does not rest until the job is done. His personality is a little gruff and he would definitely let you know if you were not working to the level of his liking. Once you got past that and proved your work ethic, you would get to see another side of Ron. The comradery between Ron and his crew shows every day. Ron has been a mentor for many of the employees throughout the years, by teaching them the different skills he has himself. More importantly, Ron is a good friend and is always there if you need him.
To say that Ron will be missed is an understatement. Ron has been an integral part of the growth and success of Denio’s. At a time when Denio’s was getting busier every year,
Ron was the lead person who helped Mr. Denio expand the market. Ron has helped build and remodel just about everything at Denio’s, from the plumbing and electrical we use, to the paved ground we walk on and the restaurants we work in. Who knew a real train caboose could become a concession stand? Ron knew.
The entire staff and management of Denio’s Farmers Market and Swap Meet thanks Ron Myers for his part in making Denio’s what it is today. We will take all of your knowledge you have shared with us and continue to use it every day. Congratulations on your well deserved retirement!
Harold Walfield’s retirement is upon us. The date we have feared, yet anticipated for years, is June 1. When Harold joined the company in 1966, he doubled the number of employees on the payroll. He went on to more than double our revenues by adapting new technologies from the big machine works for use in our little shop. Since he was made partner in 1972, Harold’s leadership and innovation have kept us ahead of all our competitors, both locally and nationwide. A retirement party in his honor will be held in the restaurant of the Springfield Hotel on the evening of June 1, at 7:00 p.m. All are invited to share in this celebration. We all extend our best wishes to Harold as he takes a long and much-deserved vacation.