Cedar Rapids brothers manage 7 Hy-Vee stores

When the Streit family gathers each year to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas, it's a fairly safe bet some or all of the food comes from Hy-Vee.

The seven sons of Michael and Maury Streit, all graduates of LaSalle High School, began their careers working at the Hy-Vee Food Store on Johnson Avenue NW. Starting out sacking groceries, Mark, Mitch, Monte, Marty, Matt, Andy and Peter worked their way up the ranks to become store directors for the employee-owned West Des Moines-based grocery chain.

Their younger sister, Molly, 36, also began her career at “Cedar Rapids No. 1.” Rising to the level of department manager, she left Hy-Vee after marrying and starting a family.

Mark Streit, 52, who manages a Hy-Vee in Galesburg, Ill., said the recommendation of a neighbor paved the way for him to start working for Hy-Vee. He previously had shoveled snow and delivered The Gazette from 4 to 6 a.m. each morning - enterprises handed down to each sibling that helped pay their private-school tuition.

“It was very difficult to get a job with Hy-Vee at that time,” Mark Streit said. “We've been fortunate to work for some of the very best people in the company. We've had a lot of people who went to bat for us over the years and gave us the very best training to succeed.”

Monty Streit, 47, a Hy-Vee store director in Ames, said the brothers are fortunate to have siblings who become “instant sounding boards” when one of them is seeking some advice.

“Someone usually has gone through an issue that we need to discuss, and they can tell us how they handled it,” he said. “In other cases, they may not have had to deal with something, but they can offer advice about how they would handle it. It's really been a great asset for all of us.”

Mitch Streit, 50, who manages a Hy-Vee in Council Bluffs, serves on the company's board of directors and was recently named Store Director of the Year. He joined his brothers in crediting their parents for instilling core values of commitment, hard work and integrity.

“I can remember getting a call from the store manager, saying it would really help if I could come in and work that night,” he said. “I said that I had a term paper due the next day and hung up the phone.

“I'll never forget my mother saying, ‘You asked for that job, and everything that comes with it. If they need you to work, you're going to work. If you have to stay up all night finishing your term paper, that's what you gotta do.' So I went to work.”

Matt Streit, 44, a store director in Macomb, Ill., said his brothers were great mentors, but they also could be tough bosses.

“I think they felt they had to be a little tougher,” he said. “We learned that you represent your family, Hy-Vee and your community, regardless of where you are.”

Mentoring young employees lays the foundation for future leadership, said Marty Streit, 42, who manages a Hy-Vee store in Lawrence, Kan.

“Sometimes, we don't realize the impact that we have as store directors when we pull that high school or college kid aside and have those conversations about what Hy-Vee can do for them,” he said. “Five or 10 years down the road, you see how investing some of your time helped prepare someone to become one of our future leaders.”

Andy Streit, 40, who manages a Hy-Vee store in West Des Moines, said the company believes it's important to maintain a proper work-life balance.

“They understand when we need to attend events involving our family,” he said. “They not only understand that we need to be involved with our communities, they expect us to be actively involved.”

Peter Streit, 38, a Hy-Vee store director in Le Mars, has some advice for young people who are preparing to enter the work force.

“Find a job that's rewarding to you, as well as something that affords opportunity,” he said. “With Hy-Vee, I work with people that I enjoying working with. If you're interested in a career in retail, there's no better place to work than Hy-Vee.”

While they seek advice from their siblings, there's no doubt the Streits also are competitive. That was evident when Andy Streit commented that his West Des Moines store is the “nicest and most well-managed Hy-Vee.”

Without missing a beat, Mark Streit said, “Well, maybe No. 2.”