UNION CITY, Ind. – Casey’s General Store held a ribbon cutting Wednesday with the Union City Chamber of Commerce celebrating the another new store opening this year.
Susan Linder, President of the Union City Chamber of Commerce was among the attendees, as well as other Chamber of Commerce members, community members and Casey’s employees.
Don Lamberti, owner said he started his business from a store he leased from his father. Before expanding to other stores, Lamberti ran the first store exclusively for nine years. Then, he bought an old gas station, Square Deal Oil Company, and created the first Casey’s store. After succeeding, he started building them from the ground up, he said.
The name Casey’s came from Lamberti’s friend Kurvin C. Fish who was a gas supplier. He made the suggestion to Lamberti to buy the gas station and in honoring his request, he also named the store from his friend’s initials.
Casey’s business model is to build stores in locations that have less than a 5,000 population. Today, nearly 2,000 locations exists, with the potential for more in the future.
Casey’s has stores in Darke County in Ansonia on Main Street and another set to open soon in Greenville.
Penny Brunk, store manager of the Union City Casey’s said she has been the manager of Casey’s since the opening on February 2.
“I started with Casey’s a year ago. I started in Fort Laramie, Ohio,” she said.
Brunk said the members of the community have been a big part in the success of the store. She said with everyone’s support, Casey’s food and gas sales have been great.
“We just really want to thank the community for coming out and supporting us and giving us so much good feedback. They have been wonderful,” she said.
