Amazing Generosity of Grocery Mogul Joseph Lueken

Joe Lueken, possibly the BEST boss in the world (Photo: ABC News)

Amazing Generosity of Grocery Mogul Joseph Lueken

While some people stockpile their fortunes, figuring “they earned it”,  others share it.  Like Joseph Lueken. The amazing generosity of Joseph Lueken will be remembered for many, many years to come and will certainly improve the lives of the employees who helped to make Leuken’s Village Foods the success it is today.

He’s giving them the company!

Leuken’s is 70 years old.

He started Leuken’s Village Foods in 1966 with his brother and Lueken’s now has 2 locations in Minnesota. Their family had owned Lueken’s Bakery and, as a small child, Joe Lueken worked in the family business.

Leuken’s Village foods, according to the website, is “Where the food enthusiasts shop”.

They provide top quality meats and pride themselves on the stellar service that they provide.

Joe Luekens’  is known in the community to be very generous and has contributed to numerous of charitable causes.

He said that he had offers to sell the business but decided not to because there would likely be changes in management and it would not be run the way that it is has for the past 46 years so he decided to give the employees the company.

Lueken, according to ABC News, said that after he came down with Parkinson’s disease in the 1990s, doctors recommended he have electrodes implanted in his brain to help control his trembling. It wasn’t until he was being prepped for the operation that he realized the surgeon was a man whose education he’d helped pay for. That made him feel a lot better.

Now he wants help even more people.

Starting in 2013, ownership will begin to be transferred to the employees of Lueken’s in an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).

Initially it will be a minority-share ESOP with a goal of 100% employee-ownership within 5 years.

The CEO will be a man who initially started as night janitor and steadily moved up the ranks.

The Amazing Generosity of Grocery Mogul Joseph Lueken will provide fantastic opportunities for the employees who helped him achieve great success.

What a great holiday gift.

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