The grocery business was a lot different when Rudy Zupancic, 16, was hired as a stock clerk. But he must have liked it because 56 years later, he is still in it.

His tenure in the retail food industry took him from an after-school job, to becoming one of the youngest store managers in the former Thorofare chain of grocery stores.

When the chain closed in 1983, he was the corporation's vice president of retail operations. For most people, that might have spelled the end to a career. But for Rudy, it was the beginning of a dream to own and operate his own stores.

He started with two Shop 'N Save stores in Pittsburgh and Rochester, and eventually became the owner of a Giant Eagle in Bridgeville. In 1994 he added another Giant Eagle in Gibsonia and acquired the two Giant Eagle stores in Butler at Moraine Pointe Plaza and Clearview Mall in 2001.

Today, these supermarkets bear little resemblance to his first stores. In the days before UPC codes and scanners, Zupancic used to mark the price of all items with a crayon. The average store in those days sold about 5,000 items, and the cash registers had three keys; grocery, meat; and produce.

His new stores offer closer to 100,000 items and offer such amenities as banks, pharmacies, photo processing, dry cleaning, child care, videos, flowers and gifts, and sushi.

The best part of Rudy Zupancic's dream was that it involved all of his large family. He gave them an invitation to come into the family business. They all joined him.

His wife, Pat, and their children, Marilyn, Wayne, Laurene, Karen and Michael, have all worked in the family's stores.

Now the third generation, Rudy and Pat's grandchildren, are taking their turns at stocking shelves, running registers, and managing stores.

"My dad has a drive, a passion for the business," said Zupancic's daughter Karen Zottola, vice-president/assistant general manager.

"He certainly passed it down to us. Rudy is a very good teacher; we are still learning from him."

President and general manager Wayne Zupancic, Rudy's son, said, "I joined my dad without hesitation. I was in my middle twenties, with a young family. I saw it as an opportunity to build something."

And build they did. Wayne's son, Brad, worked at the Moraine Pointe store as store manager before being assigned as the store manager in Bridgeville.

All of Rudy Zupancic's children and grandchildren have worked or do work in the stores, with the exception on one.

"I have a grandson who is only eight years old. So he will have to wait for a few more years," he said.

The Zupancic stores employ up to 700 people, offering attractive wage and health benefit packages, including 401(k) and profit sharing plans.

At the Butler locations, the company continued to employ all of the former owners' people, and have hired more.

The Butler stores have a "hometown feel" for the family because four of them live in Butler County. They have made it their primary objective to maintain them at the highest level of industry standards, along with their store director, Tom Hughes, who also lives in Butler County.

Food industry associations have recognized Rudy Zupancic. The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association and the Pittsburgh Association of Manufacturers and Retailers have awarded him top honors. In 1994, Zupancic was given the industry's Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2004 both he and his family were named "Retailers of the Year."

But his most cherished honor is knowing his hard work and foresight has provided not only security, but also meaning and direction for three generations of his family. He also is grateful to offer employment to so many residents, to provide quality service and to make donations and contributions to organizations and causes.

Although the retail food industry is highly competitive, the Zupancic family's philosophy and goal has always been to offer the highest quality products and services at the best possible price. Some stores offer one or the other, but the Zupancics believe you can never be all you can be for the consumer unless you provide both.

Please take the time to visit one or both of the Butler Giant Eagle stores, and you'll see what Rudy Zupancic started.