A day in the life: Gerry Spagis, Save-On-Foods

This longtime produce manager at Save-On-Foods in Nelson still enjoys working with the public

Gerry Spagis has managed the produce department at Save-On-Foods in Nelson, B.C., for 23 years; he's been with the company for 35. — Sandon Sherstobitoff photo

Four mornings a week, the produce freight truck rolls into the back lot at Nelson’s Save-On-Foods store. By 8 a.m., produce manager Gerry Spagis and his crew are busy unloading the truck’s contents into coolers and shelves in the storage area, and by 11 a.m. the produce department is fully restocked.

“It’s continuous work to keep the produce on the shelves—especially the items that we have on special each week,” Spagis said. “Some items we have to restock every 15 minutes or so.”

Supporting the local trend

In keeping with the current trend to support local businesses, the store also buys from local growers, including organic farms.

“We buy from Tipiland Farms just up Kootenay Lake, and from Spicer Farms in Nakusp,” Spagis said. “We get tofu from Silverking Soya Foods, a company that is set up in the old brewery in Nelson, and we get sprouts year round from Salmo. We’re getting into the root vegetables now, including organic garlic.”

Familiar faces

Spagis likes working with the public. After 35 years with Save-On—23 of them managing the produce department in the Nelson store—he feels a strong sense of community with his customers and with the store’s employees. He works with a staff of about 12 in his department.

“I have a really good, seasoned staff now, and also have some students who help out in the evenings and on weekends,” he said.

Enjoying the changing seasons

Spagis manages Save-On’s floral department too, and he said he enjoys the seasonal changes in both departments.

“In December we sell Christmas trees and poinsettias, and the Japanese and Chinese oranges, which is cool,” he said. “In February we sell lots of roses, and then in April there are the daffodils. In produce, we’re getting the new crops of nectarines and peaches from California, and in summer we sell as much local stuff as we can get. I like that variety.”

Spagis said there have been lots of changes in the availability of fresh produce over the years. The systems for keeping track of inventory and ordering have come a long way, too.

“With our ordering, we try to be putting out our last cases just as the truck rolls in with new stock—and we’re pretty close,” Spagis said.