Tunnell takes reigns as market manager

Fareway’s new market manager is a familiar face to Red Oak residents.
Casey Tunnell has been named as the market manager. He replaces Al Thole who retired in early June after 33 years of working with Fareway.
Tunnell, who has been with Fareway for 15 years, said he kicked off his career with the company right here in Red Oak.
“I started in 2009 part-time here in Red Oak after my first year of college, and then was part time in Cedar Rapids before becoming a full-time employee there. Then I started transferring around at that point,” Tunnell said.
Tunnell shared the things that attracted him to working in the meat department.
“I’ve worked in the meat department my whole career here. I blew my knee out, and after I got off of crutches and completed physical therapy, I came back to Red Oak and got hired on here part time. After I went back to school, I transferred to the Cedar Rapids store. After my second year of college, I moved to full time.
Tunnell remained full-time in Cedar Rapids for nearly four years before the shift to multiple locations.
“After I left Cedar Rapids, I transferred to Nebraska City, Neb., for about two years. After that, I transferred to Knoxville, where I became an assistant manager for the first time. I stayed there for about three years before transferring to Council Bluffs, then back to Red Oak, to Creston, and then back to Red Oak,” commented Tunnell.
While he was at multiple locations, Tunnell said he had a wish to be back in Red Oak on a more permanent basis.
“I wanted to be in this area, and the Fareway company kind of knew that. When I transferred to Creston, a spot had opened back up in Red Oak. I told them I would be willing to go back, and I knew Al was looking to retire at some point, so that brought me back to the area,” explained Tunnell.
Store manager Kerry Carlson said while he was eager to see Tunnell take over as Thole’s replacement, it wasn’t entirely his call.
“Corporate makes the decision. I did voice my opinion to our corporate office, to make sure they knew we had a good hometown kid here who was well-liked and well-respected in the community by our customers and everyone. To me, it was a no-brainer. And then they followed through, which I was thrilled about,” advised Carlson. “There was a time when a hometown person wouldn’t even be transferred back to their hometown, but more and more, corporate takes a look at the mesh between the entities. We’re two entities under one roof. Casey takes care of the meat department, and I take care of the grocery side. We’ve got a great relationship. Now corporate looks at those things very thoroughly and then make a decision accordingly, and more and more now, we’re getting promotions taking place right in the store.”
Tunnell said he made it clear that he was very interested in taking over Al’s role after retirement.
“Kerry knew how I felt, I knew how he felt, and as Kerry said, it was all up to corporate. We were all on the same page of what I wanted and he wanted,” Tunnell stated.
Finding out that Fareway’s corporate office was supportive of his promotion, Tunnell said, was a real thrill, as he was considering another move.
“I was excited. I’d been hoping for that decision. I was in the process of putting in for transfers to Clarinda and Atlantic before Al announced he was going to retire. When I knew that, I put in my letter and said this was the store I wanted to take over as I knew Al wanted to retire. I wasn’t sure if I’d be staying at this store or not, and when I found out I had received the promotion I was thrilled,” said Tunnell.
Now that he’s taken over his new role, Tunnell said customers will get much of the same things they received prior to Thole’s retirement.
“There won’t be any major changes. We’ll bring in some new ideas, and some new products. The meat department is always evolving. A lot of ready-to-go items are becoming more popular, so we’ll have more variety in the fresh meat case and the self-serve case,” Tunnell stated.
As he continues as the new market manager, Tunnell said he’s interested to see what the adventure brings.
“I’m glad I’m going to be situated for a while and not moving. That’s a big thing for me. I’m glad to be situated here. I’ve moved a lot over the last 15 years, so I’m ready to settle and get things in place how I want them, and get the department into a well-oiled machine of how I want to run things,” advised Tunnell.
Carlson shared some of the things he’s looking forward to now that Tunnell is the market manager.
“Sometimes we get set in our ways. I’ve moved among stores, as has Casey. With all the moving around we’ve done, we bring things to the table, but we also take something from each store we’ve interacted in. We’ve taken an idea that we knew we’d be able to utilize down the road when we got the opportunity to manage. I was away for 21 years, and Casey was away for several years. But the transfer program allows you to work under different managers what they do for daily, monthly, and annual stuff, and take what information you want to utilize when you get your own managerial opportunity,” Carlson said. “Casey is already starting to do that, getting signage and promotional stuff out there. He’s doing well, things are going to be great, and I’m happy to have a familiar face to keep working with.”
Tunnell said there are a number of things he loves about being able to live and work in Red Oak.
“I’m an outdoorsy guy. I like that I can just travel right out of town to go hunting and fishing, and I like golfing. I have a membership at the golf course. When I’m outside of work, I love being outdoors. Those are all things I can do from here, as opposed to a store in a big city. A small-town feel is better for me. I like it better than the hustle and bustle of the city,” stated Tunnell.
Tunnell said he’s happy to be in Red Oak, excited for the opportunity, and he says it’s going to be a wonderful thing. Carlson agreed.
“I’ve known Casey for years. He’s got a great family and he’s a great person. I’ve seen how he operated at the assistant level, and I’m excited to see what he does now that he’s a full-manager,” Carlson commented.