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Medford chamber honors grocers Olsrud By Jessica Smith Longtime Medford grocers and philanthropists Sherm and Wanda Olsrud took the top honors Tuesday at the Medford chamber�s annual awards banquet. The Olsruds, owners of Food 4 Less and Sherm�s Thunderbird markets in Medford and Klamath Falls, were named First Citizens of the Year by The Chamber of Medford/Jackson County. The chamber announced seven other awards Tuesday night. "It�s uncommon for us to give the First Citizen award to two people," said chamber executive Brad Hicks. "With regard to Sherm and Wanda ... it wouldn�t make sense to recognize one without the other." The Olsruds were honored for their significant contributions to the development of Jackson County, the chamber said. The reward recognizes lifetime achievements and community service, Hicks said. The Olsruds in recent years have made significant donations to local organizations, including a $400,000 gift to the Jackson County Fair for a livestock pavilion and $100,000 to ACCESS for a community kitchen. "This (the award) is a very small way for us to say thank you," Hicks said. The Olsruds met in 1946 while Wanda was working at Sherm�s aunt�s restaurant in Eugene. A decade later, they bought Wilson�s Sausage Kitchen in Eugene and built a grocery store they called Sherm�s 24 Hour Market. The couple moved to Medford and bought the Thunderbird market in 1967. In 1973, they bought Thunderbird in Klamath Falls. Five years later, the couple acquired The Bazaar Store, now Food 4 Less off Biddle Road. Sherm Olsrud was named the chamber�s retailer of the year in 1997. Also Tuesday, the chamber recognized two other individuals and five local companies for their achievements. Following is a roundup of the award winners: Company Growth Honor Roll, category I � Answer Page, awarded to a business with less than 50 workers that experienced outstanding growth in sales, payroll and employees. Company Growth Honor Roll, Category II � Caregiver Services, awarded to a business with 50 to 150 employees that experienced outstanding growth in sales, payroll and employees. Company Growth Honor Roll, Category III � U.S. Cellular, awarded to a business with more than 150 employees that experienced outstanding growth in sales, payroll and employees. Retailer of the Year � Les Schwab Tire Center, awarded to the company recognized for its dependability, success, exceptional customer service, outstanding community service and leadership. Member of the Year � David Straus of Skelton, Straus & Seibert, awarded to the member who devoted considerable time to the chamber�s slogan, "Helping business succeed." New Member of the Year � Bob Barry of Pacific Power, awarded to a new member who participated in chamber activities. Outstanding Corporate Citizen � Bear Creek Corp., awarded to the company that contributed a significant amount of time and money to the community in the past year. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA