For more than 60 years, Roth's Fresh Markets in Salem has been a local institution in Mid Valley.

This week, the company announced that it was acquired by the Canadian company Pattison Food Group, a division of The Jim Pattison Group. If approved by the regulatory authorities, the sale will take effect on October 26. 

Here is how this sale will — and will not — affect employees, customers, and the community.

The president of Rose, Michael Rose, is about to retire. Tim Jennings, Roth's long-time employee, will take over as president.

The company name will also remain unchanged, and Rose’s leadership will continue to be based at its headquarters in North Salem.

"This is the way to make the transition, not just enter and close the entire support center and move it 500 miles away after a week," said Michael Rose. "It's good for Salem."

The company's 650 employees have been guaranteed that their wage rates, accumulated vacations, health benefits and vacation pay will remain unchanged.

Items for sale are expected to remain unchanged.

"Roth's will retain our existing private label and continue to have a large number of national and private labels," Roth said.

Roth's history: store openings and milestones spanning more than 50 years

He said that he is counting on Roth's to integrate some of the things that Pattison stores have done well, such as prefabricated, shelf-stable gift baskets. 

He said: "I would say that soon, you can walk into your local Roth's store and see a series of beautiful gift baskets that you can take to the hospital, birthday or retirement party."

Pattison Food Group is owned by Jim Pattison Group, which has been in business for more than 60 years and has more than 51,000 employees worldwide, covering diversified business sectors such as automobiles, advertising, media, agricultural equipment, food and beverages, entertainment, export Industry, financial industry, real estate industry and periodical publishing industry.

According to the press release announcing the acquisition of Roth's Fresh Markets, Jim Pattison Group’s annual sales are US$12.7 billion.

Pattison Food Group's companies include Save-On-Foods, the largest grocery retailer in Western Canada; low-priced foods; high-quality foods; select markets; and more than a dozen other retail food, pharmaceuticals and specialty banners.

According to the press release, Pattison Food Group, with nearly 300 retail locations and a wholesale department, will use synergies and shared services to help Roth's Fresh Markets grow its business while maintaining its people-oriented culture.

According to Forbes, the man behind the Pattison Empire is Jim Pattison, an entrepreneur in Vancouver, British Columbia, with a net worth of $10.4 billion.

Pattison is a self-made billionaire. According to Forbes, his first business was a General Motors dealership he bought in 1961, the year before Orville Roth and Herman Jochimsen opened their first grocery store in Silverton.

He also controls more than 40% of the listed forest products company Canfor. His entertainment department includes Guinness World Records, believe it or not! Canadian franchise for Chain and Great Wolf Lodge.

His philanthropy is also widely known.

In 2017, he donated 75 million US dollars to support the construction of the new hospital. The $4 million donation announced in September this year kicked off a campaign to upgrade another medical institution.

Roth's Fresh Markets owns five store buildings and leases four others. Pattison Food Group not only purchased all the properties, but each lease takes at least 15 years, and there is an opportunity for extension.

Roth's had to go back to some of its landlords to reformulate the lease agreement to meet this requirement.

Pattison Food Group did not get the black and white 1956 Chevy Bel Air that Orville Roth used as collateral for the collaboration with Herman Jochimsen. It is excluded from sales.

"That car must stay in my house forever," Michael Rose said.

He said that for anyone who suspects that cars were used as collateral to launch the story of the Ross chain, he has read the documents.

In 1962, when they opened the first Roth's in Silverton, Jochimsen used the money to buy inventory, but his father was supporting a young family at the time. His only asset was his beloved 1956 Chevrolet, which was He bought it newly.

Half of his transactions are cars and $500.

Support local news. Subscribe to Politician Magazine now.