Man is 1 of 7 brothers working as Hy-Vee store director

It’s all in the family for new Albert Lea resident Peter Streit.

Streit started as store director at the Albert Lea Hy-Vee on March 3, after former Store Director Al Weisert retired.

Streit said he started working at Hy-Vee in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, when he was 16.

One of seven brothers, he said his mother always pushed him and his siblings to work hard and be honest.

And that work has paid off. All seven of the brothers are now Hy-Vee store directors — two have even been named Store Director of the Year.

Streit said though he took a break from the grocery store while attending Kirkwood College in Cedar Rapids, he returned after a brief time working at a refrigeration company.

“I really missed the people,” Streit said. He also recognized that Hy-Vee practices many of the same values his mother taught him when he was growing up.

He has since has worked in Cedar Rapids; Bettendorf, Iowa; Shawnee, Kansas; West Des Moines, Iowa; Sioux City, Iowa; Le Mars, Iowa, and now Albert Lea — each time he moved was for a promotion.

Over the years he has worked as a certified pharmacy technician and he has managed a meat department and a bakery, to name a few. He has been a store director for four years.

He said he has been pleased with his time in the Albert Lea store so far.

“The employees in this store are just amazing,” he said. “They’re some of the best employees I’ve ever worked with, and a lot of them have been here a long time.”

He said the Albert Lea store is a little larger than his previous store in Le Mars, but it has been a smooth transition into the new role. He credited Weisert and the department heads for this.

He said Weisert, who was store director for almost 18 years, was one of the most tenured and well respected directors in the entire company.

“He’s basically a legend with the company,” Streit said. “He’s run a great operation, and he did a phenomenal job of setting it up for me.”

Streit said people should not expect to see any sweeping changes with him in the position; however, he noted he is a big promoter of health and wellness.

In the meantime, he said he wants people to know he is an approachable person. If they have any questions or concerns, they can raise them to him.

When he’s not working, he said he enjoys spending time with his family. His son is involved with activities for math and science and his daughters are in multiple sports. He enjoys golfing and boating.

He has served on several boards, including Rotary, Eagles and Kiwanis and would like to get involved in Albert Lea as well.

“It’s very friendly,” Streit said. “Everybody in town is very welcoming. It’s probably the friendliest town I’ve worked at in my career.”

He was looking in town for a house to buy this past weekend.

 

Peter Streit

Age: 43

Address: Albert Lea

Family: Wife, Jane; stepdaughter, Autumn, 12; son, Liam, 12; daughter, Haelen, 10

Occupation: Store director at Hy-Vee in Albert Lea

Interesting fact: Streit got married 1 1/2 weeks ago