Glenwood City Napa Store under new ownership

By Cara L. Dempski

GLENWOOD CITY — Roger Bonte owned the Napa store in Glenwood City for 20 years. Now he has passed on ownership to a person who has worked with him for 19 of those 20 years. Eric DeSmith took over ownership of the store on August 1, 2016.

“After 20 years, it was time to pass it on to the younger generation,” Bonte said of the sale. He plans to stay and assist DeSmith with day-to-day operations at the store. DeSmith shared that after 19 years working in the store, he wants to keep working there. “I don’t really have anything big in the works yet,” DeSmith says of the store. He will be waiting a few months before he starts making any changes to things.

The store was opened in 1989 by Doug McFarland and Vicki Meinen. Bonte bought the store in May 1996 and hired DeSmith in July 1997. When asked what prompted him to hire DeSmith, Bonte said he was smart, and seemed very hardworking. DeSmith said it’s been a pleasure working with Bonte for the past 19 years.