Barry Bliven

Barry Bliven Joins United's Expanding Residential Sales Division

Ron McManamy, President of United Real Estate Solutions, Inc. today announced the addition of Barry Bliven to the company's Residential Sales Division.
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Barry was born and raised in Sioux City where he graduated from public school and went on to study accounting and economics at Morningside and Briar Cliff Colleges.

He later assumed co-manager responsibilities at Economy Market which he and a partner purchased in 1981.He remains a partner in Economy Market and Pet Corner in addition to his full-time sales position at United Real Estate Solutions, Inc.

Barry Bliven and Jim Gill started working at Economy Market as teen-agers in 1968, stocking shelves and running the checkout lanes.
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Economy Market co-owner Barry Bliven, left, watches as his partner Jim Gill cuts meat at the Sioux City grocery store.Bliven and Gill plan to close the store later this month. (Staff photo by Jim Lee)
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"We just have never have been able to snap back from that," Bliven said, estimating the lost traffic at around 40 percent."We've had competition before, and we've managed it.But, when you take away your traffic and change people's driving patterns, it's hard to recover from that."

So, Bliven and Gill decided to close Economy Market, one of the city's last independent grocery stores.
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Bliven expect the going-out-business sale to end at the end of September.

A grocery store has operated at the Lewis Boulevard site since 1951.At the time, mom-and-pop grocers were plentiful in the metro area.But one by one, they began to disappear, giving away to larger supermarkets.A few years back, a Hy-Vee store opened just a mile away from Economy Market at Gordon Plaza.Three new Fareway stores also opened in the metro area in recent years, along with Sioux City's first two Wal-Mart Supercenters, which carry groceries along with the retailer's traditional mix of merchandise.

Since acquiring the store, Gill and Bliven have leased the building from the previous store owner.
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"We have a lot of older people who come in," Bliven said."They don't like to walk in a 70-, 80,000-square-foot store."

Economy Market's deli, which Bliven said served the "best chicken in town," also was popular with many in the lunch time crowd.

In addition to a big drop in traffic, Bliven said the store has struggled with rising expenses, including the high cost of casualty and workers compensation insurance.Economy Market had around 30 employees, who will be eligible for extended unemployment benefits and job retraining services.

Bliven, who has a Realty license and has worked for United Real Estate Solutions, said he may enter that business full time.

Barry Bliven Joins United's Expanding Residential Sales Division

Ron McManamy, President of United Real Estate Solutions, Inc. today announced the addition of Barry Bliven to the company's Residential Sales Division.
...
Barry was born and raised in Sioux City where he graduated from public school and went on to study accounting and economics at Morningside and Briar Cliff Colleges.

He later assumed co-manager responsibilities at Economy Market which he and a partner purchased in 1981.He remains a partner in Economy Market and Pet Corner in addition to his full-time sales position at United Real Estate Solutions, Inc.

Barry Bliven Joins United's Expanding Residential Sales Division

Ron McManamy, President of United Real Estate Solutions, Inc. today announced the addition of Barry Bliven to the company's Residential Sales Division.
...
Barry was born and raised in Sioux City where he graduated from public school and went on to study accounting and economics at Morningside and Briar Cliff Colleges.

He later assumed co-manager responsibilities at Economy Market which he and a partner purchased in 1981.He remains a partner in Economy Market and Pet Corner in addition to his full-time sales position at United Real Estate Solutions, Inc.

Those earning Bronze Awards were Wade Mathison, Barry Bliven, Amanda Sindelar, Chuck Burnett, Deb Utech, Scott Miller, Jennifer Grant, John Vollmer, Nicole Packard and Galdino Guzman.
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Barry Bliven Joins United's Expanding Residential Sales Division Ron McManamy, President of United Real Estate Solutions, Inc. today announced the addition of Barry Bliven to the company's Residential Sales Division. more ...