Shopko Optical history

By 1969, Ruben had four stores in Wisconsin and had opened a fifth in Marquette, Michigan.

* June 1970: Ruben announces plans for corporate headquarters on Ashland Avenue in Ashwaubenon.

* January 1971: New Ashwaubenon headquarters opens.

In 1972, Ruben advanced to a vice-presidency at the parent company, and Tyrrell took his place at ShopKo.

* 1977: With 21 stores, ShopKo exceeds $100 million in sales.

In 1978, it became one of the first to not only sell eyeglasses but also to offer in-store eye examinations.

* November 1979: New Ashwaubenon store opens a few months before the opening of Bay Park Square shopping center.

* 1981: Second expansion of Ashland Avenue headquarters.

* 1984: Company begins looking for new space for corporate offices; De Pere, Green Bay and out-of-state sites are under consideration.

* May 1986: ShopKo announces it will stay headquartered in the Green Bay area.

By 1988, the company had 87 stores and had established itself as one of the nation's fastest-growing super-regional discounters, with revenues reaching over $1 billion and earnings totaling $67 million for the year.

In 1989, publicity-shy Tyrrell was named "Discounter of the Year" by the readers of Discount Store News.

Under the continued direction of William Tyrrell throughout the remainder of the decade, the chain opened its 100th outlet in 1990.

1991: Supervalu divests a 54 percent stake in ShopKo to the public.

As a complement to its existing pharmacies and vision centers, the chain created ProVantage, a mail-order pharmacy and prescription benefit manager, in 1993.

However, in 1995 ShopKo emerged as the only profitable chain among the nation's top regional players.

* September 1996: A merger is announced with Phar-Mor of Youngstown, Ohio.

In fiscal 1997, the company filled over 10.2 billion pharmaceutical and optical prescriptions.

Perhaps most importantly, Kramer and Tyrrell pinned their hopes to "move up and challenge the Big Three" via Vision 2000, launched that same year.

In January 2001, he instituted a drastic restructuring, shuttering 23 stores and a distribution center, and furloughing 2,500 employees.

William Podany stepped down in April 2002, and Sam Duncan was recruited to succeed him as president and CEO that October.

As CEO Duncan told Laura Heller of DSN Retailing Today in 2003, "There are not too many industries growing at the rate that drug stores have in the last 5 to 10 years.

Having reduced its debt significantly, refined its internal business practices, and weathered a lingering recession, ShopKo planned to resume investment in growth and rejuvenation in 2004.

* September 2005: Goldner Hawn Johnson & Morrison raises its bid to $25.50 a share.

* May 2006: Sun Capital sells Shopko real estate to Spirit Realty for $815 million.

* March 2007: ShopKo completes sale/lease-back agreement for $75.5 million with Sovereign Investment for seven stores in Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Washington.

* March 2008: ShopKo opens store in Suamico, its first new store in six years.

* March 2009: W. Paul Jones named chairman and CEO.

* May 2010: The retailer announces it will launch new Shopko Hometown stores.

* February 2012: Shopko and Pamida merge, will spend $80 million to rebrand Pamida stores as Shopko Hometown.

* January 2013: Jill Soltau named president and chief merchandising officer.

* March 2015: Shopko buys 20 ALCO stores in Colorado, Indiana,, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas and Utah.

* December 2018: Shopko announces plans to sell parts of its pharmacy business to Kroger, Hy-Vee and other competitors.

Since a New York-based private equity firm bought the optical business in May, Shopko Optical has retained 95% of its optical employees, continued operation of a state-of-the-art De Pere manufacturing lab and set a goal of having 35 more stores in 2020.