When Paul Strodtbeck joined Meijer as a fleet driver in 1972, there was only a team of 34 drivers who made daily deliveries to the retailer’s 24 stores in Michigan. Much has changed in the past 45 years; there are now 350 drivers and 230 Meijer locations. Despite the changes, one thing has remained constant: The Walker resident never imagined he’d drive more than 5 million miles, primarily hauling meat and produce daily from Grand Rapids to Lansing to Petoskey and back.
Strodtbeck’s exemplary safety record, work ethic and friendly demeanor with customers and other team members earned him recognition as one of the top 12 drivers by the Michigan Truck Association. He has become a trusted member of the Meijer fleet, regularly testing and sharing perspective on prototype trucks.
Strodtbeck began his career at Meijer at age 18 in the meat cutting apprenticeship program but after 10 years in that role, he joined the Meijer fleet. Since then, Strodtbeck has become a mentor for the team. When he’s not driving a truck for Meijer, he’s snowmobile riding and enjoying the outdoors with his family, and operating his snowmobile repair shop.