I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend! I had a nice dinner outside with my wife and kids, parents, and grandparents (4th generation owners of the pharmacy) on the warm breezy day we had here in Naperville.
With Father’s Day coming up (Sunday, June 19th), I wanted to pay tribute to my Dad and Grandpa Bob for their dedication to their families, our family business, and continued support as I enter my second year as the 6th generation owner of Oswald’s Pharmacy. They’re wonderful teachers to continue learning from.
Additions to Oswald’s Pharmacy
Growing up in the pharmacy, I was always impressed with my Grandpa’s stories regarding the lengths he would go to help our customers. While the town was a lot smaller during his ownership years (1977-1991), he would take calls from local doctors in the middle of the night to fill prescriptions in an emergency! He also computerized the pharmacy in the 1980s to better serve our community. The first pharmacy in Naperville to do so.
When my Dad took over the pharmacy in 1991, he continued to tradition of taking care of the community in new ways as the town exploded in size and chain pharmacies began popping up everywhere. My dad also dramatically grew our gift and toy departments throughout the 90s (does anyone remember Beanie Babies?). As the new millennium started, downtown Naperville was becoming less ‘service oriented’—so my dad made the tough decision to move the store from Jefferson Ave. to our current location in Naperville Plaza in 2004.
Through the 2000s my dad used the larger space at Oswald’s new home to grow our offering of home medical equipment (HME). With few other places to purchase such items, Oswald’s HME department became a full-scale expansion–culminating with a new 5,000 S/F showroom opening in 2015. It’s become an integral part of our pharmacy.
Father’s Day Inspiration
Through the inspiration from my Dad and Grandfather and all the growth they fostered during their years of ownership, I’m driven to keep up their hard work! I look forward to continuing to take care of our community and adapting as necessary to meet the ever-changing needs of our community.
If you’re on the hunt for a unique Father’s Day gift, stop by this June and shop our carefully curated selection of wonderful gifts. We’ve also got all your summer essentials, including sunscreen (read the full article from our Pharmacy Manager to learn all about it). Have a terrific June and soak up some sun (with some quality sunscreen, of course)! ℞
