Woody Foster, Managing Director of Foster’s, has been technically working with the company since it opened in December 1980.
At the age of 11, he did various jobs around the supermarket outside of school hours, with his father, the late David Foster, instilling a strong work ethic in him and his siblings. Cleaning shopping carts for hours at the measly sum of $1 per hour seemed no fun at all to a kid his age, but he later understood the importance of learning how to work hard and be a hands-on businessman.
In a recent ‘Wheaton Connection’ interview, he and I discussed the memories we had in common of working at the airport location before the company branched out to other districts. Local shoppers will be well familiar with the Foster’s brand being present in East End, Savannah, West Bay, George Town, and now Camana Bay.
I was a cashier in my late teens, and was well familiar with Woody and his siblings putting in the hours at the same time. I’d often see David Foster striding back and forth in the supermarket with seemingly endless energy. He always had a ready smile, but you didn’t have to know him long to see that he wasn’t a pushover.
In 2020, Foster’s celebrated its 40th anniversary, but there was hardly time to stop and smell the roses in a year fraught with unexpected events such as an earthquake, landfill fire, a record-breaking Hurricane Season and, of course, COVID-19.
The pandemic has been a challenge for Woody and his staff, but as he remarked in our interview, it wasn’t the first major hurdle they had faced over the years. Hurricane Ivan devastated Foster’s, but thanks to extraordinary staff commitment and teamwork, the business rose up again and went on to flourish.
He stated that it was a blessing, having the Camana Bay location ready before the events of last year unfolded. The 60,000 square foot facility was officially opened on 31 Oct. 2019, less than five months from when the Cayman Islands would go into lockdown in March 2020. The width of its aisles and large open spaces were a big asset when social distancing and mask rules were put in place.
As in the case of post-Hurricane Ivan, the Foster’s staff stepped up to the plate, putting in long hours to stock and restock the shelves, and accepting the important role of being frontline workers.
Woody and his team have been working with food distributors out of the US to ensure that the supply chain continues in rough times. Luckily, the company’s reputation is above reproach with overseas suppliers.
As he stated in our interview, his father told him that no matter what, you pay your bills. Even if you have to sell your car, you always pay your bills.
To see the full ‘Wheaton Connection’ interview with Woody Foster, which reveals some great stories about the early days of Foster’s, visit here.
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