Sherm’s Thunderbird Markets, Inc. Family Confirms Plan to Sell Four Stores and Medford Warehouse

After nearly six decades in the grocery business in Southern Oregon, the Olsrud family has confirmed it is pursuing a sale of Sherm’s Thunderbird Markets, Inc., including four store locations and a warehouse in Medford.

Owner Steve Olsrud said the company’s holdings are available and that interested parties can contact the company directly. He did not provide details such as a sale price, and said the effort had not been posted as an online real estate listing at the time of the report.

Statement: goal is continuity and “business as usual”

General Manager Bob Ames issued a statement saying the company is seeking a buyer who will keep the stores operating as they have for years, while continuing to serve the community and care for the company’s 500-plus employees. The statement added that Olsrud, 78, has chosen to begin a succession plan and that the message from leadership is “business as usual.”

Stores included in the sale

The company’s locations listed include:

• Klamath Falls - 1877 Avalon St.
• Medford - 2347 W Main St. (Thunderbird)
• Medford - 2230 Biddle Rd. (Food 4 Less)
• Roseburg - 2553 NW Stewart Pkwy.
• Plus a warehouse in Medford

How the company began - and expanded

The family-run business traces back to founders Sherm Olsrud and Wanda Olsrud, who previously operated Wilson’s Sausage Kitchen in Eugene. In 1967, they moved to the Rogue Valley and purchased a six-year-old Thunderbird Market in Medford, keeping the Thunderbird name but adding “Sherm’s.”

Growth followed over the years:

• 1974: expansion into Klamath Falls with the purchase of a former Mayfair Market
• 1977: opening a Biddle Road store in Medford, first operated as a Sherm’s Thunderbird and later transitioned to a 24-hour Food 4 Less format
• 2000: a fourth location added with the purchase of a struggling Food World store in Roseburg

Sherm Olsrud died in 2019. Wanda Olsrud died Dec. 29, 2025, at age 100. Steve Olsrud has led the company in recent decades.

Community giving and local recognition

The company is widely associated with philanthropy across Southern Oregon, with support described as ranging from food banks and health care entities to school districts, sports organizations, and youth programs including 4-H and Future Farmers of America. The company also offers multiple scholarship funds through its website.

One long-running local feature highlighted was the meat department’s display of photos of 4-H and FFA youth with animals purchased at auction.

Among sites carrying the family name: the 12,000-square-foot Olsrud Arena at The Expo in Central Point, funded in 1999 and later expanded to add restrooms and showers for youth participants.

The family was also recognized at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center after a $12 million donation in 2022 supporting a range of services including care for women and children, cancer and cardiac care, mental health, and other services.