Nov. 21, 2012 – Bemidji, Mn, U.S. – Like most mornings, Joe Lueken began this one at 4 a.m. at the north Bemidji Lueken’s Village Foods store and part of his morning was spent tidying up the aisles Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2012, in Bemidji MN. Lueken spends some of his day teaching, always spreading his motto: ”Do the right thing.” Lueken, who has Parkinson’s will soon be retiring from the business, decided along with sons to sell the business to the employees rather than a large chain.] (DAVID JOLES/STARTRIBUNE) djoles@startribune.com Joe Lueken did well in the grocery business during the past 40 years. His two Bemidji Lueken’s Village Foods stores and a third in North Dakota have been successful and employ a total of nearly 400 people. But now, at almost 71 and battling Parkinson’s disease, he wants to retire. Several big independent grocery chains offered to buy him out, but he worried about where that would leave his employees, some of whom have been with him from the beginning. So Joe decided to sell to his employees, and they couldn’t be more thrilled to carry on his legacy of success through hard work. ”Our mantra is there’s only one Joe Lueken in the world, and the best we can do is recreate him in the aggregate,” said Brent Sicard, who started as overnight janitor at one of Lueken’s stores in 1998 and will be president and CEO of the company when ownership begins to transfer at the end of the year.**Joe Lueken,cq (Credit Image: © David Joles/Minneapolis Star Tribune/ZUMAPRESS.com)