Joeten celebrates 55 years of service

Fifty-five years ago, the late Jose Tenorio and his wife Soledad put up a small mom-and-pop store in Chalan Kanoa, a venture that would eventually catapult itself to one of the biggest locally owned conglomerate in the Northern Marianas.

Clarence Tenorio Jr., one of the couple’s grandsons, today cherishes the legacy his grandfather left on the islands. His father, J.C. Tenorio Enterprises president Clarence Tenorio Sr., was just an infant when the Tenorio couple established the mom-and-pop store in 1949.

As head buyer for the company—popularly known as Joeten—Clarence Jr. said that being part of the business became indispensable in his life, associating his growth with the company’s phenomenal expansion.

“It’s part of my life,” Clarence Jr. said. “Its an obligation to maintain the business,” adding that he would like the clan’s fourth generation to witness and eventually manage a much bigger Joeten company in the future.

Joeten celebrates its 55th anniversary beginning today, lining up a series of promotions to thank customers who have patronized its stores over the years.

“We’re a local company and we’ve been here for 55 years. We’re not going anywhere and it’s in our best interest to provide the people of the CNMI the best quality products at reasonable prices,” said Clarence Jr.

Joeten department stores general manager Mike Troup said the company anniversary celebrations would kick off today, offering selected items at discounted prices.

Troup said all Joeten stores are participating in the anniversary sale, including the department stores and supermarkets in Susupe, Garapan, Dandan and Chalan Piao. Joeten’s Ace Hardware stores would also participate in the anniversary celebrations.

“We’ll kick off the anniversary sale with free T-shirts for the first 200 customers, free balloons for the kids. On the supermarket side, there will be tastings and samplings,” Troup said. Joeten’s vendors would be present at the stores to join the celebrations, he added.

On Saturday, Joeten will be having an “Early Bird Sale” from 7am to 11am. Troup said customers who buy products from Joeten during the sale period could have big savings through special price discounts. The event will be broadcast live on a radio station.

Troup said the anniversary celebrations would run for a month, and that other promotional activities would be scheduled and announced very soon. These events include the Moonlight Madness Sale and the Customer Appreciation Sale.

“Joeten has been successful for 55 years. We want to continue growing and improving,” Troup said.

He said Joeten can make available in the CNMI any product that a customer would look for. One of Joeten’s new line of products is suitable for those with diabetes, a common illness on the islands. These products include lotion, anti-itch medication, and mouthwash, among others.

Troup said Joeten continues to look for products that other local stores do not have. “Let us know [the product you want] and we can find it for you,” he said.