B&G Foods Inc. CEO Robert C. Cantwell plans to retire from the company, headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey, on April 5, 2019. Cantwell’s retirement will bring to a close a career of more than 35 years of continuous service to B&G Foods, including approximately 23 years of leadership as EVP of finance and CFO and more than four […]
Category: Wholesaler/Distributor News
Southern Glazer’s Raises More Than $90K For Feeding America
Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, a distributor of alcoholic beverages, raised a total of $90,800 for Feeding America through its recent national holiday philanthropy campaign, created to encourage employee volunteerism across the country during the holidays. For every dollar donated, the Feeding America network of food banks can provide 10 meals to people facing hunger. With Southern Glazer’s donation, […]
Chris Ross Named VP Of Operations At Chicago Meat Authority
Chicago Meat Authority has named Chris Ross VP of operations at the privately held boning and portion control operations located in the historic Chicago stockyards. “I am excited to be at CMA and responsible for everything within the four walls of our two plants. That includes the physical plant, warehouse, full production process, technical assurance […]
Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits Promotes Key Executives
Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits has made changes to its East Region executive team effective immediately. Walter Cowell, most recently the VP of commercial operations for Florida, has been promoted to EVP and GM of Mid-Atlantic, responsible for the Maryland, D.C. and Delaware markets. In this new role, he will report to Gene Sullivan, president, East […]
Piggly Wiggly’s Bullard Got Education In More Than One Form In The Army
ROFDA Member: Piggly Wiggly Alabama Distributing Co. Editor’s note: The following is a portion of 2018’s ROFDA Report honoring ROFDA vets. The full report is available in the December 2018 editions of The Shelby Report. David Bullard, president and CEO of Piggly Wiggly Alabama Distributing Co. (PWADC), took a break from college to serve in […]
Kayco To Offer New Passover Products At Whole Foods Market
Kayco will offer more than 20 new and traditional Kosher-for-Passover products in March at Whole Foods Market stores nationwide. Kayco, located in Bayonne, New Jersey, is a kosher food distributor, representing brands such as Gefen, Hadar, Chef Jeff, Kedem, Yehuda, Glicks, Fox’s and Harrison’s among others. Kayco EVP Harold Weiss says the company’s partnership with Whole […]
H.I.G. Capital Acquires Lipari Foods
An affiliate of private equity investment firm H.I.G. Capital (H.I.G.) has acquired from Sterling Investment Partners and certain other selling shareholders, their interests in Warren, Michigan-based Lipari Foods Operating Co. H.I.G. is partnering with the Lipari family and the current management team to grow the company’s distribution and manufacturing platform. Terms of the transaction were […]
Leading Hemp-Extract Formulator Hires David Gumner As CMO
Boulder, Colorado-based cannabinoid company Boulder Botanical & Bioscience Laboratory (BBB Labs) has hired David Gumner as chief marketing officer (CMO), a new executive position for the company. As CMO, Gumner is responsible for building foundational marketing capabilities throughout the company and its growing array of hemp-derived products for the health-and-wellness sector. As a specialist in marketing consumer […]
Tuscanini Introduces Line Of ‘Gourmet’ Italian Products
Tuscanini Foods is rolling out a new line of Italian products. Tuscanini’s foods are imported from Italy. “From the mountainous Dolomite region to the idyllic Sardinia Island, products are sourced from artisans that specialize in offering only the best quality ingredients,” the company says. The new host of products from Tuscanini—from sparkling, cold-pressed beverages to Italian […]
2019 Food Safety Summit To Offer Education Sessions To Address Emerging Issues
The Food Safety Summit has planned a dynamic education program for its 21st annual conference and trade show taking place May 6-9, 2019, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois. The conference program will feature sessions led by industry thought leaders; a keynote presentation by Michael Taylor, co-chair of the Stop Foodborne Illness […]
Altria Refocuses Innovative Product Efforts
Altria Group Inc. is discontinuing production and distribution of all MarkTen and Green Smoke e-vapor products and VERVE oral nicotine containing products. This decision is based upon the current and expected financial performance of these products, coupled with regulatory restrictions that affect Altria’s ability to quickly improve these products. The Richmond, Virginia-based company says it will refocus its resources on more […]
UNFI Reports Net Sales Up 16.7 Percent In 1Q 2019
United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI) has released its financial results for the first quarter of fiscal 2019 ended Oct. 27, 2018. Highlights of the report are outlined in the table below: 13-Week Period Ended ($ in thousands, except for per share data) October 27, 2018 October 28, 2017 Change Net Sales $ 2,868,156 $ 2,457,545 $ […]
SpartanNash To Expand Into New Markets With Martin’s Deal
SpartanNash, a Grand Rapids, Michigan-based grocery wholesaler and food retailer, has signed an agreement to acquire Martin’s Super Markets in South Bend, Indiana, the companies announced Nov. 20. Martin’s is a family-owned and -operated Midwest independent supermarket chain. With the acquisition of Martin’s, SpartanNash will expand its corporate retail footprint into markets adjacent to its […]
Lil’ Drug Store Products’ Rossberger Receives Lifetime Achievement Award
Wam Distributors has honored Lil’ Drug Store Products’ (LDSP) Paul Rossberger, VP of sales, with its Lifetime Achievement Award. Rossberger is only the fourth recipient of this award in Wam’s history. His leadership helped Wam increase sales of health and beauty care items by 53 percent and outperform the channel growth by 7 percent over […]
Alabama Grocers Association Names Wholesaler, Vendor Of The Year
The Alabama Grocers Association (AGA) held its annual Food Industry Finest Luncheon on Thursday, Nov. 1, honoring its Wholesaler of the Year and Vendor of the Year award winners. Speakers included Gov. Kay Ivey; Congressman Gary Palmer, District 6; Commissioner John McMillan, Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries; Rick Pate, Candidate for commissioner, Alabama Department […]
Supervalu Stockholders Approve United Natural Foods Merger
At a special meeting of stockholders held Oct. 18, stockholders of Supervalu Inc. approved the proposed acquisition of Supervalu by United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI). It was announced in July that UNFI and Supervalu had entered into a definitive agreement under which UNFI would acquire Supervalu for $32.50 per share in cash, or approximately $2.9 billion, including the assumption of outstanding […]
SpartanNash Promotes McQuesten To SVP-Center Store, Fresh Merchandising
SpartanNash Co. promoted Joseph McQuesten, formerly VP, center store merchandising, to SVP, center store and fresh merchandising, effective Oct. 8. “As SpartanNash continues to expand its organic, local and fresh perimeter offerings to meet our customers’ growing appetite for quality produce, meat, seafood, dairy, deli and all things quick and easy, we wanted to ensure […]
Bowery Opens Second Indoor Farm In New Jersey
Bowery Farming, a New York City-based indoor-farming company, has opened a second facility in Kearney, New Jersey. Company officials say the new facility is the most technologically sophisticated, commercial indoor farm in the world, producing 30 times more output than its New York City location. The opening of the New Jersey facility will result in more […]
Exclusive: 2018 Northeast Market Review
Each year, The Griffin Report of the Northeast publishes a Northeast Market Review—a guide of food retailers in the region that includes store totals and market share by state as well as other helpful information. This year’s review is sponsored by Imperial Distributors and also appears in the October 2018 print edition of The Griffin Report of the Northeast. Keep […]
Lipari: Detroit Is Back And Michigan Is On Fire
Thom Lipari is president and CEO of Warren-based Lipari Foods. His father, Jim, started the company in the 1950s by distributing unique products from the back of his Ford station wagon. Thom came on board in 1971. Today, Lipari Foods operates a central distribution center in Warren, the largest suburb of Detroit. From that facility, […]
