Supervalu is suing to keep a former executive from spilling secrets in his new job with a major competitor, the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reports. For about 15 months, Leon Bergmann was president of independent business at Eden Prairie, Minn.-based Supervalu Inc., where he led the company’s food and service sales to about 2,200 independent […]
Tag: West
Posted in, Albertsons, Executive News, West
Former Supervalu Execs Join Unified Grocers
Unified Grocers has appointed Susan M. Klug as SVP and CMO and Leon G. Bergmann as SVP of sales, a new position at Unified. The announcement was made jointly on Dec. 3 by Unified Grocers CEO by Al Plamann and President Bob Ling. Both Klug and Bergmann previously worked for Eden Prairie, Minn.-based Supervalu. Klug, […]
Posted in, Store News, West
Walgreens Debuts Los Angeles Flagship Store At Sunset and Vine
Walgreens on Saturday welcomed the public to the official opening of its 8,000th store nationwide and its first flagship store on the West Coast, located in Los Angeles at the corner of Sunset and Vine. The store features an extensive collection of innovative offerings, products and services—perhaps unexpected from a drugstore. “We are thrilled to […]
Posted in, Marketing News, National
Mars Inc. Recognized With NASCAR Marketing Achievement Award
Mars Inc. was honored Thursday with the 2012 NASCAR Marketing Achievement Award at the NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Awards, held at Encore at Wynn Las Vegas. Throughout its 23-year partnership, Mars has directly engaged race fans, customers and associates through an integrated marketing strategy that spanned across multiple activations, including: intellectual property, promotions, public relations, […]
Posted in, National
Frieda Caplan To Receive United Fresh Lifetime Achievement Award
The United Fresh Produce Association will honor Frieda Rapoport Caplan with its Lifetime Achievement Award during its 2013 Winter Leadership Meetings in January in Tucson, Ariz. The award recognizes individuals for a lifetime of achievement and for lasting contributions to the fresh produce industry. In 1962, Frieda Caplan established Frieda’s Finest/Produce Specialties Inc. on the […]
Posted in, West
Paramount Citrus Cuts Ribbon On World’s Largest Citrus Packinghouse
Delano, Calif.-based Paramount Citrus celebrated Friday the grand opening of its new citrus packinghouse, which will be home to the company’s sweet, seedless, E-Z peel Cuties California Mandarins. The facility is more than 640,000 s.f.—the equivalent of 11 football fields under roof—making it the world’s largest citrus packinghouse. “This new Cuties Plant gives us a […]
Posted in, National, West
Greater Phoenix Expands ‘California 50’ Program
One week after the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) launched the California 50 program, the organization is expanding the program—which aims to fly 50 Golden State CEOs to the Phoenix metro region for an opportunity to tour and explore the market—to 100 California-based CEOs due to high demand. “The response to the California 50 program […]
Posted in, Store News, West
Raley’s And Nob Hill Reach Agreement With Union
Negotiators with Raley’s Family of Fine Stores and the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) reached an agreement today, ending the nine-day-old grocery strike. “This is very exciting because this contract provides us with the cost savings we need to fund our vision and the initiatives to make us more competitive in the 21st century,” […]
Posted in, National
Wegman, Smucker To Receive 2013 GMA Achievement Awards
Daniel Wegman, CEO of Wegmans Food Markets, and Timothy Smucker, chairman of the board of The J.M. Smucker Co., have each been selected to receive 2013 Grocery Manufacturers Association Hall of Achievement Awards at the GMA Chairman’s Lecture on Jan. 19 in Arizona. The Hall of Achievement Award represents the highest honor given by the […]
Posted in, West
Frieda’s Hosts Produce Retailers From India
Retailers from India recently made a stop at Frieda’s Inc. to get an insider perspective on the operation side of a wholesale specialty produce company. The tour consisted of 10 retailers who represented Walmart, Tesco and Metro Markets in India. They were in town for their first experience of PMA Fresh Summit, held late last […]
Posted in, Store News, West
Lazy Acres Hosts Big Grand Opening For New Long Beach Store
More than 300 customers waited in a line that wrapped around the newest Lazy Acres store in Long Beach, Calif., on Wednesday in anticipation of the grocer’s grand opening. “We’re real excited about the turnout that we’ve had for the grand opening,” Kevin Davis, president and CEO of Bristol Farms, which owns the Lazy Acres […]
Posted in, National, West
Prop 37 Defeated: California Voters Say No To GMO Labeling Proposal
Proposition 37, which would have required labeling of genetically modified foods, was soundly defeated Tuesday in California, the San Jose Mercury News reports. The measure trailed 53 percent to 47 percent with nearly 90 percent of the vote counted at 3:30 a.m. (PT) Proposition 37 advocates relied on social media and a strong grass-roots campaign […]
Posted in, Store News, West
Stater Bros. Super Rx Pharmacies Offering Free Antibiotics
Stater Bros. Supermarkets’ 27 Super Rx Pharmacies throughout Southern California on Nov. 1 began offering free antibiotics based on a 14-day eligible quantity. This includes refills to anyone with or without health insurance coverage who presents a prescription. Five different classes of antibiotics are available, including: • Amoxicillin (Generic for Amoxil); • Ampicillin; • Ciprofloxacin […]
Posted in, Store News, West
Foods Co. To Build New Store In East Oakland
Foods Co. plans to start construction on an 80,000-s.f. new store in Foothill Square in Oakland, the San Francisco Business Times reports. The store at 10790 MacArthur Blvd. will be the supermarket’s first store in Oakland. It plans to finish construction in the summer of 2013. Foods Co., a division of Kroger Co., made plans […]
Posted in, Store News, West
Natural Grocers Opens New Store In Missoula, Mont.
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage opened its 60th store Tuesday with its newest location in Missoula, Mont. The Missoula store at 2530 South 3rd St. West is the company’s second Montana location, after opening in Billings over the summer. Natural Grocers is a grocery chain based in Colorado that offers only natural and organic products, […]
Posted in, Store News, West
Metropolitan’s Borracchini Earns Wash. Best Bagger Title For 2nd Year
Andrew Borracchini, an 18-year-old grocery bagger from West Seattle’s Metropolitan Market has bagged the championship in the Washington State Best Bagger competition for the second year in a row. He competed and won against 11 other contestants from across the state for the $1,500 cash prize and an all-expense paid trip to compete at the […]
Posted in, National
Bayer Crop Science Adds AgraQuest For Entrée Into Sustainable Seed
On the expo floor during the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) Fresh Summit and Expo in Anaheim, Calif., Sarah Reiter talked with The Shelby Report about the deal that brought together the company she formerly worked for, AgraQuest, and Bayer Crop Science in August 2012. Reiter, who is director of global product management-biologics, said that for […]
Posted in, Beverage News, National
National Beer Wholesalers Association Announces 2012-13 BOD Officers
The National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) has announced its board of directors officers for the 2012-13 term. Bob Archer, president and CEO of Blue Ridge Beverage Co. Inc. in Salem, Va., will take the helm as chairman of the board. He assumed the position and its responsibilities during NBWA’s 75th annual convention held earlier this […]
Posted in, Beverage News, New Products, West
Celebs Help Launch New Wellness Beverage
The Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel was nothing short of a star-studded evening earlier this month as some of Hollywood’s top entertainers, professional athletes and musicians came together to celebrate the launch of the Mr. Pink Ginseng Drink, a new wellness beverage. The streets of Wilshire and the famous Rodeo Drive were covered with fans waiting […]
Posted in, National, West
CF Cycle For Life Increases Donations By 167 Percent
Hundreds of cyclists rode in the 2nd annual Aptalis CF Cycle for Life earlier this month, raising $120,000 for cystic fibrosis research—a 167 percent increase in fundraising from last year. “The great success we experienced this year was due to the support of our sponsors—Bristol Farms, Smart & Final, Harley Marine, SmartWater, Unified Grocers, Sara […]