Moran Foods, the parent company of discount grocery store Save A Lot, has appointed Fred Boehler, president and CEO of Americold Logistics, and Mike Motz, CEO of Staples US Retail, to its board of directors.
Boehler and Motz are joining Moran Foods board with immediate effect, the St. Louis-based grocery distributor said Monday evening. The two officers will act as independent directors.
The addition of Boehler and Motz comes at a pivotal moment for Save A Lot. In December, the chain announced it was switching to a wholesale business model, a move that will see more than 300 corporate stores sold to current and new retail partners. At the time, the company had 14 distribution centers and more than 1,000 stores in 33 states, the vast majority of locations licensed by more than 200 independent grocers. Plans call for Save A Lot to retain 21 corporate stores in St. Louis to serve as a testing ground for innovation for retail partners.
Earlier this month, Save A Lot unveiled plans to renovate a third of its store base in 2021 and upgrade the rest of the stores by 2024. The retailer also began a major upgrade of its computing platform in partnership with Hewlett-Packard’s Aruba wireless network. arms.
“Fred and Mike join the board of directors at an exciting time for Moran Foods as we continue to expand and transition to a wholesale business model,” said Kenneth McGrath, CEO of Moran Foods / Save A Lot, in a statement. communicated. “Fred brings extensive supply chain management and grocery experience and, throughout his successful career, he is known for developing innovative, customer-centric supply chain solutions, while Mike brings An abundance of retail and merchandising leadership experience with leading consumer brands with deep digital capabilities. Their combined experience will be invaluable as we seek to capitalize on future growth opportunities for Moran Foods and Save A Lot. ”
Boehler (left) brings more than 30 years of retail, distribution and logistics experience to Moran Foods. He has been President and Chief Executive Officer of Americold since December 2015, when he was promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer after nearly two years in this role. Boehler joined Americold in February 2013 as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Prior to that he spent four years at Supervalu, most recently as Senior Vice President of Supply Chain, and nearly nine and a half years at Borders Group, most recently as Senior Vice President of Logistics. and purchases. In addition, Boehler has already spent almost five years at Newell Rubbermaid.
Meanwhile, Moran Foods said, Motz (left) brings over 15 years of management experience in retail, including food and drug stores. He has been the CEO of Staples US Retail, overseeing office supply chain store operations, since April 2019 when he arrived at the company from Loblaw Cos. Motz was Chief Operating Officer of Loblaw from January 2018 to April 2019 after 14 and a half years. years at the Canadian retailer’s Shoppers Drug Mart chain, most recently as President from January 2015 to December 2017. Prior to that, he served as Chief Merchandising Officer and Senior Vice President of Operations.
“We are delighted to welcome Fred and Mike to our Board of Directors,” said Justin Shaw, President of Moran Foods. “As we continue to strengthen our board, their industry expertise and experience complements our current directors. We look forward to benefiting from their knowledge and insight and are confident that they will bring significant benefits that will help drive our business strategy forward. “
Specializing in private label sourcing and sourcing, food wholesaler Moran Foods serves nearly 1,000 independent Save A Lot supermarkets in 32 states through its network of 13 distribution centers. The company also distributes national brand products, meat and fresh produce, and non-food items.
