Spartan Stores Names Sturken President and CEO
By George Anderson
Spartan Stores has named Craig Sturken, president and chief executive officer to replace James Meyers who will continue to serve as the company’s chairman.
Mr. Sturken is a 40-year veteran of the supermarket wars having most recently served as ceo of A&P’s Atlantic division. He has held other executive positions with A&P, Grand Union and Hannaford Bros.
According to a Spartan Stores press release, Mr. Sturken was said to have “played a key role in the company’s (Hannford Bros.) transition from a wholesale-based to a retail-based company. His efforts were central to Hannaford’s success in becoming a leader in the retail supermarket industry, with strong market position in each of the markets served. This experience provided Mr. Sturken with a thorough understanding of both business segments.”
Moderator’s Comment: What are your thoughts on Spartan’s
hiring of Craig Sturken? What direction do you believe the company will take?
First, Spartan announces that it is looking at possibly
scaling back its retail activities by investigating a sale of its Foodtown properties.
(See RW 2/18/03, Are Farmer Jack and Foodtown
in Trouble?)
Then it hires someone to run its business who comes to
the job with a strong background in retail and who has success in moving one
company from wholesaler to retailer. [George
Anderson – Moderator]