Another feather in the hat of Stater Bros. Markets, BB #:111865 Colton, CA, according to Carol Spieckerman, president of Spieckerman Retail in Bentonville, AR, is its hiring practices.
“Recently, Stater Bros. has stood out by hiring or promoting women to top leadership roles.”
Between June and August 2022, the retailer made several such announcements: Rebecca Calvin joined the organization from The Save Mart Companies as its new senior vice president and chief marketing officer, replacing Dennis McIntyre, who retired.
Irene Willins, who had worked at Stater Bros. since 2000, was also promoted, most recently as senior controller of accounting and finance to vice president of finance.
The retailer also elevated Bertha Luna, who had been with Stater Bros. since 1999, to senior vice president of retail operations and added her to the executive leadership team. In her past roles, Luna had instituted policies to give store management teams a better work-life balance.
The company also made other changes to top management in the past year. In September 2022, the company announced the promotion of former president Greg McNiff, who has been with Stater Bros. since 2019, as its new COO.
Shortly thereafter, in October 2022, the company announced former executive Phil Smith would retire as the longtime chairman of the board, with CEO Pete Van Helden taking over his duties, though Smith remains on the board.
With a new leadership team in place, an extensive rebranding strategy and ad campaign in full swing, and an anticipated entry into smaller formats, the future could usher in much change for the 87-year-old retailer.
But, based on past history, it is unlikely Stater Bros. Markets will venture too far from its Inland Empire stronghold, remaining a pillar of the community where it has focused its resources over the decades.
This is an excerpt from the May/June 2023 issue of Produce Blueprints Magazine’s California Supplement.
