PORTLAND, Ore. -- United Grocers here said it has named Charles E. Carlbom acting president and chief executive officer in order to provide continuity while it conducts merger talks with a Seattle-based wholesaler and prepares for a re-engineering effort.
rs. He told SN he had been doing some consulting work for UG when he was asked to become the company's acting top executive.
Carlbom said the nationwide search for a permanent successor to Jones has been put on indefinite hold "because if the merger goes through, it would put a different slant on running the operation here."
Merger talks with Associated Grocers, Seattle, began last month, "and we're very serious about exploring every aspect and really dedicated to seeing if it makes sense," Carlbom told SN. "We're still in phase one of our talks, which is looking at what exists. Phase two will involve what the company could be if a merger takes place, and phase three will involve working out the actual financial details."
He said he expects talks to conclude by early fall.
Carlbom also said United Grocers expects completion within 60 days of a re-engineering study that will change the basics of its operation. "Right now we're asking our people to accept new challenges and to commit themselves to taking on new responsibilities prior to implementing any changes," he explained.
In other personnel changes, Paula Anctil, 41, was named corporate vice president and operations officer for UG Oregon, and Ralph Matile, 42, was named corporate vice president and operations officer for UG California.
Anctil was director of sales and marketing for UG's Oregon operations, and Matile was California division manager. Although their previous titles were different, their job responsibilities were essentially the same, Carlbom said.
