BOISE, Idaho — Albertsons LLC here said Friday it is merging two of its divisions to increase efficiencies. Under the merger plan, 35 of the 37 stores in the Rocky Mountain division, based in Aurora, Colo., will join the 81 stores in the Southwest division, based in Phoenix, in a new 116-store Southwest division based in Phoenix. Two stores in the former Rocky Mountain division — in Scottsbluff, Neb., and Rapid City, S.D. — are being sold to Nash Finch Co., Minneapolis, "due to their remote location in relation to [the company's] core markets in Colorado," the company said. Bob Colgrove, president of the existing Southwest division, will head the new enlarged division, while Shane Dorcheus, former vice president of the Rocky Mountain division who had been running that division, will become vice president, operations, in the new Southwest division. The company said the 35 remaining stores in the former Rocky Mountain division will continue to be supplied from the company's Denver distribution center, while the other 81 stores will continue to be serviced out of Phoenix.

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