A&P SHUFFLES ITS SUPER FRESH GROUP

MICHAEL HARRISON

MONTVALE, N.J. -- A&P here has reorganized its Super Fresh group of stores by merging its Philadelphia Super Fresh and Mid-Atlantic groups, the company said last week.

The company said the combined group will consist of 166 stores expected to generate $1.5 billion in sales. The new Super Fresh group will be headquartered in Baltimore. Stores in the division will all retain their banners: the Super Fresh banner in southern New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware and the Washington, D.C.-Baltimore areas, and the Farmer Jack banner in Virginia, according to company spokesman Andy Carrano.

The changes the reorganization represents "will be transparent to customers from a storeoperation standpoint," Carrano said. He added that none of the company's corporate offices have been closed "as of this date" but that "we need to take a look at what we're going to do with our Florence [N.J.] facility."

Carrano said the consolidation is part of the company's "strategic plan" to maximize profits.

David Hoalt, president of A&P's New England group, was named president of the Super Fresh group effective last week, the company said. He reports to William Louttit, chief executive officer of the Northeast Region.

The company also named Robert Panasuk to succeed Hoalt as president of the New England group, effective last week.

Also last week, Teamsters Local 707 voted to sacrifice a few jobs in order to save many more at a Waldbaum's warehouse in Central Islip, N.Y.

The local voted to approve an agreement that eliminates 49 jobs and reduces salaries and benefits for new hires. However, according to Kevin McCaffrey, Local 707's secretary and treasurer, "two weeks ago, we were talking about no jobs. Now," he told SN, "there are 160 [preserved].

Under the agreement, employees forfeited increases in base pay of $18.25 an hour for lump sum payments of $1,500 this year, $1,500 next year and $1,000 in 2000. Also, under a new, two-tier system, new hires will have a base salary of $11 an hour and lesser benefits.