Krasdale Foods taps Chris Lavoy to lead Bravo Florida brand

Grocery industry veteran Chris Lavoy is joining Krasdale Foods as vice president of the distributor’s Bravo Florida supermarket banner.

White Plains, N.Y.-based Krasdale said Wednesday that Lavoy will lead business development and growth initiatives for Bravo Florida, part of the wholesaler’s Beta II Marketing arm. He also will be charged with expanding the portfolio of products, categories and services for the 50-plus independently operated Bravo stores and providing senior-level support to all Bravo owners.

“I look forward to joining the Bravo team and contributing to the ongoing growth of the company,” Lavoy (pictured left) said in a statement. “Throughout my career, I’ve gotten to know many of the Bravo store owners, and I’ve always had a high regard for the company and the services they provide. I’m excited to begin this new phase.”

Krasdale noted that Lavoy brings 32 years of experience in the Florida market. Most recently, he served as vice president of Southern region sales for United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI). He joined UNFI in September 2019 following its integration with fellow grocery distributor Supervalu, where he spent nearly two years as vice president of Florida operations. Prior to that, Lavoy served more than 10 years at Associated Grocers of Florida, most recently as chief operating officer. Supervalu, acquired by UNFI in October 2018, had acquired Associated Grocers of Florida in December 2017.

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“We’re excited to welcome Chris to the organization, as we continue to support our Florida market, which has seen tremendous and consistent growth,” commented Dennis Hickey, vice president and chief merchandising officer at Krasdale.

Hickey manages merchandising for the area’s Bravo stores and the Beta II Marketing affiliate, which provides marketing and merchandising services to the Bravo banner. “Chris has unrivaled local market expertise and has established relationships with many Bravo store owners,” he noted. “By bringing Chris into this new role, we are investing in the region and ensuring that our Florida customers have all the tools they need to grow their businesses.”

Overall, Krasdale supplies more than 300 independent supermarkets in the Northeast and Florida, mainly in metropolitan New York. Store banners it supplies include C-Town, Bravo, Aim and Market Fresh supermarkets; mini-groceries Shop Smart Food Markets and Stop 1 Food Mart; and a host of delis, drugstores, convenience stores and other independent retailers selling food and groceries, reaching around 2,500 retailers overall. The company operates a 325,000-square-foot distribution center in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx.

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Other Krasdale affiliates include Alpha 1 Marketing (marketing and merchandising services for Krasdale wholesale customers C-Town, Aim, Market Fresh, Shop Smart Food Markets, Stop 1 Food Mart, and other retailers), Consolidated Supermarket Supply (third-party grocery distribution), KoolTemp Foods (frozen and refrigerated food distribution) and Waverly (financial services). Krasdale also has a private-label grocery program.