Kroger Revamps Divisions in South

CINCINNATI — Kroger Co. here on Friday said it had established new divisions in Nashville, Tenn., and Louisville, Ky., and unveiled a slate of executive appointments around the new structure.

Rick Going has been named president of Kroger’s new Nashville division and Calvin Kaufman has been named president of the new Louisville division. In addition, Kroger appointed Jayne Homco president of its Michigan division, and Erin Sharp group vice president of Kroger manufacturing.

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“Rick, Calvin, Jayne and Erin bring to their new roles a passion for customers and proven experience leading teams to deliver consistently strong performance," Rodney McMullen, Kroger's president and chief operating officer, said. "Their leadership will help us build on our Customer First strategy to enhance customer loyalty, accelerate our growth and deliver shareholder value."

The establishment of the new supermarket divisions point to growth opportunities in Alabama, Kentucky, Southern Illinois and Indiana, McMullen said. Stores in both areas were previously serviced by the Mid-South division based in Lousville. Kroger’s divisions have substantial authority for merchandising and operating decisions for their areas. Kroger as of 2012 operated just 11 stores in Alabama and 55 in Illinois. It had 110 stores in Kentucky and 145 in Indiana, according to the company.

"We believe this move will enable our associates to do what they do best – meet the needs of our local customers and neighbors, our communities, and each other,” McMullen said.

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• Going is currently president of the Michigan division. He joined the company in 1981, and has held a number of leadership positions at the store, district and division level before advancing to his current position in 2007. The Nashville division will include more than 11,800 employees working in 63 stores in the Nashville area and 28 stores in the Knoxville, Tenn., and Huntsville, Ala., markets.

• Kaufman is currently group vice president of Kroger manufacturing. He joined Kroger in 1994 and has held a variety of leadership roles, including as Kroger's senior director of logistics, before he was named to his current role in 2007. The Louisville division will include nearly 15,000 workers in 98 Kroger stores in Kentucky, southern Illinois and southern Indiana.

• Homco, currently vice president of merchandising for Kroger's Southwest Division, succeeds Going. Homco joined Kroger in 1978. She was promoted to vice president of merchandising for the company's QFC division in 2004 and took on her current role in 2007. The Michigan division includes nearly 16,000 employees working in 129 Kroger supermarkets in Michigan.

• Sharp, currently vice president of operations for Kroger manufacturing, succeeds Kaufman. Sharp joined Kroger in 2011 in her current role. Previously, she served as vice president of manufacturing for Sara Lee. In her new role, Sharp will oversee approximately 7,000 workers in 37 food processing plants in the U.S.