Sturken to retire from SpartanNash

SpartanNash chairman Craig Sturken will retire at the end of his current term, the company announced. The board has nominated Dennis Eidson, president and CEO of SpartanNash, to succeed him. Eidson is expected to be elected chairman following the company's annual meeting on June 2.

“It has been a privilege to be a part of SpartanNash’s growth and transformation and certainly a highlight of my career,” Sturken said in a press release. “I have been fortunate to work with an exceptional board and executive team, and I am now looking forward to traveling and spending more time with my family. This decision has been made much easier, knowing I am turning over the helm to Dennis, a man I have worked side by side with for nearly 20 years.”

Sturken has served as chairman and a member of the SpartanNash board since November 2013, when Spartan Stores merged with Nash-Finch Co. Prior to the merger, Sturken served as Spartan Stores’ chairman since 2003.

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He was CEO of Spartan Stores from March 2003 to October 2008 and president of Spartan from March 2003 to October 2007. He has more than 50 years of retail grocery experience.

“Throughout his combined tenure, Craig oversaw a period of tremendous growth,” said Eidson, in a statement. “Craig’s leadership helped transform the company from a financially struggling Michigan-based publicly traded company to become the fifth largest food distributor in the nation.”

Eidson, who succeeded Sturken as president and CEO, also said “from 2003 when Craig joined the company through 2015, revenues increased from $2.1 billion to $7.7 billion and market capitalization increased from $50 million to over $1 billion.”