Butera to Buy Out Fresh Brands Partners

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. — Paul Butera, who led an effort by members of Certified Grocers cooperative to buy Fresh Brands here in 2005, will buy out his partners and gain complete control of the retailer/distributor here, he told SN Tuesday. “I felt like it was better for me to own it and control it,” said Butera, who would gain control of 26 corporate Piggly Wiggly stores and 95 distribution customers overall. Butera said he would continue to serve as chairman of Certified, the Hodgkins, Ill., cooperative that backed the Certifresh Holdings group that purchased Fresh Brands. He said he would likely switch business of his Butera Markets chain from Certified to Fresh Brands within a year. “I think this will be a benefit to Fresh Brands members. Their cost of doing business will go down,” he said.

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