Leading With Vision

Three highly regarded food retailing executives comprise the inaugural SN Hall of Fame, envisioned as an annual celebration of the leaders who have helped shape the industry.

Charles C. Butt, chairman and chief executive officer, H.E. Butt Co.; Jim Sinegal, president and CEO, Costco Wholesale Corp.; and Robert Wegman, the late chairman of Wegmans Food Markets, have each made visionary contributions to their companies.

Butt, for example, oversaw rapid growth that helped thwart an incursion by Wal-Mart, and has been a leader in the development of alternative formats like Central Market and H-E-B Plus.

Sinegal has created a warehouse format that helped redefine the concept of “value” for consumers with its high-quality perishables and bargain-priced bulk items.

Wegman created true differentiation with massive, one-stop-shopping supermarkets and an approach to employment that stands alone in the industry.

The Hall of Famers were chosen based upon input from SN editors and industry observers.