General Mills vet David Best to take over as president of Coborn’s

General Mills veteran David Best will become president and chief operating officer of Coborn’s, Inc., at the end of the year, following the retirement of President and COO Dave Meyer, the St. Cloud, Minnesota-based grocer announced Monday.

Meyer, who started his tenure with the regional grocer in 1985 as an evening shift manager in Mason City, Iowa, became president of Coborn’s in 2021, according to the company. Following his retirement, he will remain on the company’s board of directors.

Starting Monday, Best will serve as chief operating officer at Coborn’s and will also serve on the board of directors.

David Best, incoming president of Coborn's / Photo courtesy: Coborn's

“Dave has been an instrumental force and leader that has brought Coborn’s, Inc., to the next level,” Chris Coborn, chairman and CEO. “He has always delivered a strong and strategic vision to our organization and has played a vital role in implementing high-level operational standards, people development and our brand promise vision, as well as being a tremendous steward of our company culture.”

Best comes to Coborn’s from General Mills, where he was head of omnichannel for North America, leading a transformation of the e-commerce business with more than $1 billion in growth, as well as market-share growth and improved profitability. Before that, he spent nearly two decades at Target in merchandising, supply chain and business development, according to a statement.

“The unparalleled experience that David brings to Coborn’s will have a notable impact on our organization,” Coborn said. “I look forward to working with him and the things we’ll accomplish to enhance our guests’ shopping experience, company growth and in serving the communities where we operate.”

In April, Coborn’s signed a purchase agreement to acquire the 11 family-owned Sullivan’s Foods grocery stores in northern and central Illinois, its first expansion into the state.

Coborn’s currently operates 77 grocery stores in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois under Coborn’s, Cash Wise Foods, Marketplace Foods, Hornbacher’s, Tadych’s Marketplace Foods and Sullivan’s Foods banners. The grocer has nearly 10,000 employees.